Communication Skills - Telephonic Skills Tips!!!!!!

Listening Skills

Active listening is really an extension of the Golden Rule. To know how to listen to someone else, think about how you would want to be listened to.
While the ideas are largely intuitive, it might take some practice to develop (or re-develop) the skills. Here's what good listeners know -- and you should, too:

1. Face the speaker. Sit up straight or lean forward slightly to show your attentiveness through body language.
2. Maintain eye contact. To the degree that you all remain comfortable.
3. Minimize external distractions. Turn off the TV. Put down your book or magazine, and ask the speaker and other listeners to do the same.
4. Respond appropriately to show that you understand. Murmur ("uh-huh" and "um-hmm") and nod. Raise your eyebrows. Say words such as "Really," "Interesting," as well as more direct prompts: "What did you do then?" and "What did she say?"
5. Focus solely on what the speaker is saying. Try not to think about what you are going to say next. The conversation will follow a logical flow after the speaker makes her point.
6. Minimize internal distractions. If your own thoughts keep horning in, simply let them go and continuously re-focus your attention on the speaker, much as you would during meditation.
7. Keep an open mind. Wait until the speaker is finished before deciding that you disagree. Try not to make assumptions about what the speaker is thinking.
8. Avoid letting the speaker know how you handled a similar situation. Unless they specifically ask for advice, assume they just need to talk it out.
9. Even if the speaker is launching a complaint against you, wait until they finish. The speaker will feel as though their point had been made. They won't feel the need to repeat it, and you'll know the whole argument before you respond. Research shows that, on average, we can hear four times faster than we can talk, so we have the ability to sort ideas as they come in…and be ready for more.
10. Engage yourself. Ask questions for clarification, but, once again, wait until the speaker has finished. That way, you won't interrupt their train of thought. After you ask questions, paraphrase their point to make sure you didn't misunderstand. Start with: "So you're saying…"
11. Restate. To show you are listening, repeat every so often what you think the person said not by parroting, but by paraphrasing what you heard in your own words. For example, “Let’s see if I’m clear about this. . .”
12. Give feedback. Let the person know what your initial thoughts are on the situation. Share pertinent information, observations, insights, and experiences. Then listen carefully to confirm.

As you work on developing your listening skills, you may feel a bit panicky when there is a natural pause in the conversation. What should you say next? Learn to settle into the silence and use it to better understand all points of view.
Ironically, as your listening skills improve, so will your aptitude for conversation.
Communication Blockers
These roadblocks to communication can stop Communication dead in its tracks:

• “Why” questions. They tend to make people defensive.
• Quick reassurance, saying things like, “Don’t worry about that.” Or “We’ll make sure…”
• Advising — “I think the best thing for you is to move to assisted living.” We should only suggest!
• Digging for information and forcing someone to talk about something they would rather not talk about.
• Patronizing — “You poor thing, I know just how you feel.”
• Preaching — “You should. . .” Or, “You shouldn’t. . .”
• Interrupting — Shows you aren’t interested in what someone is saying.

Simple Conversation Courtesies
“Excuse me...”
“Pardon me….”
“One moment please...”
“Let’s talk about solutions.”
“May I suggest something?”

The Art of Questioning
The four main types of questions are:

• LEADING

For example, “Would you like to talk about it?” or “What happened then?” or “Could you tell me more?”

• OPEN-ENDED

Use open-ended questions to expand the discussion — for example, lead with: “How?
What? Where? Who? Which?”

• CLOSED-ENDED

Use closed ended questions to prompt for specifics — for example, lead with: “Is? Are?
Do? Did? Can? Could? Would?”

• REFLECTIVE

Can help people understand more about what they said — for example, someone tells you, “I’m worried I won’t remember. . . ” Reflective Q: “It sounds like you would like some help remembering?”

Techniques for calming customers down

In most cases, customers who are difficult just want to let off some steam. They want to get their dissatisfaction or their perceived slight off their chest and they want someone to listen to and acknowledge their discontent.
For that reason, your first strategy for dealing with an angry or difficult customer should be to let them vent. Becoming defensive or combative you are only going to escalate matters. By the same token, moving too quickly into problem-solving mode and failing to give the customer a chance to vent his or her feelings is equally likely to make the customer angrier.
Some customers will blow off steam in three seconds, and others will take three minutes, but you have to spend that time letting them vent. Otherwise you may think you’ve fixed the complaint, but you are still likely to lose the customer.
You need to be able to step back and say, “OK, this is where I let them get it all out.” And while the customer is letting it all out, you can begin to develop a rapport with them through phrases like, “Yes, that is frustrating, isn’t it?”
It’s very difficult to continue to argue or be upset with someone who is agreeing with you. You never want to agree in any way that your company is at fault, at least not until you know all of the details, but you can agree that the issue is frustrating or that you can understand why the customer is upset.
Say things like, “I see,” “Go on,” or “And then what happened?” In fact, you want to keep asking “Is that all?” until the customer sputters out. That way you are certain to get all of the details about the cause of their anger or frustration.
Other useful tricks for calming someone who’s upset or being difficult are:

• Speak slowly and in a low, resonant voice. People respond to tone of voice when they’re in a really overwrought state of mind, and a low, resonant voice will communicate that you’re responsible, intelligent, and there to help.
• Have them do things or answer questions that are very easy for them at first. Ask for name, address, phone number, or ask them to describe the form or a detail of the product they’re looking at.
• Use calming language. “Alright, let’s start at the beginning,” will work because it means, “I’m listening to you. I’m prepared to hear you out. Let’s get to the basics first.”

Say It with Body Language

You may not realize it, but body language has a huge impact on your voice quality and the impression you make over the phone.
Use these body language basics to enhance your phone presence.

• Smile. No, callers can’t see it, but they can hear it. Place a mirror on your desk to remind you to smile. It may sound strange, but talking to your image and seeing yourself smile really does come across in your voice.
• Practice good posture. Don’t slouch, rest your head on your hand, cross your arms, or fall into any other bad posture habits. Instead, sit up straight and act as though the caller is standing right in front of you. It will come through in the quality of your voice. It will also allow you to breathe more easily.
• Vocalize visual cues. In a face-to-face conversation, you might nod or use eye contact to show that you are listening and understand. But the caller can’t see these cues, so use phrases like “yes” or “I see” to show your attention and understanding.
• On the other hand, feel free to gesture. While the caller can’t see your motions and body language, your actions will add energy and a little zip to your voice.

How to be effective on the phone

Remembering these points will help you to be sharp and professional in the way that you talk on the phone:

• Have an aim:
  When making an outgoing call, always know what you want to discuss. Always ensure that you have all the documentation you need to achieve your aim. This saves both your time and the time of the person you are talking to.
• Tailor your style to that of the person you are talking to:
  Busy people often prefer a clean cut, direct approach with a bare minimum of social chat. Others may prefer a more sociable approach. Tailor your approach to their style (unless they are miserable or rude!)
• Limit social conversation:
  Social chat may be pleasant, but taken to extremes it wastes time. It can be intensely frustrating if you have a lot of work to do.
• Give concise answers to questions:
  Long rambling answers are unprofessional, dull and confusing.
• If you don't know an answer, say so:
  If someone relies on you when you are guessing, and you guess wrong, then they will never trust you again. If you do not know something, say you will get back to them with a firm answer.
• At the end of a call, summarize the points made:
  This ensures that both people agree on what has been said, and know what action will be taken.
• Don't talk to anyone else when on the phone:
  This makes your organization look small. Put the other person on hold, then talk.

Taking incoming calls

These points are important in the way your organization handles incoming calls:

• The phone should not ring more than 3 times before being answered:
  This is the norm for efficient business organizations. You will appear seriously slack and unprofessional if your phone rings many more times than this. If you do not have the personnel to answer all incoming lines, take the unanswerable phones off the hook. If you pick up a phone that has rung many times, then apologize to the other person.
• Everyone should have responsibility for answering phones:
  You will seriously annoy anyone who has to hang on waiting for service: not only are you wasting their time, you are also keeping them in a stressed condition where they are ready to talk at a moment's notice. Everyone within an organization should have responsibility for answering phones: if nothing else this will keep front-line people on their toes if they know their managers have to do their jobs!
• Don't answer the phone while eating:
  This either sounds indistinct or sounds like having your ear nibbled!
• Always ring back:
  There is nothing more frustrating than waiting for an important call that is not returned for many hours. By not returning a call you are slowing the other person's achievement of their goals.

Many of these points are simple courtesies. Always bear in mind that the time of the person you are talking to is limited, and that they are forming an opinion of you and your organizations efficiency while you are on the phone.

How to Talk Professionally on the Phone

1. Answer the phone in as few rings as possible. No one likes to be made to wait.
2. Identify yourself and the company you work for (if at work) as soon as you answer. "Thank you for calling wikiHow, this is John speaking."
3. Always ask before putting someone on hold, and wait for a reply.
4. Use correct grammar. Always remember to say "Jane and I" for your subject, and reserve "me and Jane" when you are the direct object (i.e. "Jane and I went to the store" vs. "He talked to me and Jane"). Do not leave the word "at" dangling at the end of a sentence. Ex.: "I do not know where it is at."
5. Courtesy never goes out of style. That old adage, "the customer is always right" holds some truth - however not all the time. The one thing you can count on all the time, though, is that you will never win an argument with a customer. When the customer is wrong, gently explain the correct "truth", in a positive manner. If the customer gets upset and his tone changes to one of annoyance or anger, do not mirror him. Maintain your pleasant tone! "Reflect" his or her feelings back, so that s/he feels you have really heard the complaint; saying things like, "I can hear how frustrating this is for you, and I'm so sorry for that" can go a long way toward soothing an irritated client.

6. If the customer is not satisfied, ask what he or she would like to be done. Consider it and accept it or tell the customer why you cannot accept. Offer alternatives, if possible.
7. Phone conversation lacks the obvious input of body language; the recipient on the other end will receive your true intentions through the actual tone of voice you use during the call. Your tone will say more than the actual words that come out of your mouth. Having said this, smile when you speak on the phone! This point of smiling really hit home with the senior management of a call center, and they placed little mirrors at each of the Agent's stations that said: "What you see is what they hear."
8. When calling another person, identify yourself first. For example, say "This is Mary Hunter calling for Louis Meyer, please."
9. Remember to close your conversation with a professional closing. End your conversations with a sincere "Good-day", or "Thank you".

TIPS

• Avoid "Ah," "Um," "Like" and other meaningless 'filler' words or sounds.
• Be aware of background noise on your side and how the recipient will interpret it.
• If you must cause the other party an inconvenience, apologize profusely.
• Do not chew gum, eat or drink while on the phone with a caller
• Avoid using the mute or hold button when serving a customer. This should only be used when additional help is needed from a supervisor or 'coach'.

WARNINGS

• Remember that not everyone understands the ABC's of professionalism. Give courtesy even when you don't receive it.

How to Handle an Irate Customer on the Phone
One of the most important obligations for any business owner is to ensure that his customers are satisfied. Often times that includes talking to a customer who, for whatever reason, is angry. Being able to help an angry or frustrated customer and keep him as a customer is both a skill and a gift. Tactics for dealing with an upset customer over the phone is something that can be taught. Possessing this skill will help make you a very valuable employee. Here's how to handle an irate customer on the phone.

1.   Listen, listen, and listen. Let the angry client talk through his problems and get it all out of his system. This step is important because the more time a customer spends airing his grievances, the more time he has to calm down.
2.   Allow the client to express his opinions. Do not yell or curse at the customer. Do not, however, allow the client to be abusive toward you.
3.   Maintain your personal integrity at all times. If the customer is abusive, say calmly "I understand you are frustrated, and I want to help you, but let's remain professional."
4.   Be sympathetic. Make sure the customer knows that you understand his frustration and acknowledge the mistake that has been made. Recognize the customer's feelings about the mistake - how it must have felt to be the customer in this situation.
5.   Be empathetic. Listen actively. Restate the customer's complaint, "reflecting" his or her feelings back to him or her. That will let him/her know you are listening and that you understand his or her feelings.
6.   Ask questions. After he completes his story, ask about the facts and details of the matter at hand. Move into problem solution mode -- know when to ask open-ended questions, when to stick with "yes" or "no" questions.
7.   Apologize. Let the customer know you are sorry they have had a tough time (even if it's not really your company's fault - many times, an irate customer just wants to know someone cares that s/he is inconvenienced). A simple, "I'm so sorry this happened" will do. If you find that your company is at fault, definitely apologize again. Be sure to be sincere.
8.   Offer to try to fix the problem. Imagine that this was happening to you, and what you'd want done.
9.    Ask what will make the client happy. If he is without any ideas, recommend some.
10. Have the client agree to a possible solution to the matter. He will be happier if he feels he had some say in how his complaint will be handled.
11. Always "recap". Restate again every change you've made, and every new charge/adjustment you've made.
12. Write a clear, concise log of the incident so the rest of your staff is prepared in case there is follow-up needed. What would you want to find in the notes if this customer called back?

TIPS

•   After the complaint is handled, follow up and be sure the solution worked.
•   Keep a complaint log. If you see the same thing keeps popping up you can recommend a change in policy that will improve things.
•   Don't forget to thank the customer for taking the time to speak with you and work on a solution. A complaining customer has done you a favor. He has identified a problem in your business and he has given you the chance to keep his business. If you lose a client, you lose his business, the business he would have referred to your company, and any people he might scare off by word-of-mouth.
•   Apologize when necessary.

WARNINGS

• Problem customers can become expensive if they continually make harsh demands. Keep records of complaints made and determine if you really want to keep a particular client.
• Some customers use complaints as a way of getting discounts or credits. Beware of the client who is constantly grinding you for any little thing he can think of. You'll know if it starts happening. As in the item above, some clients are not worth keeping as they cost you more than you make from them. That's not good business on your part. Handling legitimate complaints in a responsible, professional manner is part of doing good business. So is firing opportunistic, manipulative clients who are trying to scam a higher discount off you.

How to Make Effective Business Phone Calls

To make effective phone calls you should prepare ahead. This will save you time and frustration.
STEPS

1. Set aside a specific quite time to make your phone calls.
2. Have a calendar and a pen at hand
3. Gather all of your information and supplies before making your calls.
• Have the number to call
• The name of the person you need to speak to.
• Have all of your personal info at hand i.e. - Full name, Date of Birth, Social Security Number, Address and Phone number to reach you at.
4. Think about what you need to accomplish with this call and make note of it.
• Make note of any questions that you need to ask
5. If you feel nervous or uncomfortable take a moment to visualize the conversation in your mind and take a few deep breaths.
6. Place the phone call.

Most calls can be started with "Hi this is _____ ____. I'm calling for ____ ____" Or I'm calling about______".

7. When you are finished with the call take time to thank the other person and reiterate the important information.

      i.e.  "Thanks___ ___. So I'll bring ___ and ___ to the appointment on _____." Or "Thank you and I'll see you on ____"
TIPS

• Make sure to turn off the TV, Music, or other distractions when making professional phone calls.
• Remember that putting things off only makes it worse. Just get the phone calls done and you'll feel much better.
• Be clear and to the point
• Take notes as needed
• Be sure to check your calendar to see if you have other commitments.
• Write all appointments or things to do immediately.