Telephone skills
We’ve learned about the three steps in the speaking process. Can you identify which steps we won’t be able to do properly when we’re on the phone?
We can think about what we want to say.
However, since we can’t see each other, we can only present and check verbal messages and some non-verbal clues such as the tone of voice.
Other non-verbal cues that we miss include body language, appearance and the environment.
On the phone we’re limited in how were presenting messages and checking our listener so we’ll need to think about our messages carefully.
It is a good idea to spend some time planning and writing down a short note about what we want top say before we pick up the phone.
A phone communication consists of three parts.
Let’s look at the three parts in action.
Jeff: Good morning, Silivo Corporation, Jeff Nielsen speaking. How may I help you?
Jeff: Sure. May I ask who’s calling, sir? Won’t be a moment Mr Carmody. I’ll see if she’s available.
Jeff: Hello Debbie, it’s Jeff here. There’s a Mr Raymond Carmody for you on line three.
Debbie: Thanks Jeff. Good morning Mr Carmody. Debbie Baker speaking – how may I help you Sir?
Debbie: Yes, could you please hold for a second? I’ll check if we have it in stock.
Debbie: Ah yes sir, we have it here. Hmm, I see. When will you need it? Well, I understand your problem. Let me see what I can do.
Debbie: If you fax a purchase order to us this morning, I’ll make sure it’s delivered at your office by tomorrow afternoon. That’s right, but we’ll have to receive your order this morning. Will that be okay?
Debbie: Sure. I’ll organise a courier as soon as I receive your purchase order. Not a problem.
Debbie: Is there anything else I can help you with, Sir? Thanks for your call. Have a good day. Goodbye.
Greeting
The first part is greeting. It is good practice to answer the phone within three rings.
Jeff: Good morning, Silivo Corporation, Jeff Nielsen speaking. How may I help you?
We should introduce ourselves by stating our name and organisation.
Jeff: Sure. May I ask who’s calling, sir?
We should establish who the caller is so we can respond to them appropriately.
Exchanging messages
The second part of the phone conversation is exchanging messages.
There are two types of messages. Verbal and non-verbal, which is the tone of voice. We need both listening and speaking skills to successfully exchange messages on the phone. At all times we should be polite and considerate.
Debbie: Good morning Mr Carmody. Debbie Baker speaking – how may I help you Sir?
Debbie: Yes, could you please hold for a second? I’ll check if we have it in stock.
Since we can’t see each other, we should tell the listener what happens when we need to leave the phone for a while.
Debbie: Ah yes sir, we have it here. Hmm, I see. When will you need it?
Debbie uses verbal feedback to let Mr Carmody know that she is paying attention to him.
Debbie: Well, I understand your problem. Let me see what I can do.
Debbie shows empathy by trying to help Mr Carmody with his problem.
Debbie: If you fax a purchase order to us this morning, I’ll make sure it’s delivered at your office by tomorrow afternoon. That’s right, but we’ll have to receive your order this morning. Will that be okay?
Debbie checks if Mr Carmody understands her message correctly.
The most important non-verbal clue we send out over the phone is our tone of voice. Here are a few tips on how to create a good impression.
Finishing the call
We should finish a call by confirming actions both we and the caller will take, and ending with a pleasant and friendly goodbye.
Debbie: I’ll organise a courier as soon as I receive your purchase order. Not a problem.
Debbie: Is there anything else I can help you with, Sir? Thanks for your call. Have a good day. Goodbye.
After the beep
Before we pick up the phone, we should spend some time planning and writing down what we want to say. When our call is unexpectedly answered by an answering machine, we won’t be unprepared like Henry.
Henry: Um, this is Henry, Uh. I need to talk to you about your car, uh. Can you call me back?
Can you see why Sue never returns Henry’s call?
Henry doesn’t clearly identify himself, or the purpose of his call. Sue may not know that Henry was the name of the technician that she spoke to this morning. He doesn’t even leave a number for her to call back. When leaving a message on an answering machine, we should state our name and organisation, our contact details and the purpose of the call. It’s a good idea to finish the call with important details like the contact number.
How do you think Henry can improve his phone message?
Henry: Hello Sue. This is Henry Fraser from Anderson’s Auto Service. I’d like to discuss the noise problem with your car. Please call me back as soon as you can. The number here is 405 555 5433. I repeat 405 555 5433. Thankyou.
Taking a message
Similarly when we’re taking a phone message for someone else, we should make sure we have the caller’s name and organisation, the caller’s contact details, a summary of their message and the date and the time of the call.
Let’s try taking down the details of Henry’s message from Sue’s answering machine.
Henry: Hello Sue. This is Henry Fraser from Anderson’s Auto Service. I’d like to discuss the noise problem with your car. Please call me back as soon as you can. The number here is 405 555 5433. I repeat 405 555 5433. Thankyou.
In this topic, we’ve learned that phone communication consists of three parts.
Since we’re limited in how we’re presenting messages and checking our listener, it is a good idea to spend some time planning and writing down a short note about what we want to say, before we pick up the phone.
