Immediately Introduce yourself, if you are the caller, you should be the first person to speak and confirm that the person you called is the person you meant to call. Say “Hello is this Their Name” and if it is you can continue the start of the conversation and if it is someone else then say “sorry I think I have the wrong number, have a nice day,” then wait for them to hang up. You can continue the conversation by saying “Hi this is Your Name, from Your Company,” and continue the conversation.
Speak clearly, you have nothing to worry about self-conscious wise, you are on the phone, the only thing they have to judge you on is your voice so embrace it and project your own voice without shouting. You want to be heard, but you don’t want to have to repeat yourself because the person on the other side will lose their attention if you have to go back over what you just said. Being confident in your speech could give the receiver more confidence in you and more trust in you.
Speakerphone should only be used if you absolutely need it, you don’t want background noises that make your listener distracted and unable to hear what you’re trying to convey. Give the receiver your full attention and avoid speaking out of turn as well especially over them.
Being a better active listener is something that is one of the most important ways to make sure you get the most out of your phone call. Having a note pad and pen to be able to take notes about what the other person is saying and writing down questions. Ask the questions at the right time and make sure they are questions that add value to the conversation. Going over the notes at the end of the call is very important to make sure you have the big things that you talked about covered and if you have anything that you missed go over it during this time. This shows that you payed attention and they will think very highly of you for it.
Remaining the positive person is very important because you could be the person that takes a negative call to a very positive call by just staying positive. Even in the face negativity you should remain positive because your optimistic outlook could change a person’s negative attitude. You have no idea what the other person is going through or if they are having a bad day you could be the one to lift them up and help them to have a better day.
A very big difference between a personal and professional call will always be determined by the type of language used during the call. In a professional call you should be mindful and respectful of who you are talking to. Not saying you can’t network with a joke or a small side conversation to build a bond, but other than that it should stay professional
If you don’t have an answer to a question from someone while on the phone you should just tell them that you don’t have an answer. Try and get the answer after the call as to not interrupt the call, and then either email or call them back with the answer. Don’t make excuses, just apologize and tell them you will get back to them as soon as possible.
Being mindful of volume is very important. It is so easy to get sucked into a conversation and forget about your volume control, you could lose your present setting. Not only do you not want to shout at the person on the phone you have to be mindful of your co-workers. Make sure you find a comfortable tone and volume that is good for both your co-workers and the person on the phone.
Responding to voicemails should be something that is done at the beginning of every day, your personal phone should be checked when you wake up and your work telephone should be checked right when you get in the office. If you miss a call listen to your voicemail and intently listen to when or if you need to call them back. Responding as soon as you can, can make you look better by letting them know you want to hear what they have to say and that it is important to you.