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Phone Skills Still Important for Business Success - Part II

Written by: Lillian D. Bjorseth

Article Overview: Phone skills are still vital in this email age. Learn how to recognize and respond to others communication styles to achieve more effective results.

Phone Skills Still Important for Business Success - Part II

In addition to the professional phone image I discussed in Part I, it is also vital to be able to read people over the phone to increase your chances for personal and business success. Using the leading-edge DISC (Dominant, Influencing, Steady and Conscientious) communication styles, I’ll help you recognize the other person’s natural communication style so you know how to respond. It works even better when both of you are cognizant of each other’s style.
The principle is simple: When you communicate naturally you may be naturally conflictive with others. Since your pace and priority may differ from the other person, you can run into roadblocks as you play the roles of “sender” and “receiver” on the phone. This information is helpful in two major ways as you learn to:
· Adapt and flex your own style when you find yourself “guilty” of any of the less-than-effective communication techniques that follow.
· Adapt and flex to the other person’s style when s/he is determined to keep on communicating naturally with little regard to how it affects the outcome.

How to Recognize Dominant People on the Telephone
Their blunt, confident, decisive, direct, impatient and take-charge style leads them to:
· Choose time/date/place to meet.
· Think and speak quickly.
· Dislike interruptions, yet interrupt frequently.
· Get right to the point, may bypass “hello”.
· Have a clear purpose in mind ahead of time and speak in bullet style.
· Speak authoritatively and powerfully.
How to Respond to “Ds” on the Telephone
· Be clear and succinct.
· Be immune to their brusqueness.
· Don’t give details, unless asked.
· End the conversation when they appear to quit responding; undoubtedly, their attention span has waned.
· Plug your remarks into their goals.
· Summarize, summarize, summarize.

How to Recognize Influencing People on the Telephone
Their enthusiastic, optimistic, energetic style leads them to:
· Begin with an upbeat “hello”.
· Hold side conversations with another person in office/at home while talking on phone; may have radio and/or TV on, too.
· Show wide range of emotions through rate, pitch, tone, rhythm, inflection.
· Speak faster and faster as excitement mounts.
· Talk about weather, the weekend, vacations, whatever - before getting down to business.
How to Respond to high “Is” on the Telephone
· Ask them to repeat if they speak too quickly during an outburst.
· End the conversation - even if they called you.
· Respond quickly when given a chance to speak.
· Set a timer beforehand.
· Try to get in more than “hello”.
· If a business call, keep steering them back to topic at hand.

How to Recognize Steady People on the Telephone
Their amicable, cooperative, harmonious tendencies may lead them to:
· Begin with a warm “hello”.
· Convey a calm, friendly environment.
· Listen well.
· Personify good customer service.
· Speak slowly and carefully.
· Think before speaking; be comfortable with long pauses.
How to Respond to “Ss” on the Telephone
· Be amicable and sincere.
· Don’t demand or push.
· Ask about their family.
· End the conversation if you are the caller.
· Provide information slowly, methodically.
· Refrain from unloading on them; they will listen politely until you’re done.
· Don’t finish their sentences, even when they take a while to convey their thoughts.

How to Recognize Conscientious People on the Telephone
Their cautious, precise and reserved qualities may lead them to:
· Begin formally: “Good morning, Ms. Bjorseth. This is Jean Doe. I am returning your call from Friday.”
· Critique and analyze what you have said before responding; be comfortable with long, silent periods.
· Give you facts rather than opinions.
· “Observe” your tone and words to get the meaning.
How to Respond to “Cs” on the Telephone
· Allow them time to analyze, and refrain from filling the silence.
· Avoid small talk.
· Don't ask personal questions, and keep your personal affairs to yourself.
· Have facts in order before you call.
· Use their titles - Dr., Mr., Ms. - unless well acquainted.

People respond much better when spoken with in their style, even if it makes you more uncomfortable in the short run. You can return to your natural style when you hang up. Your desire to return to your natural style, in fact, can speed up the call and save you time. When you are talking with Influencing people, you will likely have to expend extra effort to speed up the call! Like that famous bunny, they can go on and on and on.

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  The Phone Tools & Tips Used by the Top Income Earners
  What True Leaders Do To Effortlessly Remove the Fear of Phone Prospecting Their Home Business Leads

Article Tags: business success, communication styles, phone skills, relationship building, telephone



Related Forum Posts
How do i answer the phone? - I learned this technique from a successful businessman who earns over a million dollars a year. He just uses his name like this... Phone rings... " This is Dwayne..." It kind of throws people off who have a preplanned script and gets right into it. Phone rings... " This is Dwayne..." No Hello, no good morning/afternoon/evening Phone rings... "This is Dwayne..."
Business Coaching Internship Review - I joined in during the first phase of the internship and at this point we are committed to doing research and development of RSC Business Group operating in Toronto. RSC Business Group already has products and services in Coaching Small businesses in Los Angeles but we didn't want to assume that the same products were wanted and needed in the Toronto market. Our goal at this point is to commit to interviewing 1000 business owners to capture this data. Through the teleconference internship I've been involved in we've been focusing on Communication Skills and on active listening which are practiced when we conduct our interviews and Coach our clients when they come on board. This is a lot harder than it sounds! Part of the internship is also creating the Toronto RSC Business Group's departments, job descriptions, Marketing and Communication plans etc that a business owner would create for their own company. This trains us in the way we would coach a company as well. The internship is phased in two parts and there is compensation plan involved as well for the clients you personally bring in. These clients are coached directly by Robert Chun as you begin but you are given a chance to learn his techniques. I haven't gone through this experience yet though. It's hard to explain Robert Chun's method of Coaching as it happens at a psychological level in his ability to listen and question the person being coached into the next steps they need to take. The Teleconferences are 2 hours long but it's very interactive. If you have a desire to explore this area of Business I'd recommend contacting Vwodek listed above and get invited to a Coaching Conference call. You can decided then if it's for you. Note: it is a commitment but the skills you walk away with whether you plan on working with RSC Business Group or not is invaluable.
Re: What works for you? - Hi Yinka, I work better under pressure of deadlines when I am doing something for other people. However, I like to have the leisure to develop my own projects. The first case is what Stephen Covey calls a "Quadrant 1" activity ("Important and urgent") whereas the second case is a "Quadrant 2" activity ("Important, not urgent"). We should aim to make as much time as possible for Q2 activities so that we can develop our own projects. Easier said than done!
My entry - 1. The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read - this is a fascinating book about the history of Business theory, and I'd recommend it to anybody. 2. The Big Book of Small Business: You Don't Have to Run Your Business by the Seat of Your Pants, by Tom Gegax. Ditto. 3. PADI: The Business of Diving Book Okay, so this book won't be of use to anyone who doesn't want to start a scuba store, but I did, and this book was of course invaluable to me in reaching that goal.
Re: Books for the Entrepreneur - Here's one of my most recent books The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success By Brian Tracy


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