A call center operator who knows the rules of conversation and telephone etiquette feels confident, thereby adapting to the client and realizing the tasks assigned to him. Let’s try to give 10 tips to all those who are trying to learn how to speak properly on the phone. This will help not only improve the efficiency of communication with the client, but also lay the seeds of friendliness with the person on the other end of the line.
Addressing the interlocutor only on a first-name basis
Few people know that the first name is a borrowed term, and not so long ago it simply did not exist. The format of addressing a person on a first-name basis was first mentioned in texts on business communication with the emperor in ancient Rome. Today, many experts agree that if a person has reached the age of 12, it is customary to address him or her as “you”.
How to properly introduce yourself to a client:
а) “Good afternoon!
b) “Good afternoon, …, my name is Jane. Listening to you / How can I help you?
c) “Good afternoon, you have reached the … support service, controller Jane. I am listening to you.
This will give the client confidence that they are calling the right organization and talking to the “face” of the company.
How to start a substantive conversation on the phone
Greetings are good, but the most important thing is whether the other party has time for business communication. One of the main rules of a telephone conversation is to clarify whether the person can talk to you at the moment on business. In order not to lose sight of this aspect of telephone etiquette, try to hone it in conversations with friends and relatives. Believe me, they will also like your sympathetic “Can you talk now?”
Create the customer’s mood
Don’t say “You’re worried about…”. Hearing this, your interlocutor may conclude that you have a negative attitude towards the call.
If you’re in a bad mood or haven’t slept well, you’ll sound sluggish, tired, or aggressive, if you’re upset about some news, it will be hard to focus on the client. The intonation of your voice depends on your mood, and this affects the client’s attitude towards the company. Therefore, be sure to put aside unnecessary thoughts before starting your working day and tune in to positive communication.
If a person speaks slowly, their thought process proceeds at the same speed. When communicating with such people, slow down your speech slightly.
A person who speaks fast or very fast is annoyed by slowness and slowness, he is impatient and eager for action. Speed up the pace of your conversation when communicating with such people.
Use the “hold” feature
Your phone has a function that allows you to actually take a breath and competently build further business communication as part of telephone etiquette. It should be borne in mind that this function can be used a maximum of 1-2 times no more, otherwise, it will become a source of hatred for the subscriber on the other end of the line.
“Line hold has certain nuances that you shouldn’t forget about when mentally working through a phone conversation scenario. In particular, if you turn on the hold, you need to “eyeliner” with a request to stay on the line. After you get back to the person, you should say thank you for waiting.
Taboos on the line: eating, drinking, rustling paper or clicking on the keyboard, smoking, and sighing
All modern microphones are designed in such a way that they cut off unnecessary noise, but those that still reach the sensor will be dramatically amplified. Now imagine that the rustling of paper did hit the microphone… What happens next? It will amplify the sound and your interlocutor will receive this bouquet of sounds along with speech information
Learn how to listen to effectively communicate with a customer on the phone
Most people think that listening is a talent for calming their ego and calmly perceiving information. In fact, this is not the case. Listening is essentially the passive management of a telephone conversation within the framework of telephone etiquette. To learn how to “steer” a dialog, remember the main rule – a man listens for a few seconds and then interrupts, a woman can attend as long as she wants, as long as you touch on her emotions with information. By adapting to this rule, learn to “feed” data in a dosed manner in dialogues with men, and emotionally in conversations with women.
How many rings should you wait for before picking up the phone?
The answer is simple – the minimum, preferably 1 ring. No matter what anyone tells you, but when the phone is answered after the first ring, it’s like a delicious cake, like a ripe watermelon, like a parachute jump – an explosion of emotions for the client on the other end of the line, because he or she gets the impression that they were waiting for his or her call. 2 rings – good. 3 – typical. 4 rings is the last chance to make amends. If after the fourth ring, the customer does not hear an IVR voice offering to call back, consider the customer dissatisfied.
You have been given time – say thank you
We are losing more and more time as we send and receive information. The telephone conversation has long been firmly entrenched on the minute hand of the clock, turning it faster and faster every day. Therefore, when communicating with a client, don’t forget to thank them for listening to you.
It can be difficult to find a way out of a non-standard situation: you may be insulted on the phone, stumped, or asked a question to which you do not know the answer. What should an operator do in such situations? Show ingenuity, imagination, and react quickly.
The first step is to apologize. Our goal is to please the customer, so we need to do everything to calm them down. Then, depending on the situation, it can be “holding back” (if you do not know the answer to the question or have been misled), or resolving the conflict by offering all possible solutions, or politely ending the conversation. For example, if you have been offended, you can use the following phrase: “I’ll have to end the conversation if we continue in this vein.”
How to end a conversation with a client
Despite the “buzzing” of many business coaches and marketers, today the ability to end a conversation with a client on time is valued by people more than polite communication or telephone etiquette. Endlessly rehearsing objections and being annoying is so tiring for people that sometimes they just want to hear “Have I answered all your questions?” “Goodbye!”
This article did not list even one tenth of the complete set of telephone etiquette rules, but even these few tips will help you become a professional call center operator. If the conversation still doesn’t go well, use professional scripts – texts from copywriters who are written with knowledge of consumer psychology and telephone etiquette and adapted to your company.