Telephone Manners

Manners on the telephone are of utmost importance in business. Generally, people like to be treated well. We all appreciate compliments and politeness. The telephone, since it's so widely used, should be one of the main communication channels where courtesy is employed to the maximum.
For instance, when you call someone, it is important to get their permission to proceed to the conversation BEFORE you begin. Remember, when you call them, the timing may be right for you but not necessarily for them. So what you must do is, be certain to ask,"Is this a good time for us to talk?" or "Do you have 10 minutes?" Mind you, whenever you ask for specific time (10minutes etc), be sure to STICK TO THE REQUESTED TIME and do not exceed. This is very important because it conveys the message to your listener, that you stand by your word and that you respect their time.
More often than not, when you give respect, to get it back just the same. So whenever you begin a telephone conversation, you want to share a nice bright greeting. Your greeting sets the tone for the conversation.
It is also important to LISTEN. Many people have not mastered the art of listening. Never interrupt someone on the phone because it can impose a confrontational type of situation. Listening is the most important thing to do on the telephone. You can do 5% of the talking and control 95% of the conversation when you're a good listener. When you listen to people carefully, you learn quite a lot from them...things they like, their opinions and their concerns. It may take a while to master this skill but it is essential in conversations not only on the phone but face to face as well. Be patient and take your time before you respond to anything. Silence is not a bad thing. It shows that you're thinking about what you're going to say before you say it as oposed to just pitching your deal to your listener using a standard rehearsed speech. Most people respond negatively to this attitude and you will fail BIG in business if you ever do that. After careful listening, you then proceed to tell them about your business in a way that suits them personally. Customisation is very important. If they can't see how your business can fit into their lives, they won't join you, it's that simple. So all of this information you would have gathered earlier from listening to their needs, you can now structure it in a way that includes their likes and needs and omits their dislikes and negatives. This way, you will always get a favourable response from your listener.
Another point to note when on the phone is that you need to learn to detect people emotional level. Let's imagine emotions were measured on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being positive or high-spirited. So you call someone up and they answer and they're at a 4 or 5, it would be very dumb and impolite if you were to answer at an 8 or 9. If they're at a 4 then you need to focus on trying to end the conversation on a 5...They should feel lifted after your conversation with them. What is also important, is if they have a huge distraction in their personal life such as an ill relative or some crisis, you simply say,"I realise this may not be the best time for us to talk, can I call you back in a week?" Immediately they appreciate your concern. The buying mood is a happy mood so it doesn't make any sense to try selling to them if they're not in a good mood. What you've also done here is to instantly set a new appointment for phone conversation. Since the current one is being broken, then you set a new one at the same time.
In my Friday post as usual, I'll personalise and share powerful tips on how I use the phone in my business
Thank you very much for your time and attention.
See you on Friday.