Be it an interview to be cracked or a sale to be made, or a complaint to be addressed, it is not that easy to convey your story to a person at the opposite end of your phone call. It is not so easy to impress a person who cannot physically see us. For this reason, even the best of dress-up, hair-do or make-up will not be of much help. Or, will it? It can have an impact if it is coupled with a few other factors. At the end of the day, the listener should be happy to have spoken to a human instead of a machine!
Groom Adequately & Smile
Dressing-up for the occasion will give you all the confidence that is required to impress the person on the other end of the phone call. Imagine yourself in a pajama with undone hair and trying to make a sale! That confidence would not reflect in your tone of voice unless you actually are ‘ready’. Smile over the call as you would during a one-to-one interaction. Psychology says that the other person can feel the warmth if we smile during the conversation.
Be On-Time & Introduce Yourself
Don’t forget to introduce yourself. If it is a pre-scheduled call, be prepared for the virtual interaction well ahead of time. If it is an unplanned inbound call, ensure that you answer it within the first three rings. If the person has been told that the tentative time for the discussion would be 15 minutes, make it a point not to exceed that time-frame. Telephone etiquette bounds us to respect timeframes and not to keep others waiting.
Tone, Volume and Language
Be mindful of your tone (polite), volume (audible but not too loud) and language (decent). If the customer is conversing in Arabic, don’t force English over him. If you are not comfortable with their preferred language, the call could be transferred to someone else (with customer’s approval) who speaks their language. It’s no news that the best way to calm down an irate customer, is to listen to them with empathy and answer to them politely.
Be Prepared
Know your content thoroughly. The person the other end can make out if we are struggling to find information. Let’s assume that the prospective customer asks you for a few product details, but you don’t have the necessary information on hand. Will your tone and language not reflect this? Well, it would. So, it’s really critical to be prepared and know your things well. Also, keeping your customer waiting while you are out looking for information is never a good thing.
Listen Actively
Don’t just hear but listen (actively). Take down notes to ensure all the questions asked are answered or queries raised are duly addressed. It is a good idea to take feedback and check if the communication loop is complete and the message is correctly delivered and understood. Bet it an interview, sale or complaint, unless you listen carefully and answer correctly, the job isn’t complete.
