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43% of business is initiated by a telephone call

Written by: Linda Mattacks

Article Overview: These happen to be UK 2005 statistics yet wherever you are in the developed world the telephone is a major tool in your business armoury. All customers have choice: Whether to come on board, stay with you or shop around. So make first impressions count. Develop a competitive edge and make each and every contact with your company a pleasurable experience for your customers.

43% of business is initiated by a telephone call

Depending on the size of your company, the nature of your business, and the time of year, to name but three contributing factors, there are doubtless going to be occasions when telephone callers will hear a recorded message. That’s quite acceptable, whether it is the main business number or voice mail on your own extension, but:

When did you last listen to the message on your business telephone - your switchboard, landline or mobile?

What does it sound like? - Is it professional, clear, welcoming, informative and helpful?

If you run a small business and have been persuaded to install a telephone answering system, I'd think hard about this one. You know the sort of thing I mean:

"Your call is important to us and will be answered shortly"
"Your call may be recorded and monitored for training purposes"
"Press 1 for sales, 2 for accounts, 3 for customer service, (etc.)"

It's bad enough when the caller is aware that s/he's attempting to contact the customer services department of a large organisation. It's totally out of place in a small, professional company.

So I'd get rid of any pre-recorded "Your call is important to us and will be answered shortly" - If there's someone there to take the call, pick up the 'phone! Record your own message for when there really is nobody available to take the call.

Ditch "Your call may be recorded and monitored for training purposes" - Do you think anybody calling in really believes that you sit around listening to play backs of calls and training your staff on how to do better?

Do you really need “Press 1 for sales, 2 for accounts, 3 for customer service, (etc.)”?

You’re sacrificing a warm and human welcome for what you believe to be an impression of size - I know which I'd rather be greeted by!

And, when a human being does answer the phone remember: Whoever picks up the call in your organisation is the company, or at least the voice of the company, to anyone telephoning in. It doesn't take a brain the size of the planet to realise that the same rules of professionalism, clarity, etc. apply equally to the 'live' response to an incoming call - a call that could be from your biggest customer or your biggest potential customer.

You wouldn't dream of sending out anyone who wasn't thoroughly conversant with your company to sell on your behalf. Yet how many times do you allow just anyone to answer an incoming call? The way each and every incoming call is dealt with right from the outset will affect the image of your company - good or bad. Anyone in your company who uses the telephone to communicate with anyone else, internally or externally, needs good telephone communication skills.

Tip: If yours is a busy reception and your regular person is unexpectedly indisposed, put someone knowledgeable about the company on the front line and get a temp to lighten the load elsewhere if necessary.

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Article Tags: business number, business telephone, customer service, professional company, small business



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