Basic telephone rules

V The message is misunderstood.

V Words are misheard

V Words are missed

Any one of these time-wasters can take longer than it takes to write or dictate a letter.

First impressions count

Frequently, the first contact a caller has with an organization is with the person who answers their first call. That person can create a bad impression of the organization either through a lack of courtesy or lack of knowledge about the organization.

The faceless voice

Although the standard telephone allows oral communication, most do not yet transmit visual communication. Facial expressions, gestures and posture not only help to convey the real meaning of words, but are often the principal means of feedback in face-to-face conversation, allowing misunderstandings to be instantly corrected. Without visual communication and consequent feedback the following typical problems occur during telephone calls:

With the lack of visual communication, messages are received incorrectly; it can also cause messages to be transmitted incorrectly.

Many people have developed a positive dislike of the telephone because they cannot see the person to whom they are talking; they lack the confidence to make and answer calls clearly and efficiently. The proliferation of voicemail and answering machines has, for many people, made this fear even worse.

1. Be brief. But not at the expense of making yourself clearly understood or being abrupt and discourteous.

2. Be courteous. Especially when you don’t want to create a bald impression, which is so difficult to correct. Your tone of voice is crucial in conveying a courteous, cheerful impression as are the words you use. Remember too, that even if you are not yet using a video phone, your facial expression affects the tone of your voice. Smile!

A smile can be heard – in the tone of voice, which will sound pleasant and interested. If you scowl or frown, your tone will be unfriendly and uninterested.

3. Be resourceful. Always think of how you can be most helpful. If you are taking a message for someone else, suggest helpful ways of getting the caller and the recipient of the message in touch with one another.

4. Speak clearly. Enunciate and articulate your words particularly clearly. When giving names and numbers use the phonetic code used by all emergency services and some call centres to clarify messages.

A for Alpha B for Bravo C for Charlie D for Delta E for Echo F for Foxtrot

G for Golf H for Hotel I for India J for Juliet K for Kilo

L for Lima M for Mike N for November O for Oscar P for Papa

Q for Quebec R for Romeo S for Sierra T for Tango U for Uniform

V for Victor W for Whisky X for X-ray Y for Yankee Z for Zulu

5. Speak more slowly. When you are talking on the telephone, slow your speech down. When your voice is being mechanically transmitted, the words seem to move together faster. That is the reason television announcers often speak at a slower rate than is normal in everyday conversation. This particularly important when speaking to an answering machine. Don’t rattle off your phone number at a rate of knots – remember the poor person on the other end trying to write it down.

6. Building a positive telephone personality. How do you come across on the phone? What sort of personality do you convey down the line?

Check-point: Building a Positive Telephone Personality Ÿ Focus your concentration on what you’re saying and what’s being said to you. Ÿ Use as much (or as little) body language as you wish. Ÿ Mirror positive feelings in your facial expressions; if you smile while you speak, you’ll put a smile in your face. Ÿ Try to relax; stretch to loosen you muscles and breathe evenly – tension can feed straight into your voice and create a negative image. Ÿ Remember, when you tell a lie your voice rises involuntarily; on the phone this is easily detected. Ÿ Punctuate your conversation with ‘you’, ‘your’ and occasionally the person’s name. Ÿ Replace some of your body language (head-nods, quizzical expressions) with verbal equivalents: ‘Yes’, ‘Of course’, ‘I’m not sure I understood that last point. Could you…’

Дата добавления: 2014-11-20