The need to communicate effectively with others in Business

How to use the Telephone and how to make Calls 

 I will try to explain the basics to understanding how to make business telephone calls:

There are many different features of telephone systems and how to use them the product explanation is usually packaged as an instruction manual in the box by any means this is not to be thrown away if it is lost, the reference product code of the telephone appliance can be used to search for the instructions on the internet.  Here are just a few of the features found on most modern phones. Call holding- places a caller on hold so you can perform another task. This could be to locate paperwork, find client/customer details, retrieve information from another member of staff or contact another colleague to divert the call along to.

Call waiting- lets you know when there is a caller waiting on another line and wishes to speak to you. This is shown by a flashing light, beeping tone or both.

Re-directing- are available on telephone systems were you may be required to forward a call to another colleague. Usually the features for re-directing state ‘redirect’ or ‘transfer’.

Answer phone- records messages of callers when no one is available to take the call. Telephone systems have many different features this allows us to handle and manage calls in a professional manner.

Teleconferencing- enables more than the ‘caller’ and ‘receiver’ to be involved in a single phone call. There are now often enhanced with the use of a camera and computer.

Firstly give reasons for identifying the purpose of a call in favour of the business, it is important to be disciplined and not make private calls whilst doing business where your livelihood depends.

Knowing the purpose of a call before making the call is important; as the call will sound professional, be concise and you will obtain all the information you require, it may also be useful to have questions you need answering written down and to have any relevant information prepared.  By doing this it means the call obtained all the information needed so there shouldn’t be any need for another call to re-ask questions you should have asked in the original phone call.

There are different ways of obtaining the names and numbers of people that need to be contacted. If a company name is known try searching for number on their website, try calling the company directly to see if anyone can help with your search. If name is known search online phone book or type straight into a search engine such as Google. Inquire within the company to see if anyone has dealt with the person before or if they may know of someone who can help. Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or Myspace as most people have an account personally or of their business to advertise them.

Inside call- if you know the internal extension number for the person you are trying to contact simply pick up the phone and dial number, if not try calling the department where the person is situated and your call will be transferred. On the possibility you have only been given a name to contact try calling a main reception desk or human resources and see if they can help you locate the person. Outside call- most company phones are set up internally so you have to begin with the phone call with a connection number.

This call may very well be the first contact your company is making with the other company/customer and because it is over the phone there is no face to face meeting and so the person can’t judge you on your image or facial expressions so relaying a positive attitude is essential. It makes the call pleasant and productive, and will leave a good impression of both yourself (as the representative) and of the company you’re calling from. Being rude, abusive, or speaking in slang is un-helpful or just generally sound un-interested it creates a negative image against yourself and the company. Whenever you make a call you are you and your company’s representative so it is always important to be as polite and as helpful as possible as this may in turn create more custom for your business.

summarize the outcomes of a telephone conversation before ending the call ssummarizing is important so both parties involved are sure of the information that has been exchanged, it also ensures all questions are answered fully. Also if the conversation was long some finer details may have been missed simply due to the large amount of information discussed. Some companies have a policy were a courtesy email is sent to the caller in which all the information from the call has been summarised and additional information can be added.