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1. Ethical standards of business telephone conversation.

It is not always possible to speak directly with a partner or client. Therefore, very often we have to turn to the phone. It is estimated that business people spend between 4 and 25 percent of their working time on the telephone. Thanks to the telephone, the efficiency of resolving a huge number of issues increases; there is no need to send letters, telegrams or go to another institution, enterprise or company. Telephone communication provides continuous two-way exchange of information at any distance. Negotiations are carried out over the phone, orders are given, requests are made, consultations are given, inquiries are made, and often the first step to concluding an agreement is a telephone conversation.

The personal image of each company employee is largely related to the ability to speak on the phone. After all, when telephone conversation your interlocutor cannot evaluate what you are wearing, nor the expression of your face when speaking certain words, nor the interior of the office where you are sitting, nor other non-verbal means that greatly help to judge the nature of communication.

It should also be borne in mind that unreasonably frequent use of telephone communication leads to an increase in errors, which are quite expensive for a business. In addition, the telephone, being one of the most effective means of saving a businessman’s time, is also one of the most common “sinks” of his working time. Thus, all of the above allows us to conclude that knowledge telephone etiquette and rational rules for conducting telephone conversations are necessary for every civilized person.

There are unwritten rules for business telephone communication. They cover both common telephone etiquette and the specifics of business administration. Let's consider these rules in relation to two cases: firstly, when they call you, and secondly, when you call.

2. Rules for conducting a business telephone conversation when they call you

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 sent letter. 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.

Sometimes there is poor audibility in the handset. But that doesn't mean you need to raise your voice. The conclusion that if you can’t hear your interlocutor well, then he can’t hear you well, and therefore you 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, asking how he hears you.

The most common variants of the first word spoken into an off-hook telephone are “yes”, “hello”, “listening”. These words, in terms of their information content, are completely identical and impersonal and therefore do not in any way characterize the one who pronounces them.

Reviews “yes”, “hello”, “listening” 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 one should refuse neutral reviews and replace them with informative ones. When calling an external telephone, they usually call not their last name, but their company, organization or division. On the internal telephone they call the department and surname. 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 form that you like (how you would like to be answered).

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 ~ for the umpteenth time - they ask an absent colleague. Frowning with displeasure, you sharply answer: “He’s not there!” and immediately hang up. But let's think about it - isn't it your own response that provokes repeat calls? Where is the way out? It is about responding politely and in more detail to every phone call to an absent employee, no matter how annoying it 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 device.

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 short list of what you should and shouldn't do when the phone rings at your business.

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 you need?" You need to watch your diction. If you speak with an accent, try to speak clearly. Avoid the habit of holding the microphone with your hand to say something to colleagues - the client can hear*.

If your partner or client complains over the phone, don't tell them: “It’s not my fault”, “I don’t do this”, “Our products never fail” etc. If you say so, it may negatively affect your firm's reputation and will not help the client in solving their 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.

Remember: when the problem is finally resolved, the client, as a rule, feels like your debtor. And this can be used in the future for business contacts and business expansion.

Exist EXPRESSIONS TO AVOID during telephone conversations, so that there is no misconception about your company. These include, in particular, *.

1. "I don't know". No other answer can undermine the credibility of your company so quickly and thoroughly. 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." If this is true, your prospect will turn to someone else, and it is very likely that their new conversation will turn out better. Instead of refusing out of hand, suggest, for example, that you wait until you understand how you can be useful and try to find 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: “In order to find necessary information, it will take me two or three minutes. Can you wait?"

5. "No", spoken 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 for how to get rid of “negative bias”. Each phrase containing disagreement with the interlocutor should be carefully considered. For example, to refuse a customer demanding a monetary refund for a low-quality product, an explanation like: “We are not able to pay you compensation, but are ready to replace your purchase” is suitable.

As practice shows, even with a quick acquaintance with the theory of telephone conversations, the work of employees significantly improves and at the same time the level of satisfaction with their own work increases - it is pleasant to talk with polite people. It’s very easy to check how your company’s employees have learned the lessons of telephone etiquette - just call the office and introduce yourself as a client.

It is very valuable for a company when the professional experience of employees is combined with the ability to establish human contacts. If the relationship with the client is good and he is pleased to do business with your company, we can consider that the transaction is completed.

A large number of potential clients or partners call the company, and the manner in which the conversation is conducted largely determines whether a deal will be concluded. If the caller, without introducing himself, immediately begins by explaining what he needs, politely ask for his name, the name and telephone number of the company, and only then continue the conversation. Try not to accept orders or provide information to interlocutors who have not introduced themselves. You may, for example, not realize that you are talking to a large buyer who is entitled to a discount, and offer him a fixed price without discounts, thus losing a profitable order.

Some buyers very precisely define their requirements: type, color, terms of delivery of goods, etc. Others need help in this sense. Very often you have to “extract” additional information from the client. To do this, use questions starting with “what”, “when”, “where”, “who”, “how”, but avoid "Why", since it contains a tinge of mistrust.

Having understood the client's requirements, you begin to convince him of the benefits of your product. If the client called specifically to place an order, your arguments should be aimed at increasing the volume of purchases, expanding the range of goods or selling related products. If the client is only interested in preliminary information, your task is to convince him to start the business with a trial purchase.

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 interrupted conversation, and sometimes repeatedly remind what was discussed before. That is why, if the conversation with the person sitting with 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 sender and addressee, details “from” and “to” indicating the position, surname, first name and patronymic of officials, number, date and time of transmission and reception of the telephone message, surname of the person who transmitted and received the telephone message, phone numbers, text and signature.

The telephone message must have a title. It is drawn up as for an official letter, i.e. it should begin with a noun in the prepositional case with the preposition “about” or “about”, for example: “On the change in the time of the meeting of the editorial board”, “On the arrival of the seminar participants”.

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 you ...”, “I will ask you to send ...”).

Secretary telephone etiquette is one of the most important characteristics good secretary. Business communication over the telephone begins with the secretary, because it is the secretary who first picks up the phone in the company.

The secretary's task is to receive all calls coming into the office and then distribute these calls to departments or employees. The duties of the secretary may also include initial consultation of clients on prices and services of the company, etc.

The impression the caller gets about the company depends on how well the secretary knows business telephone etiquette, so great attention must be paid to this point.

If you are a secretary, there are several secretarial telephone etiquette rules that you are advised to know.

• When receiving a phone call, introduce yourself. Depending on the size of the company and the rules adopted in it, you can introduce yourself in different ways, but in any case it is necessary. “NN Company, good afternoon!” or “NN Company, hello!”, or “International Cooperation Department, Ivan Ivanovich!”, or “Marketing Department, Ivan Ivanovich, good afternoon!”. You cannot say: “Hello!”, “Yes!”, “Speak!”.
• Secretary telephone etiquette dictates that you pick up the phone before the fourth ring. In fact, it is better to pick up the phone after the second call, or at least after the third. After the fifth ring, as a rule, the call is considered lost.
• Often the secretary has a so-called mini PBX installed, which receives several calls at once. If you receive a second call while on the phone, wait until the speaker finishes his sentence and say, for example, “Could you wait one second?” Pick up the second call only if the first line told you: “Yes.” When you pick up the second call, introduce yourself and ask to wait a little. You can’t just pick up the phone and immediately put the caller on hold. Then return to the first line. If you see that the conversation on the first line will require more time, then take the caller’s phone number and call him back. Depending on the situation, you yourself will decide who is better to take a phone number and call back, and with whom it is better to continue the conversation, but in any case, business telephone etiquette recommends not making the caller wait on the line for too long. Don't keep people waiting if they call from mobile phones. In this case, it is also better to take the number and call back.
• After you have introduced yourself, you will need to transfer the call to the person the person on the other line called. If he doesn't introduce himself, ask his name. For example, if he asks Ivan Ivanovich, say: “How can I introduce you to Ivan Ivanovich?” It happens that the caller described a situation to you, but another employee in the company is dealing with this issue. A fairly common mistake that many secretaries make on the phone is switching a client to an employee without briefly describing to the other employee the essence of the problem that the client just told you about. As a result, the client is forced to once again talk about what brought him to your company. This creates a rather difficult impression of the company, especially if the next employee switches him somewhere else again, and the client will have to tell his story for the third time, or even the fourth.
• Leaving your workplace, arrange for another secretary to answer the phone, or, if you are the only secretary in the company, switch the phone to another employee. A phone left unattended creates a very bad impression of the company.
• Never say “everyone’s at lunch” over the phone, even if that’s true. This is extremely unprofessional. Ask who the caller wanted to talk to and say that Ivan Ivanovich is currently at a meeting, and then take the caller’s phone number and say that you will ask Ivan Ivanovich to call him back.
• The secretary on the phone should not say: “Call back later.” This is a mistake that is unfortunately very common. The client has already called you. As per business telephone etiquette, the call should be returned. Take the phone number of the caller and say that you will ask Ivan Ivanovich to call him back.
• If you need to find out something while the person calling you is still on the line, never leave the phone alone. Be sure to press the hold button, which will play music for the caller. The most important thing is that he does not hear what you are discussing, especially if it concerns him. Do not hold the microphone with your hand; this will not help.
• You cannot talk on the phone while you are eating or drinking something. Also avoid phrases like “I don’t know”, “I can’t help you”, “wait”, “expect”, “you should”, “you need”, “you should”, “it’s better for you” when communicating. You can't rush the caller. You can't argue.
• It is strictly forbidden to be rude to the caller. If you received a call from an angry client, who may be emotional, and strong word interjected, stay calm. In any case, these emotions do not apply to you personally. You didn't do anything bad to this client. Therefore, you need not to be offended, but to understand that a person needs to speak out, to “let off steam.” You can’t explode and respond in kind. Stay calm. Listen to everything he wants to tell you, and then offer, for example, to connect you with Ivan Ivanovich, who can help him. The most important thing is to let the client understand that they want to help him solve his problem, and not just want to get rid of him as if he were annoying fly. Briefly explain the essence of the problem to Ivan Ivanovich. Don't force the client to explain everything again.
• If the conversation ended with you taking the caller's number, or the call was intended for you, before ending the conversation, thank the other person for calling the company. Say, “Thank you for calling, goodbye.”

Secretary of the Department of General Affairs

financial studios for business "Delopolis"

Salnikova Kristina

Telephone communication is a conversation between two blind people who build an image of the interlocutor in their heads based on their voice. Who is calling? Who is he calling? Is it possible for your interlocutor to talk? What if you pulled a person out from under the shower? What do you think the director's reaction will be to such a call?

The main thing at the beginning of a conversation is to create trusting relationship, and then conduct the conversation in accordance with the purpose for which you are calling. To do this, follow following rules communication by phone.

Rule 1. PLAN FOR NEGOTIATIONS

Before starting a conversation, think carefully about:

• convenient time to call and its duration;
• clearly define the purpose of your call;
• make a conversation plan.

Consider your answers to the following questions:

• What are you going to tell about yourself and the company you work for?
• What questions are you going to ask your interlocutor to find out his needs and create the necessary motivation for a further meeting?
• What objections might there be, and your possible responses?
• How are you going to end the conversation and arrange a meeting?

Rule 2. Pick up the phone on the 3rd signal (if they call you).

Telephone business etiquette normalizes communication with the client. Based on compliance with business etiquette, the client judges corporate culture companies. Pick up the phone for the 3rd call: on the first call, put things aside, on the second, tune in, on the third, smile and pick up the phone. If you don't pick up the phone for too long, this indicates a low corporate culture of the company.

Don't make a fuss. Many people immediately pick up the phone. Any person needs at least a few seconds to concentrate and tune in to a conversation.

Rule 3. WHEN TALKING ON THE PHONE, BE SURE TO SMILE.

Remember, when you smile, your voice becomes more pleasant. So, smile more often. Some phone pros place a mirror in front of them so they can see their facial expressions while they talk. All this allows you to control the presence of a smile on your face.

Rule 4. GREET YOUR CROSS PERSON.

Greet your interlocutor as kindly and energetically as possible. Come up with several ways to say hello. May you have various options, for people of different genders and ages. It is better to start a conversation with a client with the words “Good afternoon (morning, evening).” They are more lively and inviting than just “hello.” Remember that at the other end of the line someone also wants to be respected, understood and, perhaps, at this moment helped him...

Based on the content of the first words and the sound of your voice, the client determines your professionalism and chooses the style of communication with you. Your voice is your clothes, hair color, temperament and facial expression. Remember that during a telephone conversation you will not be able to accompany your words with facial expressions and gestures. What is most important here is the sound of your voice, the ability to correctly express your thoughts and, of course, as an indispensable condition, respect for your interlocutor.

Rule 6. CALL YOURSELF BY NAME.

State your first and last name clearly. Then name the company you represent. (“My name is... Three Whales Company”). Here are options that can be called extremely harmful and unsuccessful: “Guess who’s calling you,” “Don’t you really recognize me?” These questions create psychological discomfort in the other person. Put yourself in the customer's shoes and you will feel irritated. Don't be surprised if the client resists your suggestions after such a greeting. An unsuccessful idea could include the phrase “You are concerned about...”. After this phrase, the person on the other end of the line begins to worry. Try not to think about the lame monkey. Is it possible? The “not” particle is erased, and the second part of the phrase is perceived. You also become the culprit of this “worry”.

Rule 7. FIND OUT THE NAME OF YOUR INTERLOCUTOR.

To do this, use the phrase “My name is... Excuse me, and how can I contact you? But don’t rush to find out the client’s name. It is better to do this after the buyer adapts to the situation. In future communications, periodically call the client by name. To pronounce a name means to show respect to a person. It should not be pronounced quickly, but rather with feeling and at the same pace as the conversation. If the client has an unusual or interesting name, comment on it with a bias in good side(Tell the person they have an interesting name, most people will like it).

The following options can be called unsuccessful: “Who am I talking to?”, “Who is this?”, “Who is at the machine?” And don’t try to guess: “Is this Ira? No? Tatyana Lvovna? No? And who then?” Or even worse: “Where did I end up?” To which there is a standard answer, said in an irritated voice: “Where are you calling?”

You can come up with a lot different options, like “Can I talk to Alexander Sergeevich?”
If you have forgotten the name of someone you last spoke to, it is better to ask, “Could you remind me of your name?”

Rule 8. FIND OUT: IF THEY CAN TALK TO YOU.

It is very important! It is possible that at this very moment your client is busy with a responsible and important task for him. Or your conversation is inappropriate at the moment for some other reason. Use the phrase “Is it convenient for you (or better yet, call your interlocutor by name) to talk now?” Remember, if you break this rule, you may lose your client forever. Your deal didn't go through. Call right time to the right customers and with the right offers. Business calls are best made at the beginning or end of the working day.

Speak the first phrases slowly, calmly and clearly, do not pour a waterfall of information on your interlocutor - give him time to tune in to the conversation. Emphasize with your voice meaningful words, change your intonation. Use short messages: i.e. one sentence - one thought. If possible, your voice should be deep and “velvety”, but be careful and do not overdo it. You can also adjust to the volume, rhythm, and tempo of the client’s speech. The interlocutor will be pleased with this correspondence. The sound of your voice is determined by your posture, facial expression, and posture. Tune in to the conversation—literally and figuratively. Speech is not just moving your lips and tongue. The organs involved are the lungs, diaphragm, larynx, vocal cords, mouth, tongue and lips. Of course, a cigarette in the mouth, chewing gum, a lollipop, coffee during a conversation, noise in the room, music - destroy the rapport of telephone conversations.

Rule 10. FOLLOW THE PLAN.

You have a purpose for the conversation and a prepared plan. Don't try to solve all your problems over the phone at once. Especially avoid talking about the price of your products, money matters It's best to decide when we meet. Prepare necessary materials, pen, blank sheet of paper. Speak specifically and about the main thing. Listen carefully to your interlocutor. Ask the client questions, directing the conversation in the direction you want. Remember, your main goal is to arrange a meeting when you can discuss the details and sign the contract. To do this, you must create good motivation for the client.

Rule 11. USE ACTIVE LISTENING TECHNIQUES

They demonstrate your interest and involvement. “So...”, “I see...”, etc. Control the conversation time. Don't let the client get sidetracked. Answer most questions with questions and lead the other person to the meeting.

Rule 12. ARRANGE A MEETING.

When arranging a meeting, make sure that your interlocutor understands you correctly and writes down the day and hour of the meeting. Ask your interlocutor if it is convenient for you to call him back the day before to make sure that the meeting will take place? All of these activities are useful so that your client can plan his time and adequately prepare for the meeting. When inviting your interlocutor to your office, give the exact address and tell in detail how to get to you. Use the standard phrase: “Do you have a pencil at hand, please write down how it will be more convenient for you to get to us”

Rule 13. THANK YOUR CALLER FOR CALLING.

The mobile phone has long become a part of the lives of each of us, and telephone conversations are really important today. important role V modern business. The outcome of a future transaction directly depends on the first telephone contact with a client or partner. Today, there are basic rules for business communication over the phone that employees of any company must adhere to.

Telephone Ethics

The telephone is a widely used means of communication today. Today, not a single large company can do its work without business communication over the phone, and the “average” sales manager can spend from 20 to 70% of his working time on telephone conversations, and in such cases, telephone conversations become the most important part of the company’s work and a way for workers to earn huge money, make a profit. But you can forget about any profit if company employees and sales managers do not know the rules of business telephone communication with clients and partners, make unforgivable mistakes during telephone conversations.

A business telephone conversation must be structured according to special rules and algorithms; there are prohibited words and phrases that are strictly forbidden to be used. There is also “telephone etiquette” that must be followed if a business is built on telephone conversations. From the first minute of the conversation, from the first “Hello,” the client forms an impression of the organization; it is the company employee who conducts the conversation who automatically becomes the invisible “face” of the company and forms an opinion about the company among potential clients and customers. And you cannot make mistakes along this path, since violating the rules is in bad taste, which can cost the company its credibility.

Preparing for the conversation

Just dialing a phone number and making a call is not enough today for a telephone conversation to be “doomed” to success. Before starting a conversation with a customer, client or partner, each employee of the company must properly prepare for the conversation.

1. Think about what the conversation will be about. What is the purpose of the conversation, what outcome do you expect from it?
2. Formulate in writing or orally the main points that will be used in the conversation, the main questions that should be asked to the interlocutor;
3. Prepare the materials necessary for negotiations: paper, pen, calculator, sales script (if you have one), calendar, Required documents etc. All this should be at hand so that during a telephone conversation nothing distracts the employee, including searching for a pen or the necessary file on the computer;
4. Say out loud the name and patronymic of the interlocutor. Sometimes difficulties arise with their pronunciation, and mistakes in a person’s name are absolutely forbidden;
5. Get in the right mood. When a company employee calls a client or customer without having yet “left” and without abstracting himself from other issues, without being able to distract himself and tune into a positive conversation, the person on the other side of the line will definitely feel such a “mood.” You need to try as hard as possible to win over your interlocutor.

Starting a conversation

The outcome of the conversation directly depends on how the telephone conversation with the client and the customer begins. You need to try to “like” your interlocutor from the very first minutes. Firstly, try to speak briefly and succinctly, without dragging out the conversation, so that the interlocutor in no way thinks that you will take up a lot of his time and will have to waste it on all sorts of chatter - this is really important today for a business person who appreciates every minute.

Particular attention should be paid to the greeting of the interlocutor - this is where you should start any telephone conversation. Depending on the time of day, it is better to choose greetings: “Good morning”, “Good afternoon” or “Good evening”. Then, according to the rules of etiquette, the caller must introduce himself and name the organization and structural unit in which he works. “Good afternoon, my name is Maria, I am a sales manager and I represent the Dobrye Windows company.” Next in mandatory you need to ask whether it is convenient for the interlocutor to talk to you at the moment, whether he has a certain amount of free time to discuss some issues with you. Any person will subconsciously appreciate the fact that his time is taken into account. If they call you, you need to work according to a similar scheme: greet the interlocutor, introduce yourself, and clarify how you can help him.

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After the person says that it is convenient for him to talk, explain to him - briefly, succinctly, clearly - the purpose of your call.

At the beginning of a conversation, the most important step is establishing contact. You need to try from the very first phrases to “set up” your interlocutor in a positive way, to win him over. The secret to this is simple: smile. If the person on the other side of the line smiles, the interlocutor will definitely feel it in his voice and will also want to smile back or simply tune in to the conversation in a friendly tone. The entire conversation should be “comfortable” for the client and the customer. This is necessary so that he wants to continue the conversation, and not hang up and never answer your calls again.

Telephone conversation: 15 “golden” rules

As mentioned above, today there is “telephone conversation ethics”, which must be observed by all participants in this type of communication, and, first of all, this applies to sales managers, whose main goal is to “establish” contact with clients and customers, to motivate them to purchase goods or service. We present to your attention 15 “golden” rules of a business telephone conversation.

• Express yourself clearly; you should try to express all thoughts as briefly and succinctly as possible, without “going into” lengthy moralizing discussions and unnecessary philosophy. Do not speak too loudly or too softly on the phone - the speaking volume should be optimal;
• Speech must be literate; do not make stupid mistakes in managing phrases and phrases or in stressing words. For a literate and educated person, such mistakes will be the “first warning signs” that it is better not to have any business at all with a company that employs such illiterate people;

In our progressive age, communicative interaction takes a leading position. Most complex issues and problems can be resolved through telephone conversations. Thanks to communication through this means of communication, people are able to conclude the most favorable agreement or, in the “wrong situation,” completely lose an important client. That is why every literate man is required to master the basics of telephone etiquette. What is business communication over the phone and how to conduct it correctly is the topic of our article today.

Any of us must learn to negotiate correctly, since the person conducting the conversation does not have the opportunity to see the opponent and his actions. Decline potential client in his direction in such a way that he does not have the desire to hang up in the first minutes of the conversation - this will require a lot of effort. The reputation of a person and the organization he represents depends on the ability to conduct telephone conversations.

Preparing for the upcoming conversation

Before a serious phone call, you should carefully prepare for it as follows:

1. Get ready mentally.
2. Formulate, or better yet, write down the goal, plan and main issues of the upcoming conversation on paper, which will always lie in front of you during the negotiations.
3. Be sure to prepare all materials that may be useful during telephone conversations.
4. It is necessary to distance yourself from negativity and personal problems even before the conversation begins, since the voice can give off an aggressive attitude, which the client often takes personally.
5. The time for negotiations must be selected so that it is convenient for both you and the interlocutor. If you plan to call a business partner, try to discuss with him in advance a convenient time for him.

Basics of business communication by phone

When making a call, first of all, you should introduce yourself and tell them for what purpose you are calling. In this case, it is necessary to choose a friendly tone. A telephone conversation should take place without long pauses, it should be energetic and concise.

It is impossible to provide psychological pressure during the negotiation process, since in this case it is unlikely that you will be able to win the favor of a potential client in this way. Try not to ask inappropriate questions. In the case where the telephone call is international or long-distance, it is necessary to ensure that it lasts no more than six minutes. All business proposals and demands must be supported by arguments. Questions should be answered truthfully and briefly. It is better to outline the conversation plan on paper in advance.

At the end of the conversation, be sure to talk again about all the agreements that you came to during the conversation. Since you initiated the call, the end of the conversation should also come from you, except in situations where the interlocutor is senior in position.

When at the end of negotiations you make a promise to call back, try not to delay it and make a second call within 24 hours. Be sure to keep in mind that you cannot dial partners to your home number.

In a situation where, having called, you do not find your partner at work, specify a convenient time to call him back and do not ask where he is now. From point of view business ethics it is not correct.

Follow these rules of business etiquette:

• Try to pick up the phone after the third ring at most.
• When answering from the workplace, you need to greet the person, say the name of the company, and then introduce yourself.
• If the caller does not introduce himself, politely ask him to give his name. For example, phrases that would be appropriate here are: “I’d like to know who I’m talking to,” “Could you please introduce yourself?” or “Excuse me, how should I contact you?”
• When answering your interlocutor’s questions, you should quickly find telephone numbers that may be useful during negotiations.
• If you get a call during your lunch hour, ask someone else to answer so you don't have to answer with your mouth full.
• The caller will have to end the conversation; if the initiative comes from you, the action will look unethical.

What mistakes are made during a telephone conversation?

Numerous studies have been conducted among business people, indicated that about 56% of calls are made without greeting phrases. Explaining the reason for not saying greetings, businessmen said that it goes without saying, and they also cannot say hello many times during the day. It is important to remember here that in speech communication there is nothing that goes without saying, and therefore every phrase must be voiced.

Under no circumstances should you interrupt your interlocutor mid-conversation - give him the opportunity to express his thoughts to the end. It is necessary to pronounce words clearly, and also to monitor the tone of speech and its volume. There should be a pause between questions to give the interlocutor the right to answer.

Negative emotions should not be given free rein, as this may offend a business partner.

• Do not pick up the phone for a very long time.
• At the beginning of a conversation, you should not say the following words: “say,” “yes,” “hello.” Unless it's your old friend.
• Carry on several conversations at the same time.
• Leave your phone unattended, even for a few minutes.
• Use scraps of paper for notes, which are easy to lose later.
• Passing the phone to colleagues many times.

If you speak with an accent, try to pronounce phrases as clearly as possible. Under no circumstances should you hold the receiver with your hand to comment on the conversation to your colleagues, as the interlocutor can hear everything. Thus, you will find yourself in an awkward situation.

If your interlocutor voices a complaint to you, you cannot tell him that this mistake is not yours, or this issue is not within your competence. Such a response could have a negative impact on the organization’s reputation and will not help resolve problems. If it is your fault, be sure to apologize and try to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.

There are some phrases to avoid:

• "I don't know".
• "We can't solve this."
• "You must".
• "I'll be back in a second."

It is better to replace these answers with neutral ones, which will be more loyal and will not spoil the company’s reputation. When you are unable to give an exact answer, it is better to say that you will try to clarify the information and call back. Use these phrases:

• “I’ll clarify the information and call you back right away.”
• “We will try to resolve the issue.”

By maintaining a culture of business communication over the phone, you will be able to establish yourself from the best side and confirm the positive image of the company for which you work.