In continuation to my previous post “7 Essential Twitter Etiquette” I thought of listing few important telephone manners for people working in a corporate environment.

Any global organization with clients worldwide relies heavily on the telephone as one of the important ways to communicate with clients, vendors, and colleagues.  How the employees handle themselves on the telephone can shape others’ perceptions of the company through employee’s level of professionalism, knowledge, ability to handle inquiries, and overall credibility. Whether speaking to a colleague or a client, as representatives of the company, what employees say and how they say it are a direct reflection on the Firm.

There are three elements of communication:

Verbal:  What we say
Vocal:   The way we say it
Visual:  Body language

On the telephone, body language no longer plays a role, which means that our audience is solely focused on our verbal and vocal skills — making those qualities of heightened importance.  Here are some telephone best practices that you may want to incorporate into your telephone skill set to optimize your effectiveness:

• Always answer the telephone within three rings.
• Answer professionally, but succinctly — e.g. “[Company Name], [Your Name].”
• Put aside any distractions to focus on the caller’s needs.
• Keep your voice enthusiastic and friendly.
• Let the caller speak, listen carefully, take notes to ensure your understanding of the situation and confirm back what’s being asked and action items.
• If you must put a caller on hold, be sure to return to them within 30 seconds — never put someone on hold twice.
• Always set realistic expectations with clients and colleagues around timeframes on your commitments.
• When transferring a call, tell the caller that you need to put them on hold and transfer them. Call the person you’re transferring the call to, tell them who is on the line, and pass on any information already supplied.  Ensure they’re able to accept the call.
• Before calling a client, plan your thoughts using bullet points and cover them in a logical order.  Be prepared!
• When responding to a client inquiry, ensure you have all questions properly answered.  Try to anticipate follow-up questions.

Managing calls efficiently, politely, and effectively is an excellent way to promote a positive environment, build relationships, and contribute favorably to the firm’s image and reputation.

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