Professional Telephone Behaviour

The telephone is at the heart of business communication. But because people use the phone so much at home, they assume they have the skills to use it at work. This is not the case, and good business telephone skills have to be learned.

Unskilled telephone users can cause disastrous effects on business. This highly interactive course will give participants the skills to become competent communicators via the telephone. It gives practical rules for conducting the call from start to finish.

Participants will:

• Present a professional and competent corporate image via the telephone
• Ensure calls are more productive and effective
• Handle customer calls with courtesy, enthusiasm and friendly efficiency
• Deliver superior service by applying benchmark standards
• Use phrasing that projects a positive personal and corporate image

Suitable for those who spend time engaged on the telephone with customers and wish to improve their skills in this essential area.

The Impact of Poor Telephone Behaviour

• Recognising poor telephone behaviour and the impact it has on a business
• Understanding the importance of professional telephone communication
• Discovering the image that your organisation portrays via the telephone

Understanding Effective Communication

• Defining effective communication
• The essential skills of an effective communicator
• The crucial differences between face to face
  and telephone communication
• Defining the different voice qualities and examining the use of each one

Using Positive Phrasing

• Identifying positive, neutral and negative emotive trigger words
• Using positive language in negative

Applying Call Standards to Improve Telephone Service

• How to formulate a benchmark standard and not a script
• Applying benchmark standards for:
• Inbound and outbound call introductions
• Hold techniques
• Transferring and receiving transferred calls
• Arranging call-backs
• Taking messages
• Ending calls

Questioning and Active Listening Skills

• Effective and non-effective questioning
• The difference between hearing and active listening
• Identifying and overcoming barriers to listening
• Developing active listening techniques

Directing the Conversation

• Exploring the attributes of high quality conversation
• Directing a high quality conversation using a four stage cycle

Video Content

• Video content is used to reinforce the learning including the Video Arts Programmes – ‘Telephone Behaviour: – The rules of effective communication’ and ‘On the receiving end’.

Personal Development

• Action planning the transfer of learning to the workplace

“I now understand what I do right and wrong and I have the skills to drastically improve my own telephone behaviour.” Participant from Concise IT

“I gained a clear understanding of how to effectively behave on the phone in a professional environment and how to manage customer emotions. I’ve been surprised at how much I have learned.” Participant from Fountain Medical Centre

“I had a lot of fun in the two days realising how much more there is to telephone behaviour. This course has made and will make a massive impact on my working career.” Participant from Stagecoach

• Handling Demanding Callers