1. Telephone
Skills
Part 2

2. Tone of Voice
The tone of your voice is impacted by:
Clear or muffled speaking
Your mood and enthusiasm
You might think that your voice is loud or clear enough
to be heard by others, but this is not necessarily so
On the other hand, shouting is just as bad as mumbling
and will give the caller a shock

3. How You Feel Comes Across…
Consider the tone and speed of your voice.
Think about what things really annoy you
Speaking too fast,
Too slowly, in a very loud or quiet voice,
Placing too much emphasis on certain tones
Tones that are very flat suggest disinterest

4. Aim For a Clear Voice
Loud enough to be heard without shouting.
Lean back and arch your neck up.
It is easier to exude enthusiasm in this position.
Smile when you answer the phone.
The smile will be heard in your voice
Try to stay standing up when answering the phone.
This enables better because breathing and energy

5. No Drinking or Chewing
Each of these sounds comes through
Other bodily annoying noises to avoid
Smacking your gums together
Burping
Yawning
Mumbling or making popping noises

6. Excuse Yourself
If you have to sneeze or cough, excuse yourself and
quickly cover the phone's sound piece.

7. Answer and Greet Warmly
Give your name and title
Example For Inbound calls:
A formal example, "Hello, my name is Elizabeth Jones
with the XYZ. How may I help you?“
Less formal example, "Hello, this is Jeremy
speaking, from “XYZ".
For outside calling
Hello, my name is Tim Jones from the XYZ.

8. Use The Clients Name
Use their name to establish rapport
Repeat back anything that you think needs clarification.
Proceed with the pitch, and insert their name frequently

9. Listen Politely and Carefully
Really listen to the other person on the line
Can continue formally or informally?
Mr. or Mrs. – Tom, Mary or Sir or Ma'am
Will you need to take a message or pass the
phone to someone else.
Take a second before each response.
When you pause before responding, the other person
knows that you've listened.

10. A Word on Pauses
Don’t become so enamored with the
sound of your voice
Pause and give the listener time to
respond or ask questions
Don’t use tech talk or acronyms
Take a breath, follow the play

11. Cultural Differences
What is appropriate for some is not always appropriate
for other people,
This can cause a fair amount of problems when
misunderstandings arise
For example, many customers prefer to get straight down
to business and value speed and efficiency;
Some prefer to chat a little to build a personal connection,
before moving on to the purpose of the call.

12. Time Zones L.A. - N.J.
A major consideration is time zone differences. ?
Remember there may be a 2 – 3 hour time difference
Interruptions during their sleep, or during meal time
may find your call as an intrusion

13. Avoid Mimicking Accents
Or using slang that is local to your client's area or culture
on the other end of the phone.
In some cases it can be acceptable and make the person
receiving the call feel more at ease,
This is actually a very small and rare demographic.
Many people find a false accent to be insincere
Fraudulent, or copying an accent as a sign of disrespect.

14. Familiarity
Don't use words you are not familiar with
Or attempt to sound more intelligent.
This may backfire if you have a difficult time
pronouncing the words.
Stick with familiar vocabulary
and enunciate your words

15. Interruptions
Refrain from interrupting co-workers
or the client on the phone.
Find a pause where you can jump in
politely but give the person enough
time to talk
Avoid becoming distracted while
on the phone.

16. Cross Talk Causes Pain
Cross talk is an intrusion to others on calls
It offends both Customer and Team
Shouting in earshot of another is inconsiderate
It can be heard by both the team
and receiver equally
Inappropriate comments like, stupid
jerk or $2#e% make for dissatisfied clients

17. Just Follow The Basics
Make a good impression with just your
conversational skills
Practice your pitch until you can say it
naturally and professionally.
Like the Star Spangled Banner
The right lyrics, in key, right order
and pitch all will go just fine!