Info about Phone Calls
How to Make Better Use of Your Home Office Phone
Anybody can use a telephone, but using a telephone to maximum benefit takes a little effort. Use the following guidelines to get the most out of your phone time:
Answer your phone professionally, rather than just saying hello. Answer with your company name, or give a greeting (good morning or good after¬noon) and your name. You could also answer by giving your full name. Whatever method you choose, make sure it gives the impression you want.
Answer your phone in a positive tone. You could even smile before you an¬swer a call. The way you think you sound and the way you come across to the person on the other end may be totally different.
One afternoon I met with a friend who works at the Zig Ziglar Corpo¬ration in Dallas. As I was waiting for her to come out to the reception area, I heard the receptionist answer the phone with, "Good morning, it's a great day at Zig Ziglar's, this is Joyce." After hearing her answer about twenty calls this way, I couldn't resist asking her how she maintained her enthusi¬asm. She said that the Zig Ziglar Corporation has a reputation as a motiva¬tional company and that's what people expect when they call. She also said that she enjoyed her job and talking on the phone, and that "you never know when Mr. Ziglar is going to call!"
There's a saying that goes, "People like doing business with people they like." In that the first impression you make will probably be through a phone call, make your callers happy that they called, instead of scaring them away.
Do not let a child or anyone who is not willing to answer the phone pro¬fessionally answer your phone. The one time your six-year-old picks up the phone may be the time a prospective client finally decides to contact you. This one incident could make him or her have second thoughts.
Plan important calls ahead. When you have scheduled a phone appoint¬ment and the information you are going to discuss is detailed, send the in¬formation to your client beforehand. This will give him or her a chance to review it ahead of time, as well as look at it with you as you talk. Set up your phone appointment for a time when you will not be interrupted.
Take notes as you talk to clients. If you handle a great number of calls, consider using a tracking program on your computer that lets you keep a continuous log of your conversations. Or, grab your personal planner and write in the blank page opposite your "to do" list or in the "client status" section. If you wait until later to write down your conversation, you may get several more phone calls or interruptions and forget what was said or what you agreed to do.