Giving a polite greeting when you pick up the phone makes the call easier, even if you're just passing the phone to someone else. Make it easy for you and other callers by knowing how to greet someone on the phone correctly.
Steps
Step 1. If you've been answering the phone in a very carefree way, think about how this impacts the person listening to you
To begin with, you do not know who may be on the other end of the phone, your future boss may be a lover and the first impression you have left on him has not been the best. Remember that a good start ensures a good end. If you find the phone intimidating, improving your answering technique will help you gain more confidence, because you just have to be polite and follow the routine to cover those nerves when answering. Once you have practiced a few times, it will be easier for you to do it.
Step 2. Be aware of the tone of your voice
Without being able to see you, people will draw conclusions about your integrity and confidence from the way you sound. If you answer the phone for the purpose of doing business, this may be your chance to impress a potential client or partner. The tone of your voice will impact many things, such as if you speak clearly, your mood, and the enthusiasm you have when you receive your call. You may think that your voice is strong and clear enough to be heard by others. On the other hand, both yelling and talking very quietly can be annoying for the listener. Try to practice the tone of your voice with a friend who knows what you are trying to do. Let your friend give you constructive feedback on how you can improve your voice on the phone.
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You should aim for a clear voice that is loud enough without having to yell.
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Lean back and arch your neck. It's easier to tone down your enthusiasm in this position.
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Maintain a pleasant and pleasant tone of voice. Even if other things happen around you, do not infect your tone of voice with this unless it is your mother or someone similar who can listen to your problems. Most other people will just want to hear a nice voice.
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Try to remain standing when you answer the phone. This allows you to breathe because the diaphragm is not squashed from sitting. By standing, you will have more energy and will convey this in your voice.
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Smile when you answer the phone. You can hear the smile through your voice, this keeps the positive energy flowing.
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Step 3. Stop drinking, eating, or chewing gum before taking the call
Each of these sounds is noticed by the caller and it sounds terrible. Avoid other sounds when answering or talking on the phone such as flatulence, burping, yawning, whispering, or making strange noises with your mouth. If you have no alternative to sneezing or coughing, apologize and quickly regain your pleasant tone.
Step 4. Answer quickly
A phone that rings for a long time makes the other person wonder why you are so slow to answer. When you do eventually answer, the other person may feel unfavorably uncomfortable with you as they wonder why it took you so long to answer the phone. This is important at work or in a business, it is also important at home unless you only receive calls from family members who have already become used to you taking a long time to answer. (This won't make them any less frustrated.)
Step 5. Greet the caller with a "Hello."
If you need to be more professional say something like "Good morning" or "Good afternoon." Avoid saying "Hello" in an overly informal context, unless you want to sound like a kid. Give your name and if you are at work, give your position or the department you are in.
- A formal example. Hello, my name is Elizabeth Jones from the Legal Services Department. How can I help it?
- A less formal example "Hello, this is Jeremy, from the Brown Residence": You do not have to say the name of the family if you do not want to. However, if you are in a house that you share with other people, this may be very useful if the caller is looking for a person from that house.
- If you simply say, “This is XYZ. May I know who is on the line? " or simply giving your phone number, if it is your residence, this is acceptable, make sure you say it clearly and slowly so that the listener has time to record the information of what you are saying.
Step 6. If you are going to take calls in a professional way, you should always say "Good morning / Afternoon"
This should be done before saying the company name. For example "Good morning, this is Mark, you are talking to" The local deli "How can I help you? People will invariably not hear the first part of what you say so if you mention the company name first as “Local deli… hello” the customer may not be sure of the business phone number, and have to ask, this makes you look unprofessional.
If the caller is someone you haven't heard in a while, feel free to express how glad you are to hear it again. However, don't make him feel like you're scolding him for not calling sooner
Step 7. Listen gently and carefully to what the caller requests
During this brief moment you will find out if he wants to talk to you, if you should remain formal or you can be informal with this person, if you should take a message or pass the phone on to someone else. During this time, be polite and don't interrupt. If the other person has not given you their name or if it is not clear to you, be sure to ask them to clarify this point. Something like "sorry but I couldn't hear your full name ma'am" should work..
- If you are so busy that the phone will be an interruption, then you should not answer the phone. By answering the phone, you are inviting the other person to chat with you, even if it is only for a few minutes. Never tell someone that you are too busy to talk to them right now; let the answering machine answer the call especially if you are talking to someone else. Having more than one call at the same time can be distracting and can confuse the callers. And you will have to interrupt the calls, this makes the caller feel uncomfortable
- Never answer the phone as a means of communicating to the person you call your importance. Answering with a brutal response like "I'm in an important meeting, I can't talk right now" is quite rude and is a call that you should not have taken.
Step 8. If you need to put the call on hold, then say so in the kindest way
In fact, put the person on hold only if absolutely necessary. Some people will tell you the problem even before you have a chance to intervene, in that case be very nice and let them know that you have listened to their requirements and that you will communicate it with a person who can deal with this problem. If you must ask him to wait say: Can I put you on hold for a moment, or maybe you should call later? Instead of saying "Wait a bit, I'll be right back"
Step 9. Leave a clear and understandable message on the answering machine
Your answering machine is a way of saying hello since it receives your calls when you are not in the place. Be careful with the message you leave on this machine. Avoid leaving something that is misunderstood or disorienting as a silly joke that only your best friend understands. Leave a clear, friendly message that invites the person to call back, or with the promise that you will return the call as soon as possible.
Cute, funny messages on the answering machine can be inappropriate as only you and those close to you think it's cute and funny. For a potential client, employer, etc. This message may suggest immaturity and lack of seriousness
Method 1 of 1: Go ahead and end the call
Although this is not part of the greeting on a call, maintaining a pleasant tone throughout the call is important for a successful connection.
Step 1. After the caller has mentioned what they want, use their name to show that you have heard what they said and repeat something that you think you need to clarify
Proceed with the conversation, and continue to insert their name frequently as a way to maintain a human connection. Continue to listen carefully and make notes if necessary. Ask questions about what is not clear to you.
Step 2. End your call on a nice note even if the call wasn't so nice
Say something like "It was a pleasure chatting with you, Jane." Listen to her response, and don't rush to hang up.
Advice
- Business calls require you to repeat a few facts over and over again on each call. It can help if you say the same things in a different way since saying the same thing over and over again can sound monotonous and you will sound like a tape recorder, this will make the person have no interest in your business. Keep the call fresh.
- Some calls will be made from noisy places or you may have a poor phone connection. You must be prepared to say that you are having a hard time listening, you must speak clearly and carefully. You may need to tell him to call later, hoping that the line is already in perfect condition, or schedule a time for you to call when he is in a less noisy place.
- Keep the person you are talking to in mind and act accordingly.
- If it's a so-called person and you don't know what to say, to have a nice conversation, talk about interesting things that happened to you at work, school, or a hobby. Ask questions if you don't know what to say. Don't just talk about yourself
- If you have children, teach them how to answer the phone responsibly and confidently. Teach them how to keep personal information safe and not say you're not home when they answer the phone.
- It is a good idea to place the phone away from noise such as the dishwasher, television, copier, noisy workers, screaming children, etc. If this is not possible, then go to a place with less noise.
- Know what to say before answering the phone. Overcoming the nervousness of answering the phone and not knowing who is on the other side can be overcome by knowing what to say (you can also check the caller's ID if it's not hidden).
- If you answer the phone at work and need to provide information such as addresses, web addresses, emails, etc. Have everything written in front of you so you can spell it correctly and avoid going blank.
Warnings
- Never put someone on hold without warning them.
- Never speak to a client or dignitary as if they were your friend. You must have the best behavior and use your manners, as well as the best possible language.
- Unless they are your friends, avoid casual words when talking on the phone.
- Avoid hanging up quickly, doing so will give the impression that you ended the call abruptly.
- There are many things you should never do during a call, this includes mumbling, making noise, yawning, panting, or sighing and being rude. Never go to the bathroom when you use the bathroom (if you think he can recognize the noise from the bathroom) do not move the phone away or send text messages, because the other person may notice this and they will find that you are not paying their full attention.