Professional Telephone Skills Handling calls in a confident, competent and customer-oriented manner for german speaking enterprises abroad Telephone communication; Fundamentals of communication; Making a good first impression on the telephone; Telephone rules; Practical rules for telephoning; Behavior in difficult conversation situations; Dealing with difficult callers; Organization of telephone operations; The telephone as a service interface. TRAINPLAN seminar maker
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Index of contents Introduction...5 Telephone communication...7 Different kinds of conversations...8 Direct conversation (personal contact)...9 Indirect Conversation (phone contact)...9 Written conversation (letter, e-mail, internet, intranet)...9 Fundamentals of communication...10 Levels of communication...13 The two levels of communication...14 The various possibilities of communication...15 Speech as a communication medium...15 Suicide and buzz words...19 Examples for buzz phrases...20 Interrogative techniques...21 The four different interrogative forms...22 Argumentation technique...23 Exercise sheet:...24 Using proper wording on the telephone...25 Checklist: Be polite and honest!...25 Checklist: Offer your partner support!...26 Checklist: Avoid attacking your dialog partners verbally!...27 Checklist: Offer suggestions!...28 Checklist: Concentrate!...29 Making a good first impression on the telephone...30 Voice...30 Breathing...30 Volume...31 Speed...31 Sound...31 Modulation...32 Choice of words...33 Checklist: Speak positively!...34 The 10 rules of professional telephone skills...35 1. Simplicity...35 2. Structure...35 3. Short/concise...35 4. Picturesque speech...35 5. Breaks...36 6. Show decisiveness no conjunctives or fillers...36 7. Avoid the use of hip-words, buzz words and techno-nonsense...37 8. Customer-oriented You - point of view...38 9. Repetition of important information...38 10. Apologize if necessary and honestly!...38 Summary: Telephone rules...39 Checklist1: Telephone rules things to avoid!...39 Checklist 2: Telephone rules remember these!...40 Practical rules for telephoning...41 Answer in a proper manner...41 Connecting incoming calls...43 Connecting incoming calls:...43 The requested dialog partner is not available:...44 To be able to transfer the call to the right contact person:...44 Connecting incoming calls in English...45 Connecting with the dialog partner:...45 If the requested partner is not available:...45 If the call has to be forwarded to the proper contact person:...46 When the requested dialog partner is on the phone:...46 When you have not understood the caller:...46 Difficulties in understanding...47 TRAINPLAN seminar maker Professional Telephone Skills Page 3
Anonymous callers...48 On hold...48 Negotiations on the telephone...49 Checklist: Conducting negotiations over the telephone...50 Behavior in difficult dialog situations...51 Tactic 1: Your partner is emotionally very upset...51 Tactic 2: Encourage the flow of communication gain information...51 Tactic 3: Reducing the flow of words...52 Dealing with difficult dialog partners...53 Dealing with objections...54 Transforming an objection to consent...54 Dealing with conflicts and objections...55 Correct behavior for objections:...55 Using exit-phrases to deal with objections...56 Organization of telephone operations...57 Effectiveness...57 Availability and the catch-me-game!...57 Door-openers...58 Reduce expenditure of time...59 Preparing for a call...60 Conducting a conversation...61 Reworking the conversation...61 Form: Telephone notes...62 The telephone as a service interface...63 Handling claims and complaints...63 Customer-orientation concerns everyone...64 Review your attitude...65 Relationship management...66 Appendix...68 Phonetic alphabet...68 German...68 International...68 Observation sheet for telephone - conversations...69 Observation sheet: Speech behavior Page 1...69 Observation sheet: Speech behavior Page 2...70 Exercises...71 Checklist: Avoid disturbances!...71 Checklist: Phone at the right time!...72 Checklist: Observe etiquette!...73 Checklist: Heed your manner of speaking!...74 Checklist: Avert misunderstandings!...75 Checklist: Prepare yourself thoroughly!...76 Checklist: Ask properly and answer properly!...77 Checklist: Eliminate objections!...78 Checklist: Defend your price!...79 Checklist: Achieve a successful conclusion!...80 Checklist: Streamline claims!...81 Checklist: Overcome the outer office!...82 Checklist: Evaluate your telephone conversations!...82 Checklist: Exhaust your contact possibilities!...83 Checklist: Save costs!...84 Daily-clearing...85 TRAINPLAN seminar maker Professional Telephone Skills Page 4
INTRODUCTION You never get a second chance to make a first impression. This is why, in today s world, the telephone is an important business tool for every corporation. However this crucial marketing instrument is not only frequently underestimated but also greatly neglected. Almost 60% of phone inquiries by new customers or contacts to firms get lost. Studies show that the reasons for this include incompetent behavior and other trivial problems like a constant overload of the switchboard, organizational difficulties or an unfriendly manner on the telephone. The fact is that a new customer/interested party will definitely not call a second time if he/she gets a negative impression during the first call. Making a good first impression on the telephone In large corporations it is a fact that there are a large number of inbound calls of which only 50% can be answered. Many managers are not aware of the importance of handling customer telephone calls in spite of all the excellent technical possibilities such as telephone distribution equipment (ACD-Automatic Call Distribution), call forward circuit, mailbox systems etc. Even in companies that advertise their call centers, service and info lines, callers get put on hold and connected several times until they a friendly and competent answer. Telephone skills are not taught in school or in vocational training institutes. They are simply seen as a qualification which everyone should possess. But only rarely do companies check whether employees are competent on the phone or not. If there are shortages in the telephone department or customer support service, usually practical trainees, apprentices or unskilled workers who lack proper training are deployed. This is due to the fact that higher qualified employees are needed more urgently in other departments. It is self-evident that such a policy will evoke customer dissatisfaction in the long run and could scare many customers off. Professional telephone skills, not to be confused with telephone marketing, are important for all employees in a corporation. It helps them to assess their abilities on the telephone, become aware of effective telephone skills and to optimize, if necessary, their phone interactions. Optimizie your telephone behavior TRAINPLAN seminar maker Professional Telephone Skills Page 5
Always remember: The telephone is one of the most powerful business tools of corporations, organizations or institutions and how you answer it makes a lasting impression on the caller. Pay attention to the fact that the caller, who is actually paying you a visit over the phone, receives friendly, concise and positive feedback. This is one of the most fundamental principles for your corporation to make a positive impression on the outside world. The first impression counts! This telephone training covers the most important principles of communication as well as personal effectiveness on the telephone. Practical telephone situations are examined along with important rules and behavior in difficult situations or when dealing with difficult callers. The training is rounded off with tips on organization the target-oriented use of the telephone as a service interface through which active customer orientation can be achieved. It will be ideal if, during this training, practical exercises are combined with mutual analysis. TRAINPLAN seminar maker Professional Telephone Skills Page 6
TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION In our high tech age where the internet and electronic media make up a large part of the communication between corporation and customer, the telephone is along with a personal conversation still the most important medium of providing direct contact with the customer. The success of a company depends to a considerable extent on the employees working in the customer support department. It functions as a link and service provider to internal and external customers. Apart from competent consultancy and professional service it is particularly important that the customer feels that he is being taken seriously on the phone. It is crucial that employees recognize the problems and desires of customers and deal with these with the greatest possible attention and diligence. Almost 70% of the daily communication in business is conducted via the telephone. The focus of telephone communication has changed in the course of time with the constantly growing speed of information flow. Large orders are often given only on the telephone, without the negotiating partners getting to know each other personally. Communication per telephone This fact gives the telephone an even higher importance in daily business activities. The phone becomes a service interface for the customer and therefore holds enormous potential - if it is used properly. In order appreciate the potential of the telephone you must first familiarize yourself the three most prevalent kinds of conversation. All of these have their advantages and disadvantages. TRAINPLAN seminar maker Professional Telephone Skills Page 7
TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION Different kinds of conversations The three most prevalent kinds of conversation: The direct conversation, in which the communication partners sit facing each other The indirect conversation, in which the dialog partners do not see each other but can hear each other The written conversation, in which communication occurs only in writing TRAINPLAN seminar maker Professional Telephone Skills Page 8
Direct conversation (personal contact) Advantages: More expressiveness using body language (gestures, facial expressions, eyecontact, posture ) Fewer misunderstandings, since you can see by looking at your dialog partner, whether he/she correctly understood what was said Disadvantages: Generally higher costs in terms of time and money (making appointments, travel time etc.) Insecurity, doubt and rejection etc. become more visible Indirect Conversation (phone contact) Advantages: Limited to the basics Cost efficiency Time efficiency Disadvantages: Personal effect is limited and possible only via the tone and content of the conversation. Increased misunderstandings Too much room for interpretation Written conversation (letter, e-mail, internet, intranet) Advantages: More time to formulate (tactical statements) Proof of communication Disadvantages: Greater loss of time Smaller framework of communication Analysis of body language and voice not possible. TRAINPLAN seminar maker Professional Telephone Skills Page 9
FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION The only medium with which humans can communicate with each other is speech the verbal and non-verbal kind. Through speech, human beings try to express thoughts, moods and feelings which the dialog partner has to perceive in order to understand. According to a quotation by Reinhard K. Sprenger perception is that what people take to be true in the proverbial sense. This quotation shows that the dialogue has to be made the starting point of a conversation so that your counterpart can understand the truths. Messages consist of a number of signals, which the other receives over his/her system of perception. Studies have shown that people retain acoustic, visual and kinesthetic (what can be felt) signals in their memory in the following order: 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% read hear see read + see explain taste TRAINPLAN seminar maker Professional Telephone Skills Page 10