Effective telephone communication. Secrets of telephone communication

Telephone etiquette: rules and regulations

Consider the norms telephone etiquette , which are followed today by progressive companies that care about their image. If you strive to look like a professional in the eyes of partners and clients, then the implementation of the laws outlined below is simply mandatory for you.

The norm is the observance of telephone etiquette by each employee of the organization who:

answers incoming calls;

makes phone calls on behalf of the company;

to which the client's call can be forwarded.

1. Pay attention to the tone of your voice

• Intonation - 86%;
• Words - 14%.

The voice conveys to your interlocutor information about what kind of person you are. With your voice, you not only influence the perception, but often create the mood of the interlocutor. When talking on the phone, smile, be full of energy and enthusiasm. A smile and a positive attitude are heard in intonation.

Don't slouch in a chair or put your feet on a table when talking on the phone. When a person lies or half-sitting, the angle of the diaphragm changes and the timbre of his voice changes. Therefore, the interlocutor, even without seeing you, will “hear” that you are lying. And this is unacceptable, because the voice of a person in this position seems uninterested and full of indifference.

2. Greet the caller

Greeting the caller, you show that his call is important to you and you are happy for him (if this is not the case, then he should not know about it).

Don't be like the "telephone dinosaurs" who pick up the phone and say:

3. Introduce yourself on the phone

After greeting the caller, introduce yourself to him, name your organization. When receiving external calls, two approaches are used, the so-called "minimum" and "maximum":

Minimum approach: Salutation + organization name. Here's how it sounds: "Good afternoon, Publishing House "Fortochka!"

Approach "maximum": "minimum" + the name of the person who picked up the phone. Here's how it sounds: "Good afternoon, Publishing House "Fortochka", Marina is listening!"

Which approach to choose and use, decide for yourself. Following any of these will show callers that you and your organization are professionals.

I remember once I called one firm, and they answered: "Hello." I ask: “Tell me, is this ABC?”, And the answer is: “Who are you?”. I say: “Maybe I am your potential client”, to which I was assured: “Our clients know us!” ... and hung up.

4. Answer incoming calls after the 2nd, maximum after the 3rd ring

If you pick up the phone after the 1st ring, then the caller gets the impression that we have nothing to do, and we were bored waiting for someone to call us at last.

Do not pick up the phone after the first call, the few seconds you have left will allow you to distract yourself from what you were doing and focus on the phone call.

If you give the phone the opportunity to ring 4, 5 or more times, then, firstly, the caller will become nervous (it has been proven that people lose patience very quickly while waiting for an answer on the phone), and secondly, he will form a completely “certain” opinion about our interest in him and in customers in general. Subsequently, he will no longer believe in our ability to quickly respond to his needs and problems.

5. When calling, do not say "You are worried about ..." or "You are worried about ..."

You force him to be wary, and you yourself ask him to treat your call as an unwanted distraction from business. Why create trouble for yourself and tell your interlocutor, they say, “I disturbed you, violated your comfort and now I will pester you with my questions”?

Say simply: “Good morning (Hello), Marina (Marina Shestakova) from the Fortochka publishing house is calling you.

6. When calling, ask if the client can speak to you

Having introduced yourself, do not go straight to the point, first ask if the interlocutor can talk to you. By asking this question, we show the interlocutor that we are brought up and that we value his time. Thus, we position ourselves in his eyes as a professional and inspire respect for ourselves.

Introduce yourself + ask about the opportunity to devote time + state the purpose of the call.

Introduce yourself + name the purpose of the call + ask about the opportunity to devote time.

7. Get to the heart of your call as quickly as possible

Well, how do you like this heat in the city?

What do you think of today's statement by our prime minister?

Did you see yesterday on the news...?

You heard latest news about Iraq?

talking on the phone, business people tend to be concise and not deviate from the topic. Don't annoy them by talking about this and that, state the purpose of your call and start a business conversation.

It should be added that with the exception of this rule is talking on the phone with customers with whom over the years joint work you have developed warm friendships or even friendships.

8. Using the "hold" function

This function allows, if necessary, to “hang up” the interlocutor on the line without disconnecting the connection. It is used every time during a conversation you need to put down the handset and isolate the interlocutor from what is happening in your room (from conversations, discussions, jokes, anecdotes of your colleagues). For example, in order to:

go to the next office for the information necessary for the interlocutor;

print the required document;

call to the phone right person;

clarify something with a colleague.

By pressing the corresponding button on your phone and activating "hold", you do not give the interlocutor the opportunity to hear what is happening in your room. If the telephone set is connected to the telephone exchange, then during the "hold" it plays the programmed melody to your interlocutor.

There are several rules associated with setting and removing the interlocutor from the "hold":

When staging, ask if the other person can wait, and explain the reason for the need to wait.

For example: “Can you wait as I need to contact the accounting department to answer your question?”

When removing - thank the interlocutor for waiting. This step allows you to dissipate the tension and nervousness that arises in anyone who is waiting. We also show the person that he is important to us and we are grateful to him for not hanging up.

If you know that you will have to wait more than one minute, then do not leave it on "hold". Say that you will call him back after clarifying the information of interest to him. When waiting on the phone, even one minute seems like a few, do not give the interlocutor another reason to be nervous and angry.

9. If they ask a person who is absent

After reporting the absence of the right person, make two attempts to keep the caller. Offer your help. For example: “Can I help you with something?” or "Can someone else help you?"

If the caller does not agree to the proposed assistance, then ask to leave a message.

It sounds like this:

What should I tell (to an absent colleague)? Who called?

Let me leave a message (for an absent colleague) that you called. Please introduce yourself.

10. Finishing the conversation, say goodbye to the interlocutor

How many times has this happened to me: you call the organization and ask the person who answered the phone a question, for example: “Tell me, do you work on Saturday?”. The answer is "Yes" or "No", and the conversation ends. Once I did call back again and asked: “Why are you hanging up, do I still have a question for you?” The answer was simply brilliant: “We must speak faster!”.

In a situation similar to the one described above, before saying goodbye to the caller, ask: “Can I answer one more question?”, And only after receiving a negative answer, end the conversation. Before hanging up, say goodbye to the person, tell him everything just a simple "goodbye".

11. Adjust to the speed of the interlocutor's speech

A person who speaks quickly or very quickly grasps thoughts on the fly and makes decisions without much thought, perhaps even hastily. He is annoyed by slowness and slowness, he is impatient and craves action. Speed ​​up the pace of your speech when talking to such people.

Change the pace of your speech, just do not cross the line beyond which the parody begins.

12. Do not chew, drink or smoke while talking on the phone

Once I called a client, from whose answer it became clear to me that he was chewing. I tell him: “Bon appetit”, and he answered me: “Do you hear?”.

Put aside your chewing gum (patty, cigarette).

13. Do not apologize to the interlocutor for taking up his time

he lost his time communicating with you;

your time is worth nothing;

you are not sure of yourself;

you feel guilty.

Instead of an apology, you can thank the interlocutor:

Thank you for taking the opportunity to meet (talk) with me.

I understand your busy schedule, thank you for the time allotted for our meeting.

You show that you value him and his time, but do not make yourself out to be a "guilty petitioner."

14. Using the speakerphone (speakerphone)

Someone is listening to us.

15. Communication with secretaries

Do not insult, humiliate or underestimate them. These people often have a lot of power. They can become either your supporters or enemies, it all depends on you. Show them respect and reverence, and they will repay you in kind.

Treat them the same way you treat your customers. Secretaries are also your customers, they influence the opinion of their management about you, about your company and your product. If they wish, they can present your call (fax, letter) as "another trick of an annoying idiot from a stupid company." They can make sure that your letters, faxes and Email"will not reach" the recipient. Considering this...

Build relationships with them. It doesn't matter if you do it with bouquets, chocolates, or through your respectful attitude. Remember one thing: by winning the favor of the secretary, you get your supporter in the client's organization. In addition, no one knows which manager of which direction and in which company this person will become tomorrow.

Phone calls can be a great way to connect with someone and get useful information. How to talk on the phone with a man so that he seeks to bring real meeting? Most importantly, don't limit yourself to stereotypes. . Call first, invite to a meeting, ask provocative questions... Just do it right!

Use your phone for business

Until you're close enough to pour your heart out to each other on the phone, call a man in order to agree on something or tell him important information. The reason for this may be congratulations on a professional holiday, an appointment, etc. Such behavior will allow you not to get bored ahead of time, it will show that you value his time and are not going to take it in vain. Just do not look for far-fetched pretexts to hear his voice.

If he himself decides to continue the conversation, support him, but you still need to be able to stop in time and, citing urgent matters, retreat. It is better to let him remain dissatisfied than jaded. Phone calls should not replace real communication - it is better to offer to discuss everything at a meeting.

Ask to call back

If you are embarrassed to call yourself, it seems to you that you are being imposed, Dial his number and politely ask if you've interrupted. If he does not have free time now, ask to call back when it appears, and hang up. Now the next step will be his.

Control your voice

If you want to drive him crazy with just your voice, develop sexy notes. To do this, speak evenly, but not monotonously, the timbre of your voice should be slightly lower than usual. Remember how you talk as soon as you wake up - men really like the voice of a sleepy girl. Try to control your laughter and avoid shrill notes in your tone.

Follow the rules of good manners

No matter how bad mood you are in, when a man calls, control yourself. Don't take it out on him Bad mood. It is better to refer to fatigue and ask to call back at another time, or promise to do it yourself when you feel better. Try to retire at the time of the conversation so that no one distracts you.

Show interest in your interlocutor. If you don’t know what to talk to him about, ask how his day went, what’s new, remember what he worked on or thought about in recent times and ask how things are going. Don't forget compliments.

Don't be afraid to sound stupid and clueless - guys are flattered when they feel smarter than women. If you don’t understand something, say so, ask for an explanation if you are really interested. Be specific and direct. If you speak in riddles, your interlocutor will begin to tire and annoy. In general, try not to use the phone as your primary relationship building tool.

1. Be sure to start a business call with a greeting: good morning, good afternoon, etc. This is not only a courtesy act, but it also gives the other person time to figure out who you are and focus on the possible purpose of your call.
If you get a call, be aware that the person waiting for you to pick up the phone is distracted—even if it lasts for three rings (an answer threshold set in many organizations). As a result, he often cannot concentrate in the first few seconds of a conversation. If you immediately pronounce the name of your organization, the subscriber may not catch it, and he will be ashamed to ask again. This results in a waste of time - his and yours - and such a situation is easily avoided.
After saying hello, name your organization and / or phone number so that the subscriber makes sure that he got to the right place. The error is detected immediately, and this saves time.
Finally, by naming yourself, you establish a positive relationship with the interlocutor from the very beginning. At the same time, both your organization and you yourself seem to him more welcoming and friendly.
Never ask a stranger: "How are you?" This sounds fake. Never say to the interlocutor: "You do not know me." This indicates a lack of self-confidence.

2. Carefully choose the time for business calls. The most unfortunate hours are early in the morning or late in the evening.
Be sure to ask: “Do you have a minute for a short conversation or should I call back at another time?” Suggest a time to talk if the person is this moment can’t talk to you: “At 10 o’clock will suit you?”

3. Using the method vision make sure you are being heard. This acronym consists of the initial letters of the key elements of a successful call.
in. Attention. You must force the interlocutor to concentrate and listen to your words, so as not to become a victim of his absent-mindedness.
and. Interest. To keep the interlocutor's attention, your message must take into account the interest factor.
and. A wish. Your words should awaken desire in the interlocutor.
d. Action. Your message should end with a clearly articulated action plan.

4. Be sure to call the interlocutor by name. If you have just met, try to get his name imprinted in your memory. This can be achieved by repeating it to yourself several times, and then using it often. Remember that people are most interested in their own person! American researchers analyzed 500 phone calls and found that the pronoun "I" occurs in them more than 4,000 times!
At the end of the conversation, write down the name of the interlocutor, as well as other information about him obtained during the conversation, such as the names and ages of his children. Keep these records carefully. They will help you establish an even warmer relationship on subsequent calls.

5. Smile while on the phone. Smiling not only helps convey your enthusiasm to the interlocutor, but also energizes you. Smiling stimulates the brain chemical compounds which enhance the feeling of self-confidence and optimism.

6. Be sure to make "thank you" calls when you have been rendered any service. They are very useful for future cooperation. The faster your reaction, the more effective such calls.

7. Try to imagine the mindset of the interlocutor. This is not an easy task, but there are ways to make it easier.
. Do not try to perform an objective analysis based on the voice of the interlocutor. For the left hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for logic, there are too many unknown quantities in this situation. Instead, listen to your intuitive right brain. Relax as you listen to the other person and let impressions and sensations form in your brain. Such natural impressions can be remarkably accurate.
. A high rate of speech (in the event that the content is quite meaningful) indicates intelligence above average.
. Hesitation, stuttering and pauses often betray excitement or indecision.
. Depending on the content, underlining certain phrases can indicate the corresponding subconscious likes and dislikes.
. By the style of the interlocutor, try to determine what type of personality you are talking with: with the "leader", "mother", "mechanic" or "motivator".
The "leader" should explain how your suggestions will contribute to his success or facilitate the achievement of his goals. Convince the "mother" of the value of your proposals by emphasizing how they will benefit people. When talking to the "mechanic", use facts and figures, and the message for the "motivator" should be as entertaining as possible.

8. Encourage cooperation with the phrase: "Do you agree?" This will allow you:
. Cause a positive reaction of the interlocutor to your message.
. Engage him in conversation whenever you need. Feedback about how your ideas are received, or when you want to emphasize key points your message.
. Slightly push him to accept your point of view by answering your question in the affirmative. This is the most likely answer, since people tend to take the easiest route. Only a very stubborn person can answer such a friendly question in the negative. And the more affirmative answers you hear during the conversation, the higher the chances that your proposals will be accepted.
. Reach agreement at the end of the conversation. If you have already used this phrase several times, repeating it will increase the likelihood that a more serious request will also be granted.
In some cases, people like this phrase so much that they even copy the intonation and voice of the one who says it.

9. Never answer the phone when you are eating, drinking or talking to someone else. Never cover the handset with your hand to call standing next to with you man. This betrays your extreme unprofessionalism.

10. Be sure to say goodbye to the interlocutor: the ability to effectively end a conversation on the phone is no less important than the ability to convey your thoughts to the listener. Too long a conversation can cause embarrassment, boredom or irritation of the interlocutor.

To properly end a conversation, use the technique WTZ(politeness-firmness-finality):
Be polite. If you are dealing with a stranger, include his name in your the last sentence. If you want the interlocutor to remember certain facts, repeat them immediately after parting.
Be firm. Don't let yourself be drawn into an irrelevant discussion. If you're having a hard time doing this, have a few plausible excuses handy as a safety net, such as "I'm sorry, I'm on another phone." Usually - if your tone is friendly - the interlocutor will take the hint that it's time to say goodbye.
End the conversation. Just be sure to let the other person hang up first. If you do this, then the conversation will end on a psychologically not very friendly note.

How to talk on the phone during business communication.

• Business communication is impossible to imagine without telephone conversations. Partners, officials, clients find out most questions over the phone. The same is true for business contacts.
• How to use the possibilities of telephone communication effectively and competently, so that precious time is not wasted and business contacts are increased? Knowledge of telephone etiquette will help to create the image of a person who knows the specifics of his work in a business environment.

Telephone etiquette or basic rules of behavior during a telephone conversation: a list

If you, by occupation, call on behalf of a company or organization that receives incoming calls or forwards customer calls to other persons, then you definitely need to familiarize yourself with the basic rules of telephone etiquette. This will help you to establish yourself in professional environment as a competent specialist, as well as among clients.

Telephone etiquette rules dictate their terms modern companies who systematically care about their reputation. Knowledge of telephone etiquette is one of them.

Which of the company's employees should know by heart and put into practice the rules of telephone etiquette:

• the person who receives incoming calls
• person who calls on behalf of the organization
• who receives customer calls forwarded to him

What does it mean to follow the rules of telephone etiquette:

• When talking on the phone, it is important to maintain an even intonation of your own voice and not give vent to emotions. Since during a telephone conversation one of the three channels that allow people to communicate is activated (these include "sign language", intonation and words), the interlocutor, losing one of the channels, begins to perceive the meaning of the message in a somewhat abbreviated form.
• The meaning of what was said over the phone is conveyed as follows: the absence of "sign language" leads to the fact that the remaining two channels (intonation and words) account for 100% of the meaning of what was said, more precisely, 86% is allocated to intonation, and only 14% to words.
• The voice of the interlocutor conveys the emotional coloring of the message. The interlocutor develops his own impression of who called him. Therefore, by communicating any information to the interlocutor by phone, you can not only influence its initial perception, but also be able to create a mood for the interlocutor.

• Smiling during telephone conversations is also necessary. You should not think that, deprived of the opportunity to see you, the interlocutor will be able to catch the confidential notes you need and positive attitude without a smile. Try to convey your enthusiasm with intonation.
• When talking on the phone, do not fall apart in a chair, do not stretch your legs on the table. In a semi-recumbent or semi-sitting position, the angle of the diaphragm shifts, which changes the timbre of the voice. At the other end of the wire, they will definitely guess that at that moment you are lying. The only thing that you can convey to a client or an employee of another organization with the help of a phone call in this way is your disinterest and complete indifference.
• When answering a phone call, remember to greet the caller. However, for different times of the day, use the appropriate greeting: “Good morning! Good afternoon! Good evening!".
• When you greet the person who dialed your organization's phone number, you show how important this call is to you and that you enjoy the conversation, no matter what information you hear. But even if your personal attitude towards the person from whom you need to find out some information over the phone has a negative connotation, then on the other end of the wire they should not guess about it.

There is a category of people who, picking up the phone, say invariably and without any intonation "Hello!", "Yes!", "I'm listening!", "Company (name)!", "At the machine!". You should not be likened to such "telephone dinosaurs", because the caller after such a "greeting" is unlikely to express a desire to continue the conversation. Most likely, he will also dryly report the necessary information and end the conversation.

A telephone conversation after the greeting includes the name of the organization. When receiving outside calls, remember to give the full name of the firm or institution you work for.

There are two options for an official greeting, which are carried out over the phone:

Option 1: with a minimal approach.

The caller greets the caller and names the organization. An example of such a greeting: “Good evening! The editors of the magazine "Rocket".

Option 2: with the maximum approach.

This option implies a greeting, the name of the organization, the name of the person who answers the call. An example of such a greeting: “Good morning! The editors of the magazine "Rocket", Nadezhda Viktorovna is listening!

Whichever option you like best, use that one. Both options help create the impression of a professional person answering the phone. The caller will have the same opinion about the organization.

Answer an incoming call after the 2nd or 3rd ring

• One of the main laws of business telephone communication is that you need to answer an incoming call after the 2nd or 3rd ring. The "telephone" personnel who are responsible for answering telephone calls (telephone operators, company secretaries, hotline workers) learn this rule as the most important thing.
• Why is it not recommended to pick up the phone after the first ring? Everything is explained very simply: the caller may think that the employee of the organization was bored before, not knowing what to do, waiting for the next call. In the few seconds that you have before the second or third call, you will be distracted from the business that you were busy with before and completely focus on the incoming call.
• Answering incoming calls after the 4th or even 5th ring is not recommended for the simple reason that the caller may become impatient while waiting for an answer on the phone. During this short period of time, the caller will have time to form a "certain" opinion regarding the company's interest in customers and the ability to quickly respond to their needs and problems.

Who should introduce themselves on the phone first?

• Having dialed the phone number you need, do not repeat the mistakes of those who start the conversation with the phrase: "You are worried about (name of organization)" or "You are worried about the issue." This is how they start telephone conversation insecure people or those who wish to appear polite. Why are these phrases unsuccessful? If you “disturb (disturb)” the person on the other end of the wire, then from the very first minutes of the conversation he has a negative attitude towards the caller and the call itself.
• This will automatically cause a feeling of anxiety, and thereby, as if you yourself give a reason to treat your call as unwanted, which only distracts you from important matters.
• Do not create uncomfortable moments for yourself and the interlocutor with phrases that sound like "I have to disturb you and violate your comfort, because I need to clarify some questions."

With what phrase to start a conversation? Say hello and introduce yourself. For example, it might sound like this: “Good afternoon! Gennady Pavlovich is calling you from the printing house.”

Video: Business phone etiquette

How to properly introduce yourself on the phone when making an outgoing call in a company, office, home call?

• Making outgoing call, be sure to ask if your interlocutor can talk to you. After all, he can have his own to-do list or plan meetings, meetings. Most likely, before picking up the phone, he was busy with something and you tore him away from this activity. Keep this in mind when making a call to a mobile phone.
• After you've introduced yourself, don't rush to jump right into the question that prompted you to call him. Find out if the interlocutor has time to listen to you, and only if the answer is yes, get down to business. So you show that you value his time and position yourself in the eyes of the interlocutor as a professional. This cannot but inspire respect for you and the organization you represent.

Option 1: Introduce yourself first. After that, ask the interlocutor if he has time to listen to you, while voicing the purpose of the call.

Option 2: Introduce yourself, name the purpose of the call, and only after that ask if the interlocutor will be able to devote time to you.

How to greet a client on the phone during a business conversation?

If you are not the initiator of the conversation:

• "Art Center Leonardo, good evening, administrator Olga, I'm listening to you."
• If you consider such a phrase too long, then you can limit yourself to an abbreviated greeting: “Leonardo Art Center, good evening!”.
• Very often you can hear such a greeting: "Hello!". However, it is permissible to say hello in a personal meeting, and in business communication such free phrases are unacceptable.

If you are the caller:

Introduce yourself, state your organization or company name, and ask if your interlocutor has time to

Video: Correctly introduce ourselves to the client on the phone

How to use the phone correctly: telephone etiquette phrases

The following phrases will be the key to proper business communication over the phone:

• If it's not hard for you
• Thank you for your time
• Do you have time to wait for a response? Will I need to contact the supply department?
• I will verify this information and call you back.
• Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule for this conversation.
• Thank you for taking the time to talk despite your busy schedule.

The following questions will help you clarify your information:

• Can you hear me well?
• Sorry, I didn't hear. Please repeat.

Phrases of phone etiquette

How to end a business call?

End the conversation with a standard question that requires a clear answer:

• So, are we in agreement on this issue?
• May I take it that we have reached an agreement on this matter?
• As I understand you (in this matter), can we count on your support?

How to answer phone calls in the office and at home?

Video: How to answer a phone call?

Golden rules of telephone etiquette: