Telephone Etiquette for business success

1. TelephoneEtiquettefor business success Created By: Ramon Torres

2. Summary of presentation • Telephones is a vital source of communication • The goal of these Business Etiquette Study Sheets is to assist you in becoming photogenic. • It will help • pay attention to detail • do all the little things that can make a big difference • outclass your competition.

3. Five great tips • How to get your call’s returned promptly • How to get on the good side of administrative personnel, in your attempt to reach decision-makers • When to use or ignore call waiting • Ways to be more effective when leaving a voice-mail or answering machine message • Which slang terms should not be used in your vocabulary when talking to employers.

4. How Phonogenic are you When calling someone, do you identify yourself after saying Hello? When screening calls, do you ask “who’s calling, please?” rather than “who is this?” At the end of a call, do you wait to hang up until the person you have called has hung up? When answering the phone, do you always have pen and paper within your reach?

5. How Phonogenic are you • When making telephone calls or receiving them, do you make an effort to have a “smiling” voice. • If you put someone on hold, when returning to the line, do you say “Thanks for waiting.” rather than, “I’m back.” • When calling someone and reaching the person’s answering machine/voicemail, do you still leave a message?

6. How Phonogenic are you • When placing a call, after identifying yourself, do you ask “do you have a minute?” or “Is this a good time to reach you?” before explaining the reason for your call? • Do you avoid phrases such as “bye-bye,” “okey-doke” and “yeah,” and use instead “all right”, “yes” and “goodbye?” • When putting someone on hold, do you ask, “May I put you on hold?” rather than saying “Hang on.”

7. Telephone etiquette tips • Be Prepared • Paper and pencil should be within easy reach • Remember who called, than acting as though you have had a memory lapse • Answer Promptly • At the end of the first ring should a phone be answered. • Waiting time seems longer to the caller than it actually is. • Be Pleasant • People who have bad voices have to work twice as hard to project themselves on the phone • Make an effort to smile when answering and hanging up

8. Telephone etiquette tips • Identify Yourself • After saying hello, immediately identify yourself • Ex: This is Scott, from Northwood University • Respect Others’ Time • Business etiquette states that ask for the persons time after you identify yourself. • Be Respectful • Let the person know that your thankful for his/her patience • After putting someone on hold, show your appreciation by saying, “Thank you for waiting…”

9. Telephone etiquette tips • When You Need To Leave a Message • Be on your best behavior if you find yourself speaking to the person’s secretary • When speaking to the secretary or administrative personnel, try to address them by their name. • If you treat the administrative personnel with respect and you can get through the door much quicker.

10. Telephone etiquette tips • How to Get Your Telephone Calls Returned Promptly • When calling someone, say when you can be reached. The more specific you are, the more professionally you will be perceived • Be sure to state that fact when identifying yourself when calling long distance. • Ask Rather Than Just Put Someone on Hold • When it is necessary to put someone hold, ask than to do so • A person should not be on hold more than 30-60 seconds

11. Five most commonly made telephone courtesy Faux pas • Reaching a wrong number and not apologizing • Not returning calls • Putting someone on speaker without permission • A cute message on your answering machine rather than a serious one. • Saying “he” or “she” has my number rather than leaving it.