People seem to be losing their professional touch where telephone etiquette is concerned. Here are a few tips that will make your caller feel like they rang a Fortune 500 company.

1- Smile. Callers like to hear a friendly, happy voice at the other end of the line. Even if you're having a bad day, it helps to smile when you're dialing and when you answer the phone. It will help put your callers at ease and give the impression that you are pleasant and approachable.

2- Politely put callers on hold. I don't know about you but I've had this happen to me tons of times - you ask for Joe and the receptionist will just put the call right though without even asking you to hold, to indicate that the call is about to be put through. This is rude. Even if you're busy, it does not take a great deal of time to say, 'one moment please whilst I connect you' or 'I'll put you through now, Sir or Madam'.

3- Record a professional sounding voice message greeting. If you're a business, you should aim to sound like one, even after hours. Setting up a professional sounding voicemail that states your business name and hours helps project an image that cannot be achieved by your telephone provider's generic greeting or a phone that rings without end.

4- Never hang up first. Always allow your calls to hang up first. Some people are so quick to hang up that that they sometimes hang up when the other party is still speaking. I know! This used to be a very bad habit of mine. It was not like I intended to be rude, I just made the bad assumption that they person on the other end of the line had had their say! Make sure that the other caller hangs up first or at least, try to be sure that the other part has had their full say.

5- Always address the caller politely. Never go on a first name basis or address a caller in a way that is likely to cause offence. The caller may be someone you may be familiar with but that is not an excuse to overstep the professional barrier. Let the caller give you the permission to greet them on familiar terms first. Don't assume that it's all right. Get clearance first!

6- Speak clearly- Unless you have a bad connection, callers should not have to struggle to hear your part of the conversation. Speak clearly, be sure to enunciate properly and observe proper communication techniques when conversing with others on the phone.

7- Listen! - Again, unless the connection is bad, avoid asking your caller to repeat themselves. Listening carefully and taking details during the call will ensure that your callers are not repeating themselves unnecessarily.

8- Focus on the caller -As best as possible, give callers the impression that you are fully engaged in the dialogue by fully focusing on the call, interrupting only to ask questions when necessary or to respond to them.

9- Review call details before hanging up- Especially when taking calls and messages for others, ensure that you have the main details of the call are covered and that the details are correct. Repeat details to callers and ask them to confirm.

10- Identify yourself- Once you pick up the phone, be sure to not just identify the name of the company but also your name. That way, the caller will not only be able to address you by your name but will also be able to have a record of you name, just in case they need to refer to it at a later date.

11- Don't chew gum, eat or drink- I know this one goes without saying, but I'll just reiterate this here. Don't chew, eat or drink when on professional calls. Not only is it rude, it is very unprofessional.

12- Answer the phone within minimum rings- As best as possible, answer the phone on minimum rings as possible. Callers like to feel that someone on the other end is looking forward to hearing from them. Having the phone ring out on the other end of the line makes them feel that you are preoccupied with matters that are more important than taking their call.

Carlana Charles is a Customer Service Consultant and the Principal of Ciboney Virtual Solutions, a Virtual Assistant Practice that specializes in Customer Service Consulting and Support, Marketing, Office Management and Administration. Armed with over 11 years experience in various administrative support, customer service, sales, marketing and managerial capacities under her belt, Carlana Charles is the business owner of Ciboney Virtual Solutions, a company she prides as being client-focused and solutions-driven. Visit http://www.ciboneyvirtual.com

 

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