Has this happened to you lately?
You call a company from which you want to buy something or from which you want to obtain information. Sounds. It is answered. The voice on the other end speaks with the same level of clarity and emotion that was last heard at the window of a fast food restaurant … “thanks for calling axyzcompanythisgeorge how can I service you today?”
Or maybe the name of the company you called has been mysteriously shortened. Thought you were calling Acme Widgets, Inc. but they answer “AWI” or even worse: “Widgets”?
Or maybe the person answering the phone bit into a crisp, crisp apple?
Or are you put on hold and no one checks in with you to see if you’re still alive?
Your company’s telephone presence is as important as your web presence, your logo, your signage and your advertising. It is an integral part of your marketing. If a caller makes a bad first impression, all the other things you do to attract potential customers and customers to call are wasted because, as the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a good first impression. The person answering the phone can win or lose customers for life in a single moment if the caller is annoyed, rude or ignored.
Chances are, these shortcomings in good phone skills are also happening at your company. If good telephone technique is important to your business, do a “Telephone Audit” from time to time. Call your company (or have someone else do it for you) and listen to the greeting, then call three competitors and see how you stack up on clarity, attitude, personality, and friendliness.
Although the caller cannot see the person on the other end of the phone line, they can discern the person’s body language by hearing their voice. That’s why a well-known phone coach suggests putting a mirror next to the phone and training people to smile and look at themselves while responding to give the caller an invisible smile with your greeting. I’ve heard people scoff at this, but I’ve also heard that “an insincere smile beats a sincere frown every day.”
Keep in mind that the same personality issues translate into response messages to voicemail and other mechanical communications, so they also need to be monitored and audited to facilitate calls.
Callers can learn a lot in just seconds over the phone. Make sure they learn the right things about your business so that the first impression is a good one.