Telephone communication demands that you choose your words carefully, thoughtfully. Since they are not reinforced (or contradicted) by your body language, their impact is immediate and long-lasting. You want to always use words that will inspire two things – listening and dialogue. The word “just” is not inspirational. In fact it implies you might be a time-waster and it clearly states that you are not confident in yourself or your message. Replace it with “Jane ...
Archive for: August, 2009
When I started my first company, at the tender and overly self-confident age of 28, one small word got in the way of my increasing revenue consistently. That word was “just”. I used it in my telephone conversations, like most people do, to be polite, to imply I would take only a minute of someone’s time. For example: “Jane Smith, it’s Mary Jane Copps calling from The Phone Lady and I’m just calling to … ...
We have all been victims of the “fast talker” – the person who leaves their phone number in our voicemail so quickly we must “Press 1 to repeat this message” over and over. It is annoying! Avoid irritating others by learning how to leave your phone number at the speed required to write it down. Simply use a scrap of paper and write it down as you say it. Don’t worry – you won’t have ...
The question below cites time delays but there are many other ways telephone communication can be difficult. Sore throats and colds, surprise visitors to your office, calling into a marketplace where your accent is unfamiliar, and the sounds of infants or children in the background are all disruptive. In my own office, I have a fax machine that produces a loud beep when it’s receiving. The best way I’ve found to deal with these things ...
It is no exaggeration to say that the telephone has given me a fabulous life (I’ll tell you more in later posts) which is why I’ve been completely surprised to discover that many business people (approximately 80%) suffer from “phone phobia”. Entrepreneurs, salespeople, administrators (to name a few) agonize over picking up the phone and getting things done. Face-to-face communication provides them with the comfort of body language and the wealth of information it provides. ...
There’s no ”cookie cutter” answer to this question, but here’s a few guidelines. It’s important to treat voicemail as receptionist or executive assistant in order to “make things happen”. If you are returning the call of a known business contact and need to confirm the date and location of a meeting or your interest in proceeding with a project, then a detailed message is totally appropriate. You want to leave enough information so a return ...
