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The art of conducting telephone conversations is to briefly say everything that needs to be said and get an answer.
The basis for a successful business telephone conversation is competence, tact, goodwill, mastery of conversation techniques, the desire to quickly and effectively solve a problem or provide assistance in solving it. It is important that the official, business telephone conversation is conducted in a calm, polite tone and evokes positive emotions.
You need to carefully prepare for a telephone conversation: select all the materials and documents in advance, have on hand the necessary phone numbers, addresses of organizations or necessary persons, a calendar, pen, paper, etc.
Before you dial a number, you should clearly define the purpose of the conversation and your tactics for conducting it. Make a plan for the conversation, write down the questions you want to solve or the information (data) you want to obtain, think about the order of asking questions. State them clearly so that your interlocutor cannot interpret them in multiple meanings. With the very first phrase, try to interest your interlocutor. Keep in mind the dates and numbers of documents, official materials related to the conversation, try to predict the interlocutor’s counterarguments and your answers to him. If you are discussing several issues, then consistently finish discussing one issue and move on to the next. Reviews Yes, Hello, I'm listening. can be called neutral, since they do not carry information about who exactly answered the phone and in what organization or company. Therefore, in business communication one should refuse and replace them with informative ones. After picking up the phone, you need to immediately name your institution (and on the internal phone, the structural unit: department, editorial office, accounting, etc.), as well as your last name.
What you should and shouldn't say when the phone number 23 rings in your facility:
Expressions that should be avoided during telephone conversations so that your company does not get the wrong impression:
1. I don't know. No other response can erode the credibility of your organization so quickly and profoundly. First of all, your job is to know that this is why you are where you are. If you are unable to give an answer to your interlocutor, it is better to say: “Good question... Let me clarify this for you.”
2. We can't do this. Instead of refusing, suggest, for example, to wait until you understand how you can be useful and try to find an alternative solution. It's a good idea to always focus on what you can do first, rather than what you can do.
3. You must... Your client doesn't owe you anything. The wording should be softer: Makes sense to you... or It would be best...
4. Wait a second, I'll be back soon. Better to say: It may take two to three minutes to find the information you need. Can you wait?
5. No, pronounced at the beginning of a sentence, involuntarily leads to the fact that the path to a positive solution to the problem becomes more complicated. Each phrase containing disagreement with the interlocutor should be carefully considered.
Many people chat on the phone. Business people talking. The percentage of telephone conversations per day is sometimes much greater than face to face. Practice telephone etiquette! This is very important rule. You are a well-mannered person, aren't you? Exactly.
Pick up the phone. They're calling you!
When the phone rings, we automatically pick up the receiver and answer the usual “Hello!”
Is this enough to start a conversation?
Let's see what telephone etiquette says.
First of all, let's draw a dividing line between business and personal contacts.
The point that unites all conversations is politeness, restraint, and command of the voice.
Your interlocutor cannot see what you are doing on the other side of the phone. But the slightest intonation betrays irritation, hostility, grief and other emotions.
"Hello" in a businesslike manner
You get a call on your work phone. Don't pick up the phone after the first signal. This can give the person calling you the impression that you simply have nothing else to do but answer the phone. It's not just your reputation. The conversation will leave an impression of the authority of the entire organization. Answer by waiting for two or three rings to ring. But by no means more. The rules of telephone etiquette do not allow disrespect for a person in this way.
It is not recommended to immediately start a conversation with the company name. It is best to greet the caller with the neutral phrase “Good day!” This time of day is considered the main working time. In other cases, you can use the address “Hello!”
Required condition business conversation considers joining a greeting to be a so-called voice " business card" This may be the name of the organization or your personal data - position, first and last name.
Ideally, the greeting scheme will look like this: “Good afternoon! Company "Sun"! or “Good day! Sunshine Company. Manager Olga Sergeeva."
A correctly structured answer to the call will mark the beginning of a successful pleasant conversation. Will create good impression about the organization, will emphasize its status and give solidity. It is always a pleasure to deal with well-mannered people. Therefore, the impression made can play a significant role in future cooperation.
Personal “Hello!”
If you think that you can start a conversation with an acquaintance or friend any way you want, then you are mistaken. It is better to start any incoming call to your personal phone with wishes for a dear day and your own introduction.
By doing this, you will protect yourself from wasting time on explanations if the caller dialed your number by mistake. When someone calls you about a personal matter work time, a slightly formal introduction will set the tone for the general conversation, that is, you will let the person know that it is not appropriate to carry on empty conversations in this moment no possibility. Yes, and this is just a manifestation of good manners and politeness, which is interpreted by the rules telephone conversation.
When you call
It would seem that it couldn’t be easier, I dialed the number and laid out the essence of the conversation. But many have already learned from experience that just as you start a conversation, that’s how it will develop. Whether a business call will be the beginning of a successful collaboration depends on the first moments of the conversation. The same can be said about personal contacts. Whether you spend half an hour explaining who is calling and for what reason, or outline the essence in a couple of minutes, it will be clear from the initial call.
Business call
You dialed the company number and received a standard greeting response. You also need to introduce yourself. If you represent an organization, indicate its name and your position. Next, briefly outline the essence of the appeal. You should respect the working time of others and not waste your own on confusing explanations. If you're planning a long conversation, don't forget to ask if it's convenient for the person who answered the phone to talk. Perhaps the conversation should be rescheduled for a more convenient time.
The rules for conducting a telephone conversation say “no” to such greeting phrases as “Are you bothered by...”, “You see, what’s the matter...”, “It’s okay if I disturb you...”. In this case, your “hello” should be obeyed with dignity, without ingratiation. Then you can count on a productive conversation and respectful attitude towards yourself. After a personal introduction, you can say “Help me solve this question...”, “Please tell me...”, “I’m interested in...”, etc.
Personal call to a friend or relative
"Hello my friend. How are you?" - Of course, you can start a conversation with your loved ones like this. But it would be better to introduce yourself. Especially if you are calling for a specific purpose and not just to chat. Firstly, you may dial a friend’s number at the wrong time. A person is busy, at work or a business meeting, or dealing with personal problems. Secondly, imagine that your number was simply not identified, and your voice seemed unfamiliar due to poor quality of communication. To avoid putting yourself and your friend in an awkward position, identify yourself.
Let's continue the conversation
In any conversation you need to be attentive to your interlocutor. How to start a telephone conversation is a great skill, but its continuation is also of great importance.
Business continuation
You are the initiator of the call. This means you have a specific task that you want to solve during the conversation. Prepare a list of questions that interest you in advance so as not to get confused and not waste someone else’s working time. Listen carefully to your interlocutor. Try to take notes on your answers; this will help you avoid asking them again.
During a conversation, the connection was interrupted? Call back if you started a conversation. You must also end the conversation. Be sure to thank your interlocutor. A pleasant ending would, of course, be wishing you a good day.
If they call you, listen carefully to the request. Do not forget to maintain attention to the conversation with the phrases “Yes, of course...”, “I understand you...”, “We will try to help...”, etc. The interlocutor will feel confident and will be able to describe the problem. When a conversation threatens to drag on, take the initiative and help steer the conversation in the right direction.
Before finishing, check with your interlocutor whether he received all the answers. If you cannot help him due to other reasons official duties, tell him the contact of an employee competent in a given topic.
Personal conversation by phone
In personal conversations the situation is simpler. But here, too, telephone etiquette provides some guidance. For example, a friend called you at an inconvenient time with a great desire to chat. For such cases, there is a standard telephone conversation: “Sorry, I’m at a meeting now...” or “I have a very important meeting, I’ll call you back later...”. You can add, “I understand that this is very important. I’ll call you back as soon as I’m free...” For your interlocutor, this will be an indication that you are not ignoring his problems. This means there will be no unnecessary insults. By the way, try to call back if you promised.
General rules for telephone conversations
Rules of etiquette for talking on the phone are not invented out of thin air. These are the observations of psychologists, practical experience, analysis based on the results of many interviews. There are certain actions that etiquette encourages or denies. Let's collect some of them into a small reminder.
- Don't have loud personal conversations in public places and at work. You put others in an awkward position, forcing them to listen to intimate details of your life that have nothing to do with them.
- Do not put your phone on speaker unless you have warned your interlocutor about it. This situation can create adverse consequences. But first of all, it is a show of respect for the person on the other end of the line.
- Be careful when choosing a ringtone. Less loud aggression, because there may be people with a weak nervous system nearby.
- Turn off the sound on your phone while at meetings, gatherings, cultural institutions, as well as in places where such a requirement is prescribed by the rules of conduct.
- Do not combine a telephone conversation and eating. This makes it difficult to understand and expresses disrespect for the interlocutor.
- Be careful about the time you plan to make the call. Early morning, late night - these, as you understand, are not the best periods for talking even with the closest person. You can call at such times only for the most urgent matters. Don't forget this.
A little conclusion
Now you know telephone etiquette. Call on time. Be polite. Pleasant telephone conversations and good mood!
The telephone has long become an integral part of people's lives. Every person receives and makes calls every day. There are personal conversations that take place between relatives and friends. Eat business meeting that relate to the work sphere. Regardless of the topic and rank of the interlocutor, during the conversation you must follow the rules of telephone etiquette.
Why are there rules of telephone etiquette?
The rules of etiquette when communicating on the phone have been formed over the years. They are based on test results, psychological research data, and analysis of telephone conversations. With the advent of mobile devices and their widespread use, etiquette has been supplemented with new points. According to statistics, about 70% business communications occurs over the phone, so knowledge of the rules of telephone etiquette is one of the components successful business. Compliance with etiquette, polite and correct communication, and neutral intonation will help you cope with a dissatisfied client, an irritated partner, and maintain control over the conversation in the most critical situation.
Greetings
After connecting two subscribers, the first thing people do is say hello. In personal communication, they are content with an informal form, but in business etiquette Common phrases apply. Using "Hello" as a greeting is not recommended because it is a difficult word to pronounce and does not convey a positive message. Depending on the time of day they say: « Good morning", "Good afternoon good evening". From a psychological point of view, a friendly and competent greeting allows a person to feel comfortable and sets him up for a positive wave.
Mobile bans
Cell phone etiquette is much more extensive than the rules for landline phones. This is due to the fact that mobile devices accompany a person everywhere: in transport, cafes, restaurants, theaters, churches, hospitals and other public places. Part of the rules of mobile etiquette concerns the functions of a cell phone: using silent mode and speakerphone, taking photos and videos, choosing a ringtone, etc. At their core, mobile prohibitions are basic rules of politeness that presuppose a respectful attitude towards the people around you.
Public place
In a public place, when you are surrounded by many strangers, it is better to avoid talking on your mobile phone altogether. If you receive a call while you are in public transport, accept the call and say you will call back later. You must answer so as not to annoy your fellow travelers with the ringing tone. If you are in a room surrounded by people, after receiving a call, you should immediately leave the room and talk outside of it. When it is not possible to go out, telephone etiquette recommends seclusion and speaking in a low voice so as not to disturb others. If the call caught you at that moment, you cannot talk for a year, answer it and tell the interlocutor that you will call him back later.
Silent mode and turning off the phone
A mobile phone is with a person 24 hours a day and provides him with many conveniences, but at the same time it should not disturb others. Rules of etiquette cellular communications require reducing the ringer volume in public places, and where required, turning on silent mode or turning off the phone. So, observing mobile etiquette and basic rules of decency, in a theater, museum, library, cinema, or at a concert you need to activate the vibration signal or turn off the phone altogether.
When you are at a meeting or negotiation, you should turn on silent mode on your mobile phone. If you expect an important call during a meeting, warn those present about it in advance. When the call comes in, excuse yourself and go out into the hallway to talk. Mobile etiquette requires using silent button operation in public places so that sound signals do not irritate people nearby.
SMS
According to the rules of mobile etiquette, you can send SMS at any time. It is believed that the phone user must take care himself so that he is not disturbed by the sound of SMS - turn on silent mode or turn off the cell phone.
Someone else's phone
In relation to someone else's phone and the information contained in it, I agree with the rules of decency - you cannot read the text of SMS messages and view the call log. You cannot use someone else’s phone without the owner’s permission to make or receive calls. It is not allowed to give out someone else's cell phone number without asking permission from its owner.
Photo video from phone
You can take photographs and film videos with your phone in permitted places, but according to mobile etiquette, you cannot film people without their consent.
Restaurants, cafes
It is not polite to put your phone on the table in a restaurant or cafe - only cutlery should be there. According to the rules of telephone etiquette, you cannot talk on your cell phone while sitting at the table. If the call is urgent, you need to go into the hall to talk.
Automobile
While driving a car, you can only talk on a cell phone using a hands-free headset. Taking your phone in your hands while driving is strictly prohibited - this can not only create emergency situation, but also cause death.
Churches and temples
Following mobile etiquette and rules of conduct, you need to turn off your phone before entering the church. There is no question of talking on a cell phone. If you need to make an urgent call, go outside.
Ringtones
According to the rules of mobile etiquette, ringtones containing obscene language and offensive statements cannot be used for phone calls.
Don't do other things
Try not to talk on the phone where you are uncomfortable - it is best to accept the call and reschedule the conversation for another time. Follow the rules of etiquette and do not engage in extraneous matters while communicating on the phone. Extraneous sounds are clearly audible during a conversation and create a bad impression of the person.
Don't chew
Follow mobile etiquette - do not combine talking and eating. Such behavior is always perceived as a careless attitude towards the topic of conversation and disrespect for the interlocutor.
Do not place the handset on the table during a conversation
If during a conversation on the phone you need to interrupt it in order to resolve some issue, do not put the phone down on the table. Based on the basic rules of etiquette, you should end the conversation and, , agree on a repeat call, indicating its time. This will save your interlocutor from having to listen to extraneous conversations and protect your information from leakage. Since you interrupted the conversation, you should call back. If you need to be distracted for a short time - according to etiquette, no more than two minutes - you can use the “hold” function.
Don't switch to parallel calls
Although Cell phones provide owners with many convenient functions; according to the rules of telephone etiquette, it is considered indecent to interrupt a conversation to switch to the second line. By doing this, you will not only make your interlocutor wait, but also show disrespect for him by showing preference for another person.
Do not turn on speakerphone without warning
According to the rules of telephone etiquette, you cannot turn on the speakerphone without warning the interlocutor about it. Ignoring this rule is a sign of bad manners and disrespectful attitude towards the interlocutor.
Telephone etiquette and its basic rules not related to conversation
Time spent talking on the phone often exceeds face-to-face communication. Whether you are having a business conversation or just chatting, practice proper etiquette.
There are generally accepted rules governing telephone communication:
- If the call is interrupted, the person who initiated the call calls back.
- You must answer the call after the third ring.
- The number of beeps when calling should not be more than five.
- If your call is not answered, you should call back no earlier than after 2 hours.
- The person who was called hangs up first.
Talk time
There are time limits that determine from when and until what time you can call according to etiquette. Personal calls can be made from 9:00 to 20:00, while business calls must be made during business hours - from 9:00 to 18:00. When picking up your phone, don't forget about the time difference.
Preparing for the conversation
It is necessary to prepare in advance for important conversations on the phone, carefully thinking through the upcoming dialogue. You should make a plan for the conversation, prepare information that may be needed, and prepare a pen and notepad for notes. You need to be prepared for counter questions on the phone so as not to remain silent in confusion.
When you get through, ask if the person you are talking to can spare some time for you. If there is a long conversation ahead, check how much time he has available. If necessary, ask to reschedule the call. When having a conversation on the phone, you cannot remain silent for a long time. After all, unlike a normal conversation, you cannot nod and smile. Therefore, you need to react to the words of your interlocutor, assent, clarify something, showing your interest.
Based on books: " Social Psychology and ethics of business communication" (M.: Culture and Sport, 1995) and "Kuzin F. Culture of Business Communication" (M.: Os-89, 1997)
Modern business life cannot be imagined without phone. Thanks to it, the efficiency of resolving many issues and problems increases many times over, eliminating the need to send letters, telegrams or travel to another institution or city to clarify the circumstances of any matter. You can do a lot over the phone: negotiate, give orders, make a request, etc. Very often, the first step towards concluding a business agreement is a telephone conversation.
Humanity has been using the telephone for more than a century. It would seem that there is enough time to learn how to use this technical tool wisely... But the ability to speak on the phone is not inherited. Everyone can master the art of communication using this device. It’s good if you have smart mentors or successful role models from whom you can learn how to talk on the phone correctly. Corresponding courses and various teaching aids on this topic are widely distributed in various countries of the world.
A telephone conversation has one thing compared to a letter important advantage: It enables continuous two-way communication regardless of distance. But you also need to carefully prepare for a business telephone conversation. Poor preparation, the inability to highlight the main thing in it, to express one’s thoughts concisely, succinctly and competently leads to significant losses of working time (up to 20-30%). This is what American manager A. Mackenzie says. Among the 15 main reasons for loss of time by businessmen and managers, he put telephone conversations in first place. Psychologists note that the duration of telephone conversations depends on their emotional coloring. Excessive emotionality creates the preconditions for speech unclearness and lack of efficiency in phrases, which increases the time of a telephone conversation.
It is also known that during a telephone conversation there is a phenomenon called satiety with communication. It can be a source of tension between the parties. Therefore, during a conversation you need to observe moderation. Otherwise, the meaning of communication may be lost and conflict may arise. Signs of satiety with communication: the emergence and intensification of causeless dissatisfaction with a partner, irritability, touchiness, etc. You should get out of contact with your partner in time to save business relationship. In addition, having long telephone conversations can give you a reputation for being boring or idle. Such a reputation will undermine interest in you and your business proposals. To restore the good name of the company and your reputation, you will have to spend much more effort than when establishing the first business contact.
The art of conducting telephone conversations is to briefly say everything that needs to be said and get an answer. A Japanese company will not keep an employee for long who does not solve a business issue over the phone in three minutes.
The basis for a successful business telephone conversation is competence, tact, goodwill, mastery of conversation techniques, the desire to quickly and effectively solve a problem or provide assistance in solving it. It is important that the official, business telephone conversation is conducted in a calm, polite tone and evokes positive emotions. F. Bacon also noted that conducting a conversation in a friendly tone is more important than using good words and placing them in the correct order. During a business telephone conversation, it is necessary to create an atmosphere of mutual trust.
According to psychologists, positive emotions tone up the activity of the brain and promote clear rational thinking. Negative emotions lead to a violation of logical connections in words, argumentation, and create conditions for an incorrect assessment of the partner and his proposals. Therefore, we can draw conclusions that the effectiveness of business telephone communication depends on the emotional state of a person, on his mood. The skillful manifestation of e x p e s s i is also essential. It indicates a person’s conviction in what he is saying and his interest in solving the problems under consideration. During a conversation, you need to be able to interest your interlocutor in your business. The correct use of suggestion and persuasion methods will help you here. How to do this, using what means? Voice, tone, timbre, intonation say a lot to an attentive listener. According to psychologists, tone and intonation can carry up to 40% of the information. You just need to pay attention to such “little things” during a telephone conversation. Try to speak evenly, restrain your emotions, and not try to interrupt your interlocutor.
If your interlocutor shows a tendency to argue, expresses unfair reproaches in a harsh form, and there is conceit in his tone, then be patient and do not answer him in the same way. If possible, change the conversation to a calm tone, partially admit that he is right, try to understand the motives for his behavior. Try to present your arguments briefly and clearly. Your arguments must be correct in essence and correctly presented in form. In a conversation, try to avoid expressions like: “it’s coming,” “good,” “okay,” “bye,” etc. In a telephone conversation, it is also better not to use specific, professional expressions that may be incomprehensible to the interlocutor.
· We must remember that the telephone aggravates speech deficiencies; Pronouncing words quickly or slowly makes it difficult to understand. Pay special attention to the pronunciation of numbers, proper names, and consonants. If in a conversation there are names of cities, towns, proper names, surnames, etc., which are difficult to perceive by ear, they need to be pronounced syllable by syllable or even spelled out.
The etiquette of a business telephone conversation has in its reserve a number of cues for adjusting communication. For example:
How can you hear me?
Would you please repeat that?
Sorry, it's very hard to hear.
Sorry, I didn't hear what you said, etc.
Before you call someone, remember: prolonged exposure to telephone calls has a negative effect on the nervous system (so try to pick up the phone as soon as you hear the call), unnecessary telephone conversations disrupt the work rhythm, interfere with the solution of complex issues that require deep analysis and discussion in calm conditions, i.e. interfere with the work of those nearby.
Call by home phone business partner, to a colleague for an official conversation can only be justified for a serious reason, no matter who you are calling: your boss or your subordinate. A well-mannered person will not call after 10 p.m. if there is no reason to do so. urgent need or prior consent for this call has not been received.
As the analysis shows, in a telephone conversation, 30-40% is taken up by repetitions of words, phrases, unnecessary pauses and unnecessary words. Therefore, you need to carefully prepare for a telephone conversation: select all the materials and documents in advance, have on hand the necessary phone numbers, addresses of organizations or necessary persons, a calendar, pen, paper, etc.
Before you decide to dial a number, you should accurately determine the purpose of the conversation and your tactics for conducting it. Make a plan for the conversation, write down the questions you want to solve or the information (data) you want to receive, think about the order in which you ask questions. State them clearly so that your interlocutor cannot interpret them in multiple meanings. With the very first phrase, try to interest your interlocutor. Keep in mind the dates and numbers of documents, official materials related to the conversation, try to predict the interlocutor’s counterarguments and your answers to him. If you are discussing several issues, then consistently finish discussing one issue and move on to the next.
Using standard phrases, try to separate one question from another. For example:
So, have we agreed on this issue?!
As I understand you (in this matter), we can count on your support?
A conversation on each topic should end with a question that requires a clear answer.
When preparing for a business conversation over the phone, try to answer the following questions:
will resolutely object and switch to a raised tone;
will not respond to your arguments;
will show distrust of your words and information.
what is the main goal you set for yourself in the upcoming telephone conversation;
can you do without this conversation at all;
is the interlocutor ready to discuss the proposed topic;
Are you confident in the successful outcome of the conversation?
what questions should you ask;
what questions the interlocutor may ask you;
what outcome of the negotiations will suit (or not suit) you;
what techniques can you use to influence your interlocutor during a conversation?
how will you behave if your interlocutor
· To prepare for a business conversation on the phone, especially long-distance and international, it is better to develop a special form in which the future conversation is recorded taking into account the predicted answers, for example, this:
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Date of__________________ Phone number______________________ Last name, first name, patronymic of the subscriber____________________ |
Time_________________ Organization____________ |
|
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Questions are recorded in advance |
Predicted answers are registered in advance |
Answers are recorded during the conversation |
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Conclusions: achieved result, information received, further actions, etc. ____________________________________ ___________________________________ |
||
At the end of a business telephone conversation, spend 3-5 minutes analyzing the content and style of the conversation. Analyze your impressions. Look for weak spots in the conversation. Try to understand the reason for your mistakes.
Rules for conducting a business telephone conversation when they call you
If it rang out phone call, it is rational to pick up the phone whenever there is a call. You can, of course, not pick up the phone if you remain functional under the phone trills. But at the same time, you need to keep in mind that with every half hour the calls will be heard more and more often: the number of subscribers you have not served accumulates, they are forced to call again, for the third and fourth time. In the end, you will have to work under almost continuous ringing. In addition, you can never know in advance which call will bring you a profitable contract or valuable information.
It is best to pick up the phone after the first call. If you are sitting in a room alone, you have enough time to complete a sentence or finish reading a paragraph in a letter sent. It is perfectly acceptable to pick up the phone after the second or third ring. If you have a visitor, you have enough time to finish the phrase and, after saying “Sorry” to the interlocutor, pick up the phone. So, in all cases when the phone rings, it is recommended to pick up the phone without waiting, during the period of time from the end of the first to the beginning of the fourth ring.
Sometimes there is poor audibility in the handset. But that doesn't mean you need to raise your voice. The opinion that if I can’t hear my interlocutor well, then he can’t hear me well and, therefore, I need to speak louder is erroneous. Therefore, in case of poor hearing, you should not raise your voice yourself, but ask the person calling you to speak louder, and at the same time ask how he hears you.
The most common variants of the first word spoken into an off-hook telephone are “Yes”, “Hello”, “Listen”. These words, in their information content, are completely identical and impersonal and therefore do not in any way characterize the person who picks up the phone.
Reviews “Yes”, “Hello”, “Listen” can be called neutral, since they do not contain information about who exactly answered the phone and in what organization or company. Therefore, in business communication, you should abandon neutral reviews and replace them with informative ones. After picking up the phone, you need to immediately call your institution (and on the internal phone structural subdivision: department, editorial office, accounting, etc.), as well as your last name.
Therefore, when answering a call, you should always introduce yourself. People want to know who they are talking to. This, in addition, creates an atmosphere of trust and helps to better understand the interlocutor. Find a friendly formula that you like (how you would like to be answered).
Don't give vent to your negative emotions. Your interlocutor is unlikely to be interested in the fact that a couple of minutes before you had an unpleasant conversation with your boss or simply got off on the wrong foot.
When making frequent calls or in a hurry, they usually give their last name with the addition of the word “listening” (“Ivanov is listening”) or indicate only the name of the institution or its department: “Accounting”, “First Department”.
In all of the above cases, the subscriber must know who he is talking to or at least where he is. If an error occurs when dialing a number, the misunderstanding will be immediately clarified and will not result in loss of time to clarify it.
The phone rang. You picked up the phone. Again - once again - they ask for a colleague who is not present. Frowning with displeasure, you sharply answer several times: “He’s not there!” and immediately hang up. But let’s think about whether it’s your own response that provokes repeated calls. Where is the way out? It means responding politely and in more detail to every phone call to an absent employee, no matter how annoying they may be. The optimal answer in this case may be something like this: “He is not there, he will be then. Maybe I should give him something?
When your colleague sitting at the next table is asked to answer the phone, you can answer the request: “Now” or “One minute,” then invite your colleague to the phone, for example, “Now... Ivan Ivanovich, you!” Make sure that information transmitted in someone’s absence reaches the recipient. Although it is not easy to organize information sharing through third parties, it can pay off handsomely. In order to find out what you need, ask questions according to the questionnaire principle (“Where are you calling from?”, “Your name and your phone number?”, etc.).
Below is a quick list of what you should and shouldn't do when the phone rings at your business.
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Do not do it: |
You should: |
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1. Do not pick up the phone for a long time. 2. Say “Hi,” “Yes,” and “Speak” when a conversation begins. 3. Asking: “Can I help you?” 4. Have two conversations at once. 5. Leave your phone unattended, at least for a short time. 6. Use scraps of paper and calendar sheets for notes. 7. Pass the phone many times. 8. Say: “Everyone is having lunch,” “No one is there,” “Please call back.” |
1. Pick up the handset before the fourth ring of the phone. 2. Say: “Good morning (afternoon)”, introduce yourself and name your department. 3. Ask: “How can I help you?” 4. Concentrate on one conversation and listen carefully. 5. Offer to call back if necessary to clarify details. 6. Use forms to record telephone conversations. 7. Write down the caller's number and call him back. 8. Write down the information and promise the client to call him back. |
This list can be continued endlessly. For example, you cannot turn a conversation into an interrogation, ask questions like: “Who am I talking to?” or “What do you need?” You need to watch your diction (don’t smack, etc.). If you speak with an accent, try to speak clearly. Avoid the habit of holding the microphone with your hand to say something to your colleagues - the interlocutor may hear.
If your interlocutor makes a complaint over the phone, do not tell him: “It’s not my fault,” “I don’t do this,” etc. If you say this, it may negatively affect the reputation of your organization and will not help the client in resolving his problems. Therefore, let him speak out to the end; express your sympathy to him, and if you are to blame, apologize; Write down his name and phone number, order number or other information. If you promised to call him back, do so as soon as possible, even if you were unable to solve the problem by the appointed time.
There are expressions that should be avoided during telephone conversations so that the wrong impression is not formed about your company. These include, in particular:
1. “I don’t know.” No other response can erode the credibility of your organization so quickly and profoundly. First of all, your job is to know that this is why you are where you are. If you are unable to give an answer to your interlocutor, it is better to say: “Good question... Let me clarify this for you.”
2. “We can’t do this.” Instead of refusing out of hand, suggest, for example, to wait until you understand how you can be useful and try to find an alternative solution. It's a good idea to always focus on what you can do first, rather than what you can do.
3. “You must...”. Serious mistake. Your client doesn't owe you anything. The wording should be much softer: “For you, it makes sense...” or “It would be best to...”.
4. “Wait a second, I’ll be right back.” Think about it, have you at least once in your life managed to manage your affairs in a “second”? Hardly. Tell your interlocutor something closer to the truth: “It may take two or three minutes to find the information you need. Can you wait?”
5. “No,” said at the beginning of a sentence, unwittingly leads to the fact that the path to a positive solution to the problem becomes more complicated. There are no universal recipes to get rid of “negative bias”. Each phrase containing disagreement with the interlocutor should be carefully considered.
As practice shows, even with a cursory acquaintance with the theory of telephone conversations, the work of employees significantly improves and at the same time the level of satisfaction increases own work- It's nice to talk to polite people.
Often, when communicating with an interlocutor, we prefer talking on the phone. This is not entirely logical. Why does the person who called you on the phone have the right to interrupt your conversation? After all, he turned to you later than the one who is next to you and with whom you were talking. The visitor is forced to sit and wait, listening to the telephone dialogue, and then restore the broken threads of the conversation interrupted by the telephone call, and sometimes repeatedly remind what was discussed before. That is why, if the conversation with the person sitting next to you ends, you need to ask the telephone interlocutor to wait without hanging up. If you feel that the conversation will last another 10-15 minutes and it is serious enough, you need to ask to call again in a quarter of an hour, when you are free.
In some cases, telephone messages are used for telephone communication. A telephone message, as a rule, contains information not exceeding 50 words. If a telephone conversation is a dialogue not limited in time, then a telephone message is a written recording of a monologue, limited in time.
Mandatory details of telephone messages are the name of the institution (company) of the addressee and addressee, details “from” and “to” indicating the position, surname, first name and patronymic officials, number, date and time of transmission and reception of the telephone message, the name of the person who transmitted and received the telephone message, telephone numbers, text and signature.
The telephone message must have a title. It is compiled for service letter, i.e. it must begin with a noun in the prepositional case with the preposition “about” or “about”.
Telephone messages are written in telegraphic style, that is, briefly, clearly, accurately, unambiguously, in simple sentences. A two-part composition of the telephone message is allowed: in the first part, the facts that prompted the telephone message are stated, in the second - the actions taken. As a rule, the text of the telephone message is stated in the first person (for example: “We remind you...”, “We inform...”, “I will ask you to send...”).
In order to streamline the recording of transmitted and received telephone messages and eliminate possible incompleteness and inaccuracy of their transmission and recording due to the negligence of the performers, it is recommended to have blank forms on hand approximately in the following form:
TELEPHONOGRAM
Addressee Addressee
Name Name
No. .... date.... No. .... date....
Transfer time.... hour. .... min. Reception time.... one hour. .... min.
Transmitted Received
Telephone message header
________________________________________________________________________________________
(Signature)
When the time comes to end a telephone conversation and say goodbye, they follow the rule: whoever started the conversation first, i.e., who called, should end it.
The person who received the call should not be impatient and try to end the conversation in any way. This is bad form. You begin to say goodbye, and the person speaking to you may not have found out or understood everything yet.
How should you say goodbye to your interlocutor? We will give only two pieces of advice. The first piece of advice is to thank your interlocutor again if he congratulated you on something or provided pleasant information. The second piece of advice is if you think it necessary, assure your interlocutor that you are always happy to receive his call and meet in person, or simply say goodbye and wish him all the best.
Rules for conducting a business telephone conversation,
when you call
When the thought of calling comes to your mind, do not immediately grab the telephone receiver. First of all, you need to understand for what purpose you are going to call and what the content of the conversation should be.
You should dial the number carefully, without haste. Do not guide the disc with your finger during the reverse (working) stroke. You can violate the specified disk rotation speed, and the result will be a failure or an incorrect connection. You should not act at the maximum speed available to you. The fact is that the connection speed of searchers on the PBX may lag behind your pace, and again you will not get through to the subscriber.
The load factor on telephone lines in our country is higher than we would like. Therefore, when trying to get through, we hear short beeps almost more often than long ones. Telephone lines have their own “rush hours,” when busy tones may appear not after, but during dialing, after the sixth digit, fifth, fourth, and sometimes even the first. Therefore, being able to call is a concept that includes not only the ability to dial a number and carry on a conversation, but also the ability to “get through” the telephone to the desired subscriber.
The easiest way to get through is to dial desired number continuously over and over again, without pauses if possible. There is nothing better than this method that can be offered if you are trying to solve a matter over the phone that is very important to you.
Has become widespread “ folk wisdom”: Wait a long time before dialing the last digit. It is assumed that during this excerpt the previous conversation will end, and no one else can get through to this number, since you are holding telephone line busy (which is false). There is even an option - not just wait before dialing the last digit, but dial this digit and hold the dial for a long time. Such “tricks” are meaningless: they do nothing but load telephone networks.
In cases where the matter you are calling about may wait for some time, it is advisable to use the regular dialing method. At the beginning of the working day, you write down on a piece of paper the names and telephone numbers of all the people you need to contact today. Then you start calling the list. If the next number is busy or does not answer, proceed to dial the next one. Having “ringed” the entire list once, you do not return to those numbers that were occupied, but move on to doing other work. Mental hygiene requires a short rest after each hour of work. So after about an hour, pick up the list again and go through it from top to bottom. As a result, several more names will be crossed out. So, at intervals of an hour and a half, you arrange “telephone” breaks in your main work and, giving your head some relief, at the same time gradually solve the difficult task of getting through.
In response to your call, you heard “Hello” from the other end of the line. After this, it is recommended to always say your last name and say hello before starting a direct conversation, even if you expect to be recognized by your voice. The most acceptable option for starting a conversation is the following: “This is Vasiliev. Hello... (after answering “Hello”)... ask for Sabitov.”
If you are in a hurry, you can refuse the greeting, but then be sure to add the word “please” to your request: “I’d like Sabitova, please.”
It is very important to start a conversation without pressure. To do this, you need to connect each subsequent question with the previous one, as in a normal conversation. From the answers you need to quickly extract information about the client's needs.
At the end of the business part of the conversation, do not go into a discussion of political or everyday news with a feeling of relief, even if you have a minute of free time and the appropriate mood. First, find out whether your interlocutor is willing to have such a conversation; maybe he just doesn’t have the time or desire for this.
A modern person spends time talking on the phone great amount time. Moreover, this can happen not only at work, but also during various trips or at home. However, practice shows that not everyone knows how to talk on the phone. Without seeing your interlocutor and hearing him for the first time, you can say a lot of unnecessary, offensive or incomprehensible words. But if you pursue the goal of being correctly understood and gaining trust from your interlocutor, it will help you speech etiquette telephone conversations.
Telephone etiquette rules
Quite often, people whose activities inevitably involve talking on the phone are faced with various kinds of misconceptions. For example, such that since the interlocutor does not see them, then the conversation can be conducted in a free and relaxed manner. However, if you represent a company or your services as a private individual, it is worth remembering that the company’s image directly depends on the manner in which you speak to potential client. If in real life If you are greeted by your clothes, then when communicating on the phone, your manner of conversation will be that same “clothes”. It is your speech that will allow you to make a positive impression on your interlocutor or, conversely, make him refuse to cooperate with you. So what are the rules of business conversation on the phone?
Telephone etiquette is a skill that is acquired through constant practice. There are very few people in the world who are naturally given the ability to convince their interlocutor, being on opposite sides of the same city, region, country and even abroad. And before you pick up the phone for another conversation, learn to speak as required by telephone etiquette:
These are just some recommendations that are important to know for everyone who is in one way or another connected by telephone communication. You don't have to learn them by heart. It is enough to treat your interlocutors the same way you treat yourself.
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