In this digital world it is easy to let phone etiquette slip through the cracks…phones? They’re always with us and often ring at the most inconvenient of times.

“Most of your marketing expenditure is encouraging people to call.”

So it makes sense to have a system in place to convert those calls into sales. And a voice through the phone can be almost as effective as an in-person meeting and can never be replaced by an email or text.

Train your team to focus on their telephone manner and watch this underutilized skill pull in the results.

Start with a smile. No, literally! Putting on a smile before answering the phone automatically changes the tone of the voice and avoids sounding grumpy or too busy from the get-go.

Make it a mission to answer ON the second ring. Challenge your team members, create an incentive to have them push harder to get to the phone faster.

The client will feel important to the business (which they are), starting things off on a positive note.

Give an immediate timely greeting (good morning, afternoon, etc.) and introduction. Letting the client know immediately that they have reached the person/place they are looking for creates the right dynamic for a positive interaction.

Provide your full name, each and every time. It creates a sense of authority. “First name, speaking” suggests there may be someone else the caller would like to speak to. The caller can clearly hear you are speaking, they don’t need to be reminded that you are.

Be pleasant, engage in the obligatory small talk when necessary but always try to keep things brief (without sounding impatient). Brevity combined with politeness is most effective in showing the client their time is valuable.

Think before shooting off an automatic response. If the person the caller is after is not in, ask if there is something you can do in the meantime.

“X is out to lunch, X is on holiday and can I take a message” are not useful responses for your customer, who most likely expects their needs to be addressed immediately.

End the call by offering additional help or information. Asking if there is anything else you can do or offering a solid means of follow-up implies that the listener has been attentive, knowledgeable and reliable – Reflecting your brand.