50 Training Activities for Administrative, Secretarial, and Support Staff

Part V. Telephone Skills 201

Introduction

eople have many different feelings about the telephone. Some love using it, others

feel that it rules their lives, some regard it as an intrusion. There are a myriad of

other reactions. Whatever the individual viewpoint, there is no escaping the fact that the

telephone is an integral part of life and one of the most important business tools.

Using the telephone does not come naturally to everyone. Some people find it quite dif-

ficult to communicate effectively when they cannot see to whom they are speaking. This

may result in their saying too much, saying too little, or jumping into a conversation

without giving a context. Some people assume that, if their words are correct, they will

give the right impression despite their tone of voice or rate of speech.

The activities in Part V cover all aspects of business use of the telephone. They aim to

teach participants to make calls as brief as possible, while being effective, professional,

and projecting an excellent image of the individual and their organization.

Some of the specific telephone challenges faced by support staff are:

Y Repetitive calls

Y A constant flow of calls

Y Callers who do not know to whom they should speak

Y Callers who want the impossible

The activities in Part V will enable individuals to give a personal and professional

response every time. Activity 23 deals with answering the telephone on the switchboard.

Activity 24 tackles the do’s and don’ts of telephone conversations. Activity 25 teaches

how to transfer calls effectively, and Activity 26 deals with making external calls.

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