Good Telephone Manners
14 August 2012
Read by 1555 persons
A life without a phone? Unthinkable! And without a mobile? Even less so! Therefore, it is all the more important to pay attention to our behavior on the phone.
For all of us, phoning is as natural an act as eating with a knife and fork. And yet, we are not always aware of the effect our own voice, tone, pronunciation, etc. have on the person on the other end of the line. Furthermore, we must also pay attention to the content of our message and above all to the way we convey it. Because one thing is clear: by significantly improving your telephone behavior, you will be more successful in achieving your goals.
Speaking clearly and pronouncing well
On the phone, communication is reduced to one channel of perception, the auditory, so to what we hear - without any visual signals. Consequently, the tone, pitch and good pronunciation with a clear voice are important. If you tend to generally speak too quickly, you can practice slowing down your speech rhythm by doing targeted exercises, particularly breathing and concentration exercises. Let's not forget that the goal is to be understood.
Before conducting an important telephone interview, structure your thoughts and avoid making a "harried" impression. Take enough pauses while speaking - not only to catch your breath, but also to give your interlocutor the opportunity to grasp your message. Modulate your voice, do not speak too loudly or too softly.
The audible body language
On the phone too, pay attention to your body language. A person curled up in their chair in front of their work table has a tense and tired voice. Straighten up, sit up straight - your voice will have a fresh and cheerful tone. A relaxed posture will help you avoid your voice sounding shrill, which could be interpreted as nervousness or a lack of confidence.
If you have to communicate an unpleasant message on the phone, try doing it with a smile on your lips: you will be surprised to find that the person will "digest" the information more easily. Even if it's hard to imagine - generally speaking, a smile is a central element on the phone: it's audible to your interlocutor!
If you have trouble smiling on the phone, draw a giant smiley face on a piece of paper and put it in front of you or hang it on the wall and focus on that image. After a while, you will have gotten used to smiling broadly at the handset or microphone of your headset.
Phoning while standing up
If you need to present arguments, explain complicated details, it may be wise to phone while standing up, possibly pacing around the room. But be careful: don't overdo it to the point of being breathless and having your interlocutor wondering if you are dealing with something that seems more important while you are phoning with him.
Emphasize your arguments and descriptions using arm and hand gestures: certainly, your interlocutor doesn't see them, but he will "hear" the signals and know how to "translate" them. Do a test: call a friend and describe a house to him, the size of the windows, the width of the doors, etc. - the first time by staying stiff and the second time using your hands, arms... Then ask him if he noticed the difference. You'll be surprised!
Phrases to avoid
When phoning with clients and partners, the following phrases are to be avoided:
"That's not my area of expertise." Say instead: "I will find out who can help you / who can answer your question."
"I don't know." Say instead: "I will look into the matter, I will find out..."
"No" (at the beginning of the sentence). Try to start each sentence with a positive turn of phrase. It's a matter of practice! It's better to say "I think that won't work that way" rather than confronting your interlocutor with a categorical "no."
"You must..." Don't tell your interlocutor what to do, but rather: "Do you have the possibility of doing this / that?" or "Enter xxx in the left-hand field of the screen..."
A few tips for making progress
Record your words using a tape recorder (be careful: do not record your interlocutor, it is forbidden!) and check by listening to the tape whether you speak in an understandable way or not, too quickly or too slowly, if your voice is pleasant. The purpose of the recording is not to control the content of your message.
Another tip: place a mirror next to the phone, this will allow you to observe your facial expression while you are phoning.
And don't forget: As soon as you pick up - and introduce yourself by stating your name and not by saying "yes, hello" or "hello?" - speak in a pleasant and cheerful voice. Don't give your interlocutor the impression that he is disturbing you - even if that's the case. Firstly, he cannot know that he is disturbing you (you could have activated the "mute" button) and secondly, it is not his fault.
Mobile telephony: don't forget your good manners
When a small opinion poll is conducted, most people respond that they would like mobile phones to be banned in certain areas. But in principle, this is not necessary if a certain number of basic rules are observed:
Everywhere where the calm or concentration of people is disturbed, the mobile phone must remain switched off (or "mute" button): on the tram or bus, at the restaurant, but also in the corridors of your company. If you have a call, retire to a quiet corner.
Don't put your mobile phone on your work table when you have an interview. You are signaling to the person in front of you that you are ready at any moment to interrupt your interview in favor of the person who is calling you - in short, you are clearly signaling that the interlocutor on the other end of the line is more important.
The same applies to voicemails or SMS. Today, many people have developed the bad habit of constantly playing with their mobile phone, updating their address book, "texting" and sending SMS, etc. By behaving in this way, you are signaling to the meeting leader, but also to the other participants, that you are not "physically present" and that the subject of the meeting is of secondary importance to you.
If you absolutely must be reachable during a meeting, activate the "vibrator" button and mute the sound. If necessary, inform the meeting leader that you are expecting an important call. And when the call arrives, excuse yourself discreetly and leave the conference room while you are phoning.
Giselle Chaumien-Wetterauer.
Monster.ch
Posted on August 14, 2012.
For all of us, phoning is as natural an act as eating with a knife and fork. And yet, we are not always aware of the effect our own voice, tone, pronunciation, etc. have on the person on the other end of the line. Furthermore, we must also pay attention to the content of our message and above all to the way we convey it. Because one thing is clear: by significantly improving your telephone behavior, you will be more successful in achieving your goals.
Speaking clearly and pronouncing well
On the phone, communication is reduced to one channel of perception, the auditory, so to what we hear - without any visual signals. Consequently, the tone, pitch and good pronunciation with a clear voice are important. If you tend to generally speak too quickly, you can practice slowing down your speech rhythm by doing targeted exercises, particularly breathing and concentration exercises. Let's not forget that the goal is to be understood.
Before conducting an important telephone interview, structure your thoughts and avoid making a "harried" impression. Take enough pauses while speaking - not only to catch your breath, but also to give your interlocutor the opportunity to grasp your message. Modulate your voice, do not speak too loudly or too softly.
The audible body language
On the phone too, pay attention to your body language. A person curled up in their chair in front of their work table has a tense and tired voice. Straighten up, sit up straight - your voice will have a fresh and cheerful tone. A relaxed posture will help you avoid your voice sounding shrill, which could be interpreted as nervousness or a lack of confidence.
If you have to communicate an unpleasant message on the phone, try doing it with a smile on your lips: you will be surprised to find that the person will "digest" the information more easily. Even if it's hard to imagine - generally speaking, a smile is a central element on the phone: it's audible to your interlocutor!
If you have trouble smiling on the phone, draw a giant smiley face on a piece of paper and put it in front of you or hang it on the wall and focus on that image. After a while, you will have gotten used to smiling broadly at the handset or microphone of your headset.
Phoning while standing up
If you need to present arguments, explain complicated details, it may be wise to phone while standing up, possibly pacing around the room. But be careful: don't overdo it to the point of being breathless and having your interlocutor wondering if you are dealing with something that seems more important while you are phoning with him.
Emphasize your arguments and descriptions using arm and hand gestures: certainly, your interlocutor doesn't see them, but he will "hear" the signals and know how to "translate" them. Do a test: call a friend and describe a house to him, the size of the windows, the width of the doors, etc. - the first time by staying stiff and the second time using your hands, arms... Then ask him if he noticed the difference. You'll be surprised!
Phrases to avoid
When phoning with clients and partners, the following phrases are to be avoided:
"That's not my area of expertise." Say instead: "I will find out who can help you / who can answer your question."
"I don't know." Say instead: "I will look into the matter, I will find out..."
"No" (at the beginning of the sentence). Try to start each sentence with a positive turn of phrase. It's a matter of practice! It's better to say "I think that won't work that way" rather than confronting your interlocutor with a categorical "no."
"You must..." Don't tell your interlocutor what to do, but rather: "Do you have the possibility of doing this / that?" or "Enter xxx in the left-hand field of the screen..."
A few tips for making progress
Record your words using a tape recorder (be careful: do not record your interlocutor, it is forbidden!) and check by listening to the tape whether you speak in an understandable way or not, too quickly or too slowly, if your voice is pleasant. The purpose of the recording is not to control the content of your message.
Another tip: place a mirror next to the phone, this will allow you to observe your facial expression while you are phoning.
And don't forget: As soon as you pick up - and introduce yourself by stating your name and not by saying "yes, hello" or "hello?" - speak in a pleasant and cheerful voice. Don't give your interlocutor the impression that he is disturbing you - even if that's the case. Firstly, he cannot know that he is disturbing you (you could have activated the "mute" button) and secondly, it is not his fault.
Mobile telephony: don't forget your good manners
When a small opinion poll is conducted, most people respond that they would like mobile phones to be banned in certain areas. But in principle, this is not necessary if a certain number of basic rules are observed:
Everywhere where the calm or concentration of people is disturbed, the mobile phone must remain switched off (or "mute" button): on the tram or bus, at the restaurant, but also in the corridors of your company. If you have a call, retire to a quiet corner.
Don't put your mobile phone on your work table when you have an interview. You are signaling to the person in front of you that you are ready at any moment to interrupt your interview in favor of the person who is calling you - in short, you are clearly signaling that the interlocutor on the other end of the line is more important.
The same applies to voicemails or SMS. Today, many people have developed the bad habit of constantly playing with their mobile phone, updating their address book, "texting" and sending SMS, etc. By behaving in this way, you are signaling to the meeting leader, but also to the other participants, that you are not "physically present" and that the subject of the meeting is of secondary importance to you.
If you absolutely must be reachable during a meeting, activate the "vibrator" button and mute the sound. If necessary, inform the meeting leader that you are expecting an important call. And when the call arrives, excuse yourself discreetly and leave the conference room while you are phoning.
Giselle Chaumien-Wetterauer.
Monster.ch
Posted on August 14, 2012.
