Chapter 13
Communicating over the Phone
In This Chapter
Making effective phone calls
Answering the phone properly
Paying attention to callers
Finishing up tactfully
I wonder whether you’re thinking, ‘I don’t need this chapter. . . I know how to talk on the telephone!’ Well, perhaps, but a big difference exists between chatting casually on the phone and communicating effectively and successfully, especially in a business context.
You’re always creating an impression of some sort. Whenever you make a phone call – for business or personal reasons – how you speak and sound to other people determines how they perceive you, and if it’s a business call, how they perceive the organisation you work for.
Although I focus in this chapter on business calls, many of the principles apply equally to personal calls.
Calling with Confidence
I’m always astonished when someone calls me and then sounds surprised when I pick up the phone. Even when I let the call go to voice mail, the speaker at the other ...
