Key Tips On How To Improve Your Phone Etiquette For Better Business Sales

Using a phone for doing business never gets old. In fact, thousands of business deals around the world are being closed right now over a phone call. You can do it too, but it requires that you know the correct phone etiquette for closing a business sale over a phone call.

It is so important that you follow the correct phone etiquette for any business transaction. This is especially true if you are selling something to your customer over the phone. Having a business sale over the phone can prove to be a difficult task, but it can also be very rewarding too.

If you want to increase your business sales over the phone, you should follow the business phone etiquette tips listed below:

1) You must always maintain a positive tone when speaking.

When talking to customers over the phone, you must make sure that you maintain a friendly, enthusiastic tone with your voice. You need to develop a positive tone in your voice so that your customers can feel comfortable. Your voice should be something that will soothe their ears so your customers won’t be annoyed with you when talking on the phone. Always control the pitch and timbre of your voice and avoid speaking in an annoying or exaggerated voice.

2) For Best Phone Etiquette – Always be sincere.

Your customer might be calling you because they have concerns with your products or services and they’re reaching out to demand some answers from you. No matter what your customer’s mood is, you must politely listen and answer their questions all the time. Make your customers feel that they are your top priority. This way you’ll have them coming back for your products or services in the future.

3) For Best Phone Etiquette – Talk as clearly as possible.

When you speak to your customers on the phone, you must say your words very clearly. Don’t use complex or slang words. You don’t want to confuse your customer with overly complicated vocabulary or disrespect them by using unprofessional words. Also, avoid using filler words like “um”, or “ah”. These words might get your customers annoyed. If this is new to you, practice the words you are going to use when talking to a customer over the phone.

4) For Best Phone Etiquette – Don’t talk too fast or too slow.

Talking very fast will only make you stumble with your words. Talking slowly, on the other hand, can make your customer feel annoyed. It’s better if you can talk at a normal pace where you can correctly pronounce each word that comes out of your mouth.

5) Take a deep breath before making a call with a customer.

Having shallow breaths when talking to a customer over the phone can make you sound tired. Now, you don’t want your customer to feel like you are not enthused when talking to them. You must always sound happy and very willing to answer their call. To help you out, practice your breathing by taking a big, deep breath before picking up the phone. This should allow you to breath normally during the phone call.

6) Always listen to your customers.

Now, you want to be listening attentively to your customers first before you start talking. You must treat your customers like they’re your top priority, and in order to do so, you must listen to them attentively. Focus on what your customer is talking about over the phone call. Stop anything that you are doing and put all your attention into the phone call. You don’t want to make your customers repeat what they just said because it means that you don’t care about them. Remember that customers hate being ignored. If you fail to listen to them even once, they may get frustrated and hang up.

7) Don’t interrupt a customer while they are still talking.

If your customer is still talking, don’t even attempt to interrupt them. This is especially true if the customer is complaining about something. Just let them talk and listen to them attentively until they are finished. Situations like this tend to happen from time to time, so you need to teach yourself how to properly deal with complaining and angry customers.

8) Always address the customer by their name.

Don’t make up names for your customer. Always address them by their true name. This is to show that you really value them as your customers.

9) Use a professional greeting.

Be sure to use a professional greeting when speaking with customers over the phone. Don’t just say “hi” or “hello”. Address your customers correctly by using their titles like, “Good morning, Doctor Johnson. How may I help you?”.

10) Introduce yourself properly.

Your customers must know who are they speaking to over the phone. You need to introduce yourself properly. If you are calling for your company, don’t forget to mention its name as well. Be sure to include your position so that your customers will know that they are speaking to someone who is credible. Keep your introduction short and general⎯no need for many specifics. Also, if there’s someone from your company who’s going to join the call, make sure to properly introduce them to the customer as well.

11) Don’t forget to say thank you.

Even at the start of a business phone call conversation you must express your gratitude to your potential client. Thank them for having the time to talk with you and for allowing you to explain what the call is all about. Tell them that you won’t be taking too much of their time and start immediately with your business presentation. At the end of the phone call, thank the client again for listening to you and for taking the time to talk with you. You must always express your gratitude⎯regardless of the outcome of the call. By showing gratitude to your client or customer over the phone, you are showing that you are sincere with your business proposition. This could actually help you in convincing them to close a deal or do business with you.

Having proper phone etiquette is absolutely essential for effectively communicating with current and potential clients and customers. While steps like these are easy to implement, improving your team’s phone etiquette is something that should always be a focus, and should be consistently be improved on over time. The communication experts at Fone Dynamics know that a phone call can make or break a deal and by following these tips and improving your phone etiquette, you can boost business sales.

Author Bio: John Taylor

John is a long-time professional with over two decades of experience in analytics and communications technology. He works as the Senior Data Analyst at Fone Dynamics, a leader in call tracking, voice, and SMS communication. When John steps out of the office, he loves to spend time with his family and bike riding.