Powerful Telephone Skills: A Quick and Handy Guide for Any Manager or Business Owner (Business Desk Reference)

223 Pages·2005·0.47 MB·English

by  Career Press

Powerful Telephone Skills : A Quick and
title: Handy Guide for Any Manager or Business
Owner Business Desk Reference
author:
publisher: The Career Press
isbn10 | asin: 1564141071
print isbn13: 9781564141071
ebook isbn13: 9780585226873
language: English
subject Telephone in business, Telephone etiquette.
publication date: 1993
lcc: HF5541.T4P68 1993eb
ddc: 651.3/7
subject: Telephone in business, Telephone etiquette.
Page i
Powerful Telephone Skills
A Quick and Handy Guide for Any Manager or Business
Owner
CAREER PRESS
180 Fifth Avenue
P.O. Box 34
Hawthorne, NJ 07507
1-800-CAREER-1
201-427-0229 (outside U.S.)
FAX: [phone]
Page ii
Copyright © 1993 by National Press Publication, a division of
Rockhurst College Continuing Education Center, Inc.
All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International
Copyright Conventions. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or
in part, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written
permission from the publisher, The Career Press.
POWERFUL TELEPHONE SKILLS
A QUICK AND HANDY GUIDE FOR ANY MANAGER OR
BUSINESS OWNER
Cover design by Digital Perspectives
Printed in the U.S.A. by Book-mart Press
To order this title, please call toll-free 1-800-CAREER-1 (NJ and
Canada: 201-848-0310) to order using VISA or MasterCard, or for
further information on books from Career Press.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Powerful telephone skills : a quick and handy guide for any manager or
business owner.
p. cm.
At the head of title : Business desk reference.
ISBN 1-56414-107-1 : $8.95
1. Telephone in business. 2. Telephone etiquette. I. Career Press Inc.
HF5541.T4P68 1993
651.3'7dc20 93-13765
CIP

Page iii
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Your Telephone Image 1
Chapter 2: Answering Calls 9
Chapter 3: Telemarketing Basics 33
Chapter 4: Effective Listening Techniques 47
Chapter 5: Twelve Common Customer Styles 61
Chapter 6: Your Telephone Presentations 73
Chapter 7: Your Telemarketing Presentation 89
Chapter 8: Closing Techniques 109
Chapter 9: Better Messages 117
Final Thoughts 122
Page iv
Introduction
The telephone is the most pervasive communication tool in business
today. In fact, every day approximately 500 million telephone calls are
transacted.
Consequently, millions of businesses project their images and
reputations through the telephone lines daily. Customers are won and
lost between the second and third unanswered rings, within the chasm
called "hold," by an interminable transfer and the sneer or smile of a
voice. How we conduct business over the telephone can make or
break our company. Our manner must be both professional and
personal to address the needs of a customer in a high-tech, global
society.
While we depend on the telephone as our primary communication
tool, it also produces long-winded callers, disconnected lines,
unanswered messages and, ultimately, a lot of frustration. The
miscommunication that often results leaves us feeling that the
telephone is not the "perfect" tool Alexander Graham Bell described.
Since the first telephone call in 1886, we've wrestled with the
aggravation of telephone miscommunication despite giant leaps in
technology that have made the telephone virtually a minicomputer.
Clearly, we will become even more dependent on the telephone in the
next century, and with each new decade will come challenges and
changes.
Our telephone style, telemarketing strategy and communication skills
must be effective to withstand the stresses of business today and
tomorrow. Taking the time now to develop techniques for answering
calls, marketing products and services, listening between the
sentences, qualifying customers, satisfying needs, ensuring return
business and recording efficient messages will assuredly save you
time and customers later.
This handbook helps you cope with the problems and frustrations you
encounter and shows you how to refine your telephone skills to
become more effective and productive.
Page 1
1
Your Telephone Image
Communicating effectively on the telephone is a unique skill, and
when mastered, it can make you very successful. Learning to
communicate professionally and effectively on the telephone is within
your grasp. It is a skill that can be mastered with just a little practice.
This handbook covers the basics of effective telephone
communication. Emphasized throughout are the following key
elements:
Listening skills
Professional and precise communication
Techniques for handling difficult situations and people
Controlling telephone conversations
Creating positive images for ourselves and the companies we
represent
Let's first look at ways you can make a positive impression on people
who call you or others in your company.
Page 2
Make a Positive Impression
Even though most of us hate to admit it, we form impressions of
people quickly. Usually within two minutes we've decided if we like
them and if we have a choice whether we want to continue the
relationship.
Like it or not, this is also true when we talk to people on the
telephone. And, more importantly, not only do we make judgments
about the people we speak with, but they also evaluate us. Sales
people, customer service agents and switchboard operators are the
first-line representatives of your companies. Those of you in these
positions must be mindful of the impressions you project.
Each of us has the ability to make positive or negative impressions on
the people we talk to on the telephone each day. In many cases, the
impression you give callers influences how they feel about your
company. More than 500 million phone calls are made each day. Each
call is an opportunity for us to make a positive impact.
Creating a positive impression with callers comes naturally to all of us
some days...when we are in a good mood, enthusiastic about our jobs
or dealing with a familiar, friendly voice. The key is to make positive
impressions consistently so callers form the same positive impression
of your company. This requires certain habits that aren't affected by
the kind of day you have.
1. Be on Stage.
Actors have to perform whether they have a good day or bad day.
Granted, some performances are more outstanding than others, but
even the worst performances should still leave the audience feeling
satisfied.
The same holds true for your telephone conversations. You can keep
your personal feelings and moods separate from your professional
demeanor if you view your time on the telephone as being on stage.