Mastering the World of Selling: The Ultimate Training Resource from the Biggest Names in Sales

Chapter 4. Eleven Telephone Tips to Effectively Reach Out and Touch Others

Dr. Tony Alessandra

Platinum Rule Group

We tend to take our telephones and cell phones for granted, but salespeople must demonstrate appropriate telephone behavior when talking to clients and other business contacts. Courtesy and thoughtfulness are the basic components of telephone etiquette. The knowledge of etiquette makes telephoning easier because if you creatively obey the rules, you can be confident that you will behave in the most appropriate, productive way.

With this in mind, here are 11 guidelines for polite and effective telephone usage:

1. When answering the phone in the office, immediately identify your company, department, and name. If you are self-employed with a home office, answer by stating your name.

2. When talking to customers, call them by name. Not only will the customer be pleased, but by repeating the name, you're more likely to remember it. Be sure not to overuse this courtesy though, as it can become annoying. This also applies when talking to an executive assistant: First ask for the name of the assistant, and then you can begin using their name in all future correspondence.

3. Know yourself and how you sound to others. You can find this out by recording your voice. Then critique your tone, manners, friendliness, and vocal quality. This is even more helpful if you ask others to critique you.

4. Always use the hold button if you must temporarily leave the phone. It's surprising what the person on ...