Business Telephone Etiquette:
Create the Right Impression

Fact: 88 percent of your customers who stop using your services and/or products do so because of perceived employee indifference or rudeness.

One of the most common ways our customers interface with employees is through the telephone.  Therefore, having an understanding of telephone etiquette will make a giant difference to your customers and your profits.  Your reputation for service depends on how well your staff handles incoming and outgoing calls.  86 percent of the message your customers receive on the telephone is through the tonality of the voice they hear.  Only 14 percent of the message they hear are the words used.  Our “Business Image on The Telephone” training helps your employees to develop and master the techniques that will enhance your company’s image.

Telephone etiquette is an effective public relations tool for creating a positive telephone experience for your customers.  This workshop includes dynamic trainee/trainer interactions and discussions, written and oral exercises, visual aids, and a proprietary workbook for each participant to take back to the workplace.

What is telephone etiquette?

Overview

Manage your telephone impressions: A caller’s first impression with an organization is often over the telephone.  The caller’s expectations and their reality are examined.

Enhancing telephone impressions: How we answer a call, or how we transfer or put someone on hold creates an impression on the caller’s mind.  We demonstrate techniques for developing a pleasant telephone voice that will make the difference between a poor or excellent experience for the caller.  We explore the positive vocabulary that creates rapport with the caller.

Improving your listening skills: When customers call, two of their most important needs are to be listened to and to be respected.  We focus on what to do and what to avoid when we are listening to our customers to ensure we deliver to their expectations.

Dealing with difficult customers:  We provide solid tips on how to effectively handle complaints and how to keep your customers satisfied without experiencing frustrations, or needing to escalate the issue to a higher level.  We show how to diffuse situations without anger.

We explore all the dynamics of how to make a winning first impression and maintain positive relationships on the telephone!  Your staff will acquire the fundamental skills for providing excellent customer service on the telephone.  Our half-day program includes the following topics:

• Understanding the customer’s perception
• Techniques that create a positive first and lasting impression
• Nonverbal concerns: attitude, attention, posture, facial expressions
• Understanding how “frame of mind” can help or hinder customer excellence
• Improving your listening skills
• Selecting cheerful and appropriate greetingsTaking ownership of the problem
  • Handling customer complaint callsHandling difficult customers
  • Rephrase the customer’s statement
  • Acknowledge the customer’s feelings
  • State the company’s position
  • Allow the customer choicesFind mutually acceptable solutions
  • Find mutually acceptable solutions
• Handling multiple calls
• Transferring callsSolving communication problems
• Taking clear messagesUsing voice mail effectively
• Voice quality: pitch, inflection, courtesy, rate, enunciation, speed
• Placing customers on hold
• Taking accurate notes during the call
• Taking charge of the non-stop talkersHow to react if the customer calls the wrong number
• Taking responsibility of the caller’s problem and following through
• Empathizing with angry or distressed customers
• Using positive vocabulary
• Slang and phrases to avoid
• Creating rapport with the customers
• Remembering the golden rules
• Communicating when English is your second language

Using proper business phone etiquette ensures that your company communicates professionalism and competence each time a potential client or business contact calls. In the fast-paced world of held calls and detailed messages, employees need special skills and guidelines to help them navigate effective telephone communication and manners.

Every time your business gets a call from a potential client, it is a chance for your company to shine. However, that initial call could also be the reason a client never deals with your company again. A strong phone presence can establish your business as standing above the rest.

Custom-Designed Business Telephone Etiquette Programs
Here at First Impression Management, Inc. we strive to help you help your employees make a lasting and positive first impression on clients and other business associates over the phone. We tailor business phone etiquette training programs to your company's needs, and can cover a wide range of topics from how to interact with the person on the other end of the phone through tone and attitude to taking messages, placing callers on hold, transferring calls and handling special circumstances such as dealing with unhappy clients.

Our half-day training program will benefit every member of your business team who picks up a company phone. We help instill confidence in employees making outgoing calls, and train those handling incoming calls speaking and listening that help them work the phones effectively. Contact us through our online form, or call 888-324-6243 to get your company on the track to better business phone etiquette.