The beauty of speaking to someone face-to-face is that it allows you to communicate without even using words. A smile, a thumbs up, a high-five – these are non-verbal forms of communication that say a lot about your personality and the relationship you’re developing with the other party or parties. When you’re speaking on the phone, however, you don’t have the luxury of facial expressions or body language to do any of the talking for you.
This is why it’s so important to follow a firm set of rules when it comes to conducting business over the phone. In many instances, your first phone conversation with a customer will be his/her first impression of your brand. What can you do to gain a great first impression? How can you assure that you’ve sparked the beginning of a long-lasting relationship? It will require the following of a few simple steps.
Here are four:
1. Speak with a relaxed and friendly tone.
It may sound obvious, but simply turning on the nice is something you need to be mindful of. It’s easy to get caught up in explaining the finer points of your business and not realizing that you’re speaking too fast or cutting off your caller from asking questions. Take your time. Be pleasant. Relax. Smile. This will help to eliminate any hint of agitation and encourage your caller to engage with you further.
2. Avoid overuse of industry jargon.
Don’t speak over the caller’s head. Yes, you’re an expert in your field, and you should showcase that. But you don’t want people thinking you’re pretentious or too smart for your own good. If you plan on using words that are specific to your industry, be sure to explain them in a way that doesn’t insinuate a lack of intelligence on behalf of your listener. Words that are unfamiliar to your caller may only serve to turn him/her away.
3. Give your undivided attention.
A big-time pet peeve of people everywhere is being interrupted. When you’re on the phone, you’re bound to have things going on around you. Chances are you’ll have other calls coming in. Remember that you can’t handle too many things at once. And when you attempt to, your caller will know it. By being too busy to focus strictly on your current phone call, you give the other party the impression that he/she isn’t particularly important. It’s an easy way to lose business.
4. Highlight what you can do over what you can’t do.
You’re not going to be able to meet every single request made of you. But, like most things that are said during a conversation, the ways in which you respond will make the difference between growing and losing a relationship. Replace phrases like “I’m sorry that’s against our policy” to “While I may not be able to offer a complete refund, what I can do is place a credit on your account so that your next order is free.”
At MeloTel, we have had many years of experience working on the phone and know how important it is to follow certain steps in order to make customers happy. We also know how important it is to utilize a top-of-the-line, cloud-hosted telephone service. For more information about our VoIP-based Commercial Phone Services, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-888-MELOTEL or use the Live Chat feature on our website!
