Following on from last week, see below for more help with telephone calls…
Business calls usually have important details in them, like the date, time and location of the interview in the conversation between Paul Jones and Mr Smith in last week’s blog. So, it’s a good idea to have a note pad and pen handy to write down any important information. And, if you did not catch what the other person said or you think you may have misunderstood, it’s perfectly acceptable to repeat the information or ask them to repeat it to you. One of the following phrases would be suitable:
“Could you repeat that please?”
“Could you speak a little more slowly please?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that could you please say it again.”
And for those words you are not sure of, for instance road names, it’s best to ask:
“Could you spell that for me please?” or “Would you mind spelling that for me please?”
If the line is particularly bad, say so, and ask that the other person speaks a little louder.
It’s not only what you say, it’s how you say it!
As well as saying the right thing, you must also say it in the right way. If you stutter and stumble over your words, or speak so quickly or quietly that the other person has to ask you to repeat what you’ve said, you’ll not make a very good impression. You need to exude confidence by speaking clearly and confidently at a reasonable pace.
You also need to use the right amount of formality. This is easy to determine when you are calling a business as formal will be the norm. So, you should be using ‘could’, ‘can’, ‘may’ and ‘would’ when asking questions and don’t forget to be polite – we’ve said it before and I’m sure we’ll say it again – manners cost nothing! But, don’t think that means you can’t pop in some commonly used everyday phrases such as, ‘bye’ or ‘no problem’!
Wrong numbers
Don’t be embarrassed if you dial a wrong number – we are all human and mistakes are made. Once you realise that you’ve made an error it might be worth asking them to confirm their number so you can ensure it is simply a dialling error. Then apologise, thank the person for their time and hang up.
Further tips for great calls
As we’ve said above, it’s useful to have a note pad and pen to write down important facts you might be told during the phone call. But, if you have lots of important points to ask about why not make your own list? This way you’ll make sure you don’t miss anything out and you can tick off what you’ve asked as you make your way down the list. You could also organise a practice run of the conversation with a friend. Of course you cannot predict what is going to be said in the real conversation, but it’s still good experience. It’ll help you build your confidence and allow you to practise any words or names you may find difficult.
Use these guidelines and you’ll be well on your way to making great business phone calls.
