Conducting telephone conversations. The art of telephone conversations. Basic rules for conducting telephone conversations with incoming calls

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On the topic: Rules for conducting telephone conversations

1. Telephone conversations

Since information underlies the adoption of any decision, the invention in 1876 by the American A. Bell of the telephone, which made it possible not only to immediately transfer it, but also to personal communication, had a huge impact on the organization of management. Thanks to the telephone, many issues began to be resolved through oral negotiations, without sending letters and telegrams, and the need for meetings was eliminated. Efficiency of acceptance has increased many times over.

The organization of telephone conversations of the head and the conduct of telephone conversations by the secretary are included in the mandatory function of secretarial services. For the secretary of the head, organizing his meetings and conducting telephone conversations are often the main tasks and occupy most of his working time. Therefore, the secretary, as well as every employee of the administrative apparatus, must own the culture of telephone conversations.

Telephone conversations can be conditionally divided into two types: you answer the call and you need to call (ie, incoming and outgoing).

The main task of the secretary in working with the phone is to free the manager from calls that are not addressed to him.

For the subscriber, answering the phone creates an impression of the institution, therefore fuzzy, impolite answers, an unfriendly tone, slang expressions like good, go, hello, okay, are unacceptable, as this creates a very unpleasant impression about the interlocutor and about the institution as a whole. It should be remembered that the tone of the conversation and the words of the secretary affect the response of the subscriber. The acoustic feature of a telephone conversation is the mirror effect: if the secretary speaks quietly, then they will answer him in an undertone, on the contrary, if you speak loudly, the answer will also be given in a raised tone. The wrong tone of conversation on the phone can affect the effectiveness of the conversation, rapport and the logical structure of the conversation. Any business conversation should be of interest to the interlocutor, which in turn generates attention, active thinking. The same is true for talking on the phone.

If we talk about the ethics of telephone communication, then the following points should be mentioned:

brevity (talk only to the point, about the most important thing, without unnecessary details);

politeness (friendly tone, use of polite forms of communication, clear pronunciation of words);

restraint (the ability to conduct a conversation patiently, without unnecessary emotions, calmly).

During telephone communication, one should not use hard-to-pronounce words, one should speak clearly, slowly, listen carefully to the interlocutor, the tone of speech should be from medium to low, especially consonants should be pronounced clearly. Words with the same vowel or ending, such as fifteen or sixteen, may sound the same over the phone. If in a conversation there are names, names, surnames that are poorly perceived by ear, you need to pronounce them in syllables or even spell them.

Phone calls disrupt the normal mode of operation, break the working day of the head into short periods of time, with an average duration of up to 30 minutes. Such an environment makes it difficult for the manager to concentrate, and given that calls are usually unpredictable, then there is a need to sharply switch attention to solving emerging problems. Thus, the help of the secretary in organizing office conversations on the phone contributes to the rational organization of the work of the head.

It is very important for the secretary to have a clear idea of ​​when, whom and on what issues to connect with the head. When receiving a telephone call, the secretary must name the organization and himself, find out in the correct form what the subscriber is calling on and who he is, assess the relevance and urgency of the conversation. Knowing organizational structure institutions and distribution of duties, the secretary, if necessary, correctly forwards the call to an employee competent in resolving the issue raised.

When conducting a conversation, the secretary should be aware of the confidentiality of information and, in case of doubt, should consult with the manager before giving an answer.

The conversation necessarily begins with a greeting (Hello, good morning, etc.) and an introduction, regardless of whether you are called or you are calling. If they call you, you pick up the phone, say hello and name yourself and the organization. For example: "Hello, the secretary of the Ocean company is listening." - or "Hello, Ocean Company, Secretary Galina Ivanovna is listening." If you call, the same words are pronounced: “Hello, the secretary of the Okean company, Galina Ivanovna, is calling you.”

The interlocutor must utter a similar greeting and introduction, and thus business contact will be established from the very first phrases. If the interlocutor did not introduce himself, you should politely ask who you are talking to. During the conversation, you need to concentrate and listen carefully. At this point, you should not be distracted by other things.

If the connection is interrupted during a conversation, you should hang up and call again if you called, or wait for the call from the subscriber. Communication is resumed by the one who called.

The tube must be removed with the left hand so that the transmitted information can be recorded with the right. A telephone pad for recording messages and a pen should always be at hand near the telephone.

Most telephone conversations require advance preparation from the secretary. To work, the secretary needs an appropriate reference apparatus: telephone directories of the institution itself, subordinate and higher organizations, telephone numbers of employees, both work and home. The secretary needs the home phones of employees to resolve official issues. For example, an employee falls ill and does not go to work. The secretary needs to clarify the possible time of absence of the employee in the first half of the day, in addition, the manager may need to obtain information that the employee has, who is at home for some reason. However, it should be remembered that it is considered impolite to call on official matters after 22:00. In general, call the house number of the employee on official matters in case of urgent need.

The basic rules for conducting a telephone conversation when calling the secretary are as follows: telephone conversations secretary rule

1. Pick up the phone as soon as possible, since a phone call is a strong auditory irritant, it interferes with the work of other employees, and long-term exposure has a negative effect on the nervous system.

After picking up the phone, you should call the institution and introduce yourself. This will help to avoid erroneous calls and unnecessary conversations.

It is advisable to greet the subscriber with the words “Hello”, “Good afternoon” after the presentation, since if the call was erroneous, the greeting simply looks out of place. This order of greeting and introduction is an invitation to a conversation and an invitation to the subscriber to also identify himself and the question on which he is calling.

In order for the interlocutor to answer and name himself, you need to pause. During the presentation, the secretary makes appropriate notes, assesses the degree of importance and urgency of the call, determines the possibility and necessity of forwarding the telephone call to another employee, or determines that the issue needs to be resolved through personal contact. In the latter case, the secretary should already consider the issue of recording a subscriber for an appointment.

If there is a need to make inquiries in order to give an answer to the subscriber, move away from the phone to search for the necessary information, then you need to warn about the length of the search time. If the information you need quickly is not possible, it is better to tell the subscriber the exact time when he can call back. In some cases, the secretary offers the subscriber to call himself at a convenient time for that.

In the event that the secretary forwards a telephone call to another employee, the subscriber should give the last name, first name, patronymic of this employee and his position, telephone.

Not one phone call should go to the manager bypassing the secretary (except in special cases, for example, the time when the manager wants to take calls himself). Before connecting the head with the subscriber, the secretary must name the subscriber, his position and organization, full name. and the question on which he calls. If the secretary kept a record of the preliminary conversation, then you can put it in front of the leader. Records should be kept clearly and accurately so that they can be read not only by the secretary himself. Be sure to write down:

date and time of the call;

surname, name, patronymic and position of the caller;

essence of the message;

what number to call back and when. The accumulation of such records will allow the secretary to identify regular subscribers, systematize the issues being resolved and possible solutions. This will help the secretary to accumulate the necessary experience, increase the degree of independence.

In the event that it becomes necessary to postpone the conversation, the secretary should give the exact time and avoid expressions such as “call in the afternoon”, “after lunch”, “this week”, “tomorrow”, etc. etc.

It is unacceptable to hang up on the lever of the device, letting the subscriber know that you are busy, so that the subscriber does not call more painfully (there is a meeting, receiving visitors, etc.). Such a technique does not give the desired result and indicates a low culture of the secretary. The subscriber will call again and again, believing that the telephone set is not working. The correct answer would be: “Sorry, there is a meeting. Please call in 20 minutes." If the subscriber insists on a conversation due to its urgency, then it is necessary to apologize to those present and try to quickly resolve the issue.

In cases where the secretary calls, the following recommendations should be followed.

Pre-prepare everything Required documents, which may be required in the course of conversations.

Clarify the last name, first name, patronymic, position of the desired subscriber in order to avoid distortion.

Having dialed the number, wait for some time required to connect, but no more than four long beeps, if an error occurred while dialing the number, then, having found out, you should apologize, hang up and, after waiting a few, dial the desired number again.

Having correctly dialed the subscriber's number and received a confirmation answer, you need to name yourself and the name of the employee you need. In some cases, an indication of the position is also required.

During a long-distance telephone conversation, it is important to name the city from which they are calling, then yourself, the position of your leader and the name of the institution. After the presentation, name who and on what issue you want to invite for a conversation. If the required employee is not available, the secretary repeats his data and indicates the exact time when he will call again.

Care must be taken not to disturb the interlocutor's routine as much as possible. When ordering a long-distance call, you should take into account the time difference.

After mutual introductions, the reason for the need for a conversation should be stated. You can start a conversation: “I was instructed to ...”, “we are forced to turn”, etc.

When transmitting a telephone message after the presentation, they say: “Accept the telephone message” - and give the interlocutor time to prepare everything necessary for recording. Dictating a telephone message slowly, clearly, with pauses for recording. After recording, they are asked to repeat the text; if mistakes are made, they need to be corrected. At the end, you should give the name of the sender of the telephone message, the time of transmission and your phone number.

Final words depend on the outcome of the conversation. In accordance with the prevailing rules of telephone communication, a man hangs up after a woman puts it down; a young person should not finish a conversation before an older person in age or position. In any case, after resolving the issue on the merits, it is not desirable to have “redundancy” in the final remarks.

It is not possible to foresee all possible life situations, however, the implementation of certain norms and rules of telephone communication will help to overcome many difficulties and develop practical skills.

office secretary telephone conversations

Bibliography

Bondareva T.N. Secretarial business: Prakt. Benefit. - M.: Higher school., 1989. - 383 p.

Kuznetsova T.V. Secretarial business. Ed. 2nd, corrected and added. - M.: CJSC Business School "Intel-Sintez", 1998. - 288 p.

Shevtsov A.D. ABC of the office. - MN .: Amalfeya, M .: Publishing house of business and textbooks. Lit., 2001. - 112 p.

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Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..3

Chapter 1. Specifics of telephone conversations:

1.1. The difference between telephone conversations and other types of conversations………..5

1.2. Planning telephone conversations…………………………………...7

1.3. Laws and rules of telephone conversations and sales…………10

Chapter 2. Features of organizing and conducting telephone conversations:

2.1. Incoming call. Professional presentation product by phone…………………………………………………………………………….15

2.2. Outgoing call. What to say when you call your client?.....18

2.3. Preparation and conduct of negotiations with foreign partners…..24

Chapter 3. Recordings of telephone conversations……………………………………..26

Chapter 4. Conclusion……………………………………………………………….30

Chapter 5. List of used literature……………………………………....32

Introduction.

Telephone conversations - modern world the fastest and most convenient business contact.

Telephone communication is an important factor in business negotiations, as it is the easiest way to establish contact; faxes and new means of information transmission, such as telexes, teletypes, only supplement it. The ability of business people to conduct telephone communication affects their personal authority and the reputation of the company, organization they represent.

I believe that my work in this period of time is especially relevant, because in the conditions of the crisis and financial instability in the country, many people have to conduct telephone conversations - this helps to save time and at the same time solve important questions. In addition, a lot can be done by phone: to establish contact, give orders, state a request, etc. Very often the first step towards a conclusion business contract is a telephone conversation.

Despite this, some specialists in the business world do not have training for telephone conversations and negotiations, very often reception secretaries do not have it, although they answer phone calls is their primary responsibility. AT recent times abroad, intra-company short-term courses on mastering the basics of working with office equipment are widely practiced, where Special attention given to telephones. Mastering the conversation on the phone is seen as an integral part of the formation of "white collars" of the new formation. It is estimated that each telephone conversation lasts an average of 3 to 5 minutes. Consequently, in total, for example, a leader spends about 2-2.5 hours a day on telephone communication, and sometimes from 3 to 4.5 hours. About 60% of conversations on the office phone occur in the first half of the day. In this regard, not only the ability to conduct a short conversation is required, but also to instantly reorganize, mobilely responding to different partners and different topics.

object study of this term paper is the study of telephone conversations and their records.

Subject for this course work served as the strategic and tactical principles of telephone conversations.

aim my job is to review and classify the rules of telephone conversations and their recording.

To do this, I set myself the following tasks :

1) determine the specifics of telephone conversations

2) learn the features of organizing and conducting telephone conversations

3) review the records of telephone communications.

Chapter 1. Specificity of telephone conversations.

1.1. The difference between telephone conversations and other types of conversations.

Business conversations, business meetings and telephone conversations can be considered as independent types business communication. They differ from each other in the goals for which they are held, the form of contact and the number of participants, which predetermines the socio-psychological characteristics of their organization and conduct.

And in comparison with other types of speech communication, telephone communication has the following advantages:

Information transfer rate (gain in time); immediate establishment of communication with a subscriber located at any distance;

Direct exchange of information in the form of a dialogue and the ability to reach an agreement without waiting for a meeting;

Contact privacy; paperwork reduction;

Saving money on organizing contacts of other types.

Quick response to the statements of the interlocutors, contributing to the achievement of goals;

Increasing the competence of the manager by taking into account, critically checking and evaluating opinions, suggestions, ideas, objections and criticisms expressed in the conversation;

The possibility of a more flexible, differentiated approach to the subject of discussion and understanding of the context of the conversation, as well as the goals of each of the parties.

A conversation is not a monologue, but a dialogue, therefore it is necessary to formulate questions, definitions, assessments so that they directly or indirectly invite the interlocutor to express their attitude to the stated opinion. Thanks to the effect feedback, a telephone conversation allows the leader to respond to the partner's statements in accordance with a specific situation, i.e. taking into account the purpose, subject and interests of partners.

But you also need to carefully prepare for a business telephone conversation. Poor preparation, the inability to highlight the main thing in it, concisely, concisely and competently express one's thoughts leads to significant losses of working time (up to 20-30%) [A. Mackenzie, 2005 p. 57]. A. Mackenzie among the 15 main reasons for the loss of time by a businessman, a manager, he put telephone conversations in first place. Psychologists note that the duration of telephone conversations depends on their emotional coloring. Excessive emotionality creates the prerequisites for speech fuzziness, inefficiency of phrases, which increases the time of a telephone conversation.

Negotiations are a significant part professional activity business people, entrepreneurs, managers, specialists of various levels, workers social sphere, political leaders, etc. In the "Dictionary of the Russian language" S.I. Ozhegov, the most popular at present, negotiations are defined as - an exchange of views with a business purpose. "However, in order to distinguish them from business conversations and meetings, one important clarification must be made. Verbal communication is understood between interlocutors who have the necessary authority from their organizations (institutions , companies, etc.) to establish business relationships, resolve disputes or develop a constructive approach to their solution. This means that, unlike business conversations and meetings held within an organization (institutions, firms, etc.) n.) between its employees, telephone conversations - a process whose participants are representatives of at least two parties (institutions, firms, etc.), authorized to carry out relevant business contacts and conclude contracts. The value of business telephone conversations cannot be overestimated. negotiation (interpersonal or group) involves the discussion of a specific subject for a specific purpose. Achieving the goal of negotiations is always associated with the development of a joint program of action in some area of ​​activity.

1.2. Planning of telephone conversations.

As mentioned in the previous chapter, telephone conversations have many advantages over other types of negotiations, but they should also be well prepared for effective interaction between partners.

Before starting a conversation, think carefully about:

1) convenient time for the call and its duration;

2) clearly define the purpose of your call;

3) Make a plan for the conversation.

Consider answers to the following questions:

1) What are you going to tell about yourself and the company you work for?

2) What questions are you going to ask the interlocutor to find out his needs and create the necessary motivation for a further meeting?

3) What could be the objections and your possible answers?

4) How are you going to end the conversation and arrange a meeting?

Start a phone conversation with a smile. Remember, when you smile, your voice becomes more pleasant. So smile more often. Some telephone pros place a mirror in front of them so they can see their facial expressions while they are talking. All this allows you to control the presence of a smile on your face.

For effective telephone communication, in the absence of eye contact, when the voice is the main means of influencing the interlocutor, the ability to control this natural and unique instrument becomes especially important. By the content of the first words and the sound of your voice, the client determines your professionalism, chooses the style of communication with you. Your voice is clothing, hair color, temperament and facial expression. During a telephone conversation, you will not be able to accompany the words with facial expressions and gestures. The sound of your voice is important, the ability to correctly express your thoughts and, of course, an indispensable condition is respect for the interlocutor.

You can tell a lot about a person by their voice. For example? Can be defined emotional condition interlocutor, his nationality, social status and status, state of health, educational and cultural level, approximate age.

Feel free to ask questions. By asking questions, you can achieve a variety of goals: save your working time and working time of the subscriber, having correctly found out the purpose of the call and promptly connecting it with the right employee or service. Another goal, which is easily achieved by questions, is a demonstration of attention to the subscriber and his information. It is pleasant to each interlocutor. The third goal is to seize and hold the initiative in a conversation. The conversation is controlled not by the one who speaks, but by the one who asks.

Let's try to sketch out a plan for a short telephone conversation. Let's assume that 3 minutes are allotted for the conversation;

1. Mutual introduction - 20±5 seconds;

2. introduction of the interlocutor to the course of the matter - 40 ± 5 seconds;

3. discussion of the situation, problems - 100±5 seconds;

4. final summary - 20±5 seconds.

The skill of a concise interview is acquired over time, as conversations are repeated in strict regulations.

Telephone business etiquette normalizes communication with a client. By observing business etiquette, the client judges corporate culture companies. Pick up the phone on the 3rd call: on the first call - put things off, on the second - tune in, on the third - smile and pick up the phone. If you do not pick up the phone for too long, this indicates a low corporate culture of the company. Don't fuss. A lot of people immediately pick up the phone. Any person needs at least a couple of seconds to concentrate and tune in to a conversation.

Greet the interlocutor as kindly and energetically as possible. Think of several ways to say hello. Let you have different options for people of different sex and age. It is better to start a conversation with a client with the words "Good afternoon (morning, evening)". They are more lively and inviting than just "hello". Remember that on the other end of the wire, someone also wants to be respected and understood.

1.3. Laws and rules of conducting telephone conversations and sales.

The ability to negotiate is one of the most important for a manager. Knowing how this is done, you can communicate with the client simply and easily. Undoubtedly, most of the abilities will come only with practice, but these few tips are universal in any negotiation.

Don't trust everything you hear. Accept and memorize all the information you receive before, during, and after the negotiation, but don't let anyone draw conclusions for you. If you do not understand something, you can, even should ask a question in order to dispel your doubts. Please note: in such cases, you do not need to show your emotions, it is likely that your interlocutor simply expressed himself unsuccessfully, instead of: “You should not do this,” it is better to say “Our company is not satisfied with such an offer.”

Listen carefully. A good negotiator is a good listener. Ask questions and listen carefully. Even if your interlocutor is silent - pause, he may want to add something that he did not dare to answer. With your silence, you cheer him up, because any person is pleased when they listen to him. The 80/20 rule applies here too. 80% listening, 20% talking.

Get ready to negotiate. Collect available information about your potential client. What are their needs? What are the plans? What are the possibilities? Answers to these and similar questions are very important for the success of the negotiations.

Set higher goals. A successful negotiator is usually an optimist. He sets high goals and gets the maximum result. If you are a buyer, then offer a price lower than what you expect, if a buyer - do not be afraid to raise the price, remember only that you must know for sure under what conditions you can lower it.

Don't take the first step. The best way to find out what your customer is willing to pay is to get them to take the first step. It is possible that his needs are higher than you think. If you are the first to voice your conditions, you can offer more than necessary.

Disagree with the first offer. The first offer in a negotiation is the starting point, usually the most disadvantageous offer for you. Even if the first offer is more profitable than you expected, then you will not lose anything if you offer to negotiate all the conditions.

Don't make concessions without getting something in return. Always link these conditions: “I give you a 10% discount, subject to advance payment (ordering service, paying in cash, etc.)”

Get ready to leave. If you feel like you're being pressured and getting nothing in return. If you see that the negotiations have no options, then it is best to refuse such a partner. Believe me, it will be cheaper. The ability to say “no” is valued more than the ability to say “yes.”

Now let's take a closer look at the structure of telephone conversations.

Telephone conversations consist of five phases:

1. start a conversation;

2. transmission of information;

3. argumentation;

4. refutation of the arguments of the interlocutor;

5. decision making.

Tasks of the first phase of the conversation:

Establishing contact with the interlocutor;

Creating a pleasant atmosphere for conversation;

Drawing attention to the subject of the interview;

Awakening interest in the conversation;

Seizure of the initiative (if necessary).

Transfer of information to the interlocutor. The information transfer phase logically continues the beginning of the conversation and at the same time is a "springboard" for the transition to the argumentation phase.

The next phase of a business conversation is argumentation. In this phase, a preliminary opinion is formed, a certain position is taken on this issue, both on the part of the initiator of the conversation and on the part of the interlocutor.

Decision-making. Before the end of the conversation, it is necessary, or should, acting according to the circumstances, arrange a meeting. When arranging a meeting, make sure that your interlocutor understands you correctly and writes down the day and hour of the meeting. Ask the interlocutor whether it is convenient for you to call him back the day before to make sure that the meeting will take place? All of these activities are useful so that your client can plan their time and adequately prepare for the meeting. When inviting the interlocutor to your office, name the exact address and tell in detail how you can get to you. Use the standard phrase: "Do you have a pencil handy? Please write down the best way to get to us."

Write down the general attitude of the client to the information that you gave him, the agreement on the place, date and time of the meeting or call, who should call whom, as well as the key points that sounded in the conversation.

The main tasks to be solved at the end of the conversation are as follows:

1. Achievement of the main, or in the most unfavorable case, spare (alternative) goal.

2. Providing a favorable atmosphere at the end of the conversation, regardless of the presence or absence of mutual understanding.

3. Stimulating the interlocutor to perform the intended actions.

4. Maintaining (if necessary) further contacts with interlocutors and their colleagues.

5. Drawing up a detailed summary of the conversation, understandable to its participants, with a clearly defined main conclusion.

Clients tend to emotionally remember what happened at the beginning of a conversation and take what happened at the end as a guide to action. At the end of the conversation, say goodbye to the interlocutor as kindly as possible. "If you have any questions, call us, we will be happy to help you." "Come at any time convenient for you, we will be happy to help you", "All the best", "It was very useful to receive this information from you." Thank you for your attention, interest in your company, wish you a pleasant rest of the day or the upcoming weekend. Remember that the caller ends the call. Remember that by talking you are laying the foundation for your personal meeting, so goodwill is above all. Experienced business people usually think over two or three groups of final words in advance, so that later, depending on the conversation, decide which of them - softer or harder in form - to pronounce.

A short list of what not to do and what to do when the phone rings in your office.

It does not follow

Should

1. Do not pick up the phone for a long time. 2. Say "hello", "yes" when starting a conversation. 3. Ask: "Can I help you?". 4. Have two conversations at once. 5. Leave your phone unattended, at least for a little while. 6. Use scraps of paper and calendar sheets for notes. 7. Transfer handset many times. 8. Say: "everyone is having lunch", "no one is there", Please call back.

1. Pick up the handset before the fourth ring of the phone. 2. Say "good morning (afternoon)", "say", introduce yourself and name your department. 3. Ask: "How can I help you?" 4. Focus on the conversation and listen carefully. 5. Offer to call back if it takes time to clarify the details. 6. Use forms to record telephone conversations. 7. Write down the number of the caller and call him back. 8. Write down the information and promise the client to call him back.

Chapter 2. Features of the organization and conduct of telephone conversations.

2.1. Incoming call. Professional product presentation over the phone.

Customers themselves call firms and find out about products and services because they need this product or service. Therefore, a telephone conversation with a manager should be remembered by the client, inspire disposition and trust in the company and the proposed product.

The client should not wait a long time until they pick up the phone, should not get tired of waiting until he is switched to right person, and even more so until they answer question asked. In telephone conversations, the time factor plays a much greater role than during face-to-face negotiations. If the manager paused during a telephone presentation, then deathly silence quickly begins to put pressure on the ears of the interlocutor, the situation becomes very uncomfortable.

The manager answering the customer's questions should not be distracted by anything, and he should be well versed in the product or service he offers.

Correct presentation is very important. It is so significant because the effect of the first impression persists no matter what. The first impression is formed in the first 4 - 60 seconds of communication. Therefore, to show maximum courtesy, to speak at an average speed, to have a pleasant solid timbre of voice means to add points to yourself in favor of establishing good contact.

The best impromptu, as you know, is the one that is prepared in advance. Therefore, it would be good to work out not only the voice and intonations, but also greeting phrases. They should be short, understandable and conducive to communication.

You need to start with a greeting: “Good afternoon” is a capacious, cheerful, businesslike phrase. It cannot be compared with any "Hello", "Hello" or "I'm listening to you." She is the only one who sets up business communication and adds solidity to the speaker.

After the introduction, you need to name your company. There are at least two strong arguments for saying the company name right after the salutation. The first of them - the client must make sure that he did not make a mistake with the number. The second argument is that by naming the company first, and then his own name, the manager automatically connects himself and the company in the mind of the client. And this means that, when calling back, the client will ask to connect him with the person with whom he spoke for the first time. And this makes it easier to establish contact between a specific manager and a specific client.

Particular attention should be paid to the process of issuing information about the product and service requested by the client by the manager. Often a client calls, not yet fully understanding what exactly he needs and how much money he is willing to pay for it. At this stage, it is very important to draw the attention of the client to the following: price categories and what features the product at a given price includes

The presentation of each product should be prepared in advance, because if there is no clear plan for presenting the facts about the product, then there is confusion in the story, there are extra pauses when choosing the right words, intonations change from solid to tense. All this in combination causes distrust of the client in this product, and in the manager, and in the company as a seller of this product.

Also, speech cannot contain a large number of terms. All words should be clear even to an absolute beginner in studying the characteristics of a product or service. Sometimes it is quite difficult to exclude all professional terms from a presentation speech, but this is necessary, since there is no guarantee that the client will understand them all, but few will dare to ask questions. He will not pay money for the product, the characteristics of which the client does not understand. Therefore, after these negotiations, he will definitely call another company, and if they explain it better, then he will pay them the money. This is not the goal of the work of a manager of a particular company, which means that the explanation of complex terms in simple words should be included in every presentation.

At the end of telephone conversations, the client should have a clear understanding of what money, what product he will receive. What are its advantages in relation to a cheaper product, what are its disadvantages in relation to a more expensive one. He must clearly understand what steps he needs to take to make a purchase - where to come, or where to call, or how to place an order. It is better if the name and contact numbers remain with the manager. So it will be easier to navigate if the client calls again.

Throughout all telephone conversations, one must remember about politeness, measured speech, solid intonation, but in the last minutes of telephone communication they are especially important, since the first and final phrases and intonations are best remembered. In order for the client to have the best impression of the negotiations, the parting should be as businesslike and positive as the whole conversation.

2.2. Outgoing call. What to say when you call your client?

Come up with several ways to say hello, but all of them must be corporately acceptable, that is, polite, pleasant to the ear, friendly and correct (“Good afternoon”, “Hello”, “Greetings, Sergey Nikolaevich”, but not “Hello ”,“ Kind Day ”and the like). Greetings can be different for people different ages and gender.

"How are you doing?" - this phrase, like no other, will immediately give you away as a person involved in telemarketing or sales, especially if it is pronounced insincerely, as a mandatory question. And 80% of your competitors ask it that way.

If you want to beat the competition and build a good rapport with your prospect, after you've introduced yourself and provided your company name, try one of the following techniques:

1. "Can you hear me well?" - such a conversation starter has several advantages. Firstly, this question causes a positive answer, and secondly, by answering positively, your interlocutor begins to really listen to you. A good way to start a conversation.

2. "Nice day, isn't it?" - this question at the beginning of the conversation immediately establishes contact with the interlocutor and makes him join the conversation.

3. "Does it rain too?" (“the sun is shining”, “hot”). If you start a conversation with a potential client with a non-sales question, it gets him talking and takes the pressure off.

4. “I'm so glad I got through to you! I need your help. Tell me, are you doing…?”. A great technique, because you immediately make the interlocutor feel important. Works flawlessly.

5. "How is your day?" Alternative to "How are you?" It only works if you ask the question sincerely and really listen to how the person goes through the day. Listen and respond appropriately.

So here they are, five ways to stand out when cold-calling prospects.

If you know the person you are calling, be sure to call him by his first name (first and middle name). Say your name. A person needs to identify your voice as quickly as possible so that he can use one of the ready-made models for negotiating on the phone. If a person does not know who he is talking to, then he is lost, which causes an unpleasant sensation. In addition, a long-term misunderstanding with whom a person is talking gives rise to aggression against this person, due to the fact that there is a feeling of wasting time - the person is busy, or he is thinking about something, and then he is forced to play "guess-ku". “You don’t recognize me?”, “Hi, so how are our business under that agreement?”, “Good afternoon. I’m calling to clarify the time of our meeting, is it more convenient for you tomorrow or Friday?” - such questions at the beginning of a telephone conversation can spoil the interlocutor's attitude towards you very quickly. In addition to irritation, such phrases do not cause anything.

The phrase itself should be positive or neutral in emotional charge. “You are worried”, “My name is Olga. Would you give me a few minutes of your time”, “I wanted to talk to you about our project, it won’t take you much time” - phrases of this type have a very negative effect on the well-being of another person. Our brain does not catch the “not” particle, but it catches affirmative sentences as affirmative sentences, and does not catch the subtext that we put into them.

“You are worried” - is perceived by the brain, that yes, they really bother me, that is, they tear me away from business and unbalance this call.

"My name is Olga. Would you give me a few minutes of your time, ”I want to answer,“ I won’t. What is the question - this is the answer, on the machine, if, moreover, a person was busy with calculations or thought deeply, then the ability to capture additional contexts for a while is reduced to zero.

"Good afternoon. My name is Olga, company…, I'm calling to confirm the time of our meeting. Do you prefer tomorrow or Friday?” (this is if the conversation is scheduled to be short).

“Good afternoon, Sergey Ivanovich. My name is Olga, I'm the company's update manager… is it convenient for you to talk now?”

Even if you call five times a day, you still need to introduce yourself every time.

Clarification of the name of the interlocutor. Good afternoon. May I speak to Sergei Ivanovich? Good afternoon. Is this Sergei Ivanovich? Hello, my name is Olga, I am a customer service manager of the company.

Not the best option, if you, introducing yourself, ask a question like: “Is this Sergey Ivanovich?”, “Sergey Ivanovich, is that you?” - because there is a possibility of making a mistake, and then the response phrase: "No, this is Ilya" - will cause irritation on the other side of the tube. Firstly, you did not recognize the person, and he has the right to express negative emotions for this. Secondly, the utterance by the interlocutor of words with a negative connotation implicitly spoils his attitude towards us.

Questions: “Who am I talking to?”, “Who is this?” - cause a response full of negativity: “Who do you need? Where are you calling?

Long introductory phrases "Can I speak to Sergei Ivanovich?" can be very useful if, while we were dialing a phone number, we forgot who we were calling. While we say smoothly and measuredly: “Good afternoon. Connect me, please, with ... ”there is time and opportunity to remember who we are calling or look at the application sheet by which we dial the number.

In addition, any person is so pleased to hear his name. And if we can please the client by calling him by his first name, why don't we just do it for the sake of it.

Clarification of the availability of time for a conversation with the interlocutor.

A very important point in developing a good long-term relationship with the client. We invade a person's life with our call. He can be busy with anything, from important business negotiations to an enthusiastic conversation on mobile phone with a friend. And what the person on the other end of the wire does may be much more important to him than this call, at least at the moment that we have chosen for the call. In addition, the phone is good because we are not visible, and a person may simply not want to violate this privacy. There can be a thousand reasons why a person picked up the phone, but is not ready to talk seriously with us. Such an attitude absolutely cannot help us to establish relations with this person. And if we don’t ask about the availability of free time, then we risk that either they will listen to us half an ear, or they will frankly say: “You know, I’m busy now, please call me back in a week and a half.” "Can I borrow two minutes from you?" - to take away is equal to take away, but I do not want to be taken away from me.

At the same time, if we asked a person: "Do you have a minute to talk to me?" - then he will no longer be able to just round off the conversation with us, if suddenly the topic of the conversation is not very relevant for the interlocutor. And say as an excuse: "Oh, I'm so busy right now, let's get back to this in a couple of months" - after saying a moment ago that "yes, I'm free to talk to you now."

After you have properly greeted, you need to continue the conversation in the same rhythm, so the next words are very important.

The phrase "I would like to offer you ..." should not be present in your dictionary. For a potential client, this means: "We are calling to sell you our product ...". There is no need for the client to think that he is being “sold” something. The client must want to buy our product.

“I wanted to talk to you about our project, it won’t take you much time” - this phrase is read by a tired brain as “this will take you a lot of time.” Accordingly, there is no desire to discuss the project.

The impression that the interlocutor forms about us is formed, basically, for the first time for several minutes of communication, and if the person at the other end of the wire has a tension associated with us and with our voice, then it will be difficult to overcome it later.

Instead, say, “Our company does (summary of your company's activities). I'm calling to discuss how interesting this might be for you, ”or“ Our company does (what the company does). Can I negotiate with you on this issue?”. “Discussion” and “negotiating” do not threaten the client with financial costs. Therefore, there is a high probability of continuing the dialogue. Although it is possible that in this case we may be refused.

The client is psychologically unprepared for negotiations. The result can be emotional resistance, and from the first seconds we are faced with impenetrable objections: “We don’t need anything”, “We have already covered all the needs”, “We have been working with suppliers for a long time and everything suits us”. You should not start convincing the client and arguing the benefits of your commercial offer, this is a common mistake. The result may be the end of the conversation. If the client is not ready to perceive the information, then he simply will not hear you.

There are two ways to avoid this difficulty:

1. From the very beginning, do not give rise to objections. Talk less and ask more, and if you talk, be interested in the situation of the interlocutor, his pressing concerns, which can be resolved with the help of your proposal.

2. In case objections nevertheless arise, it is easy to answer them, aiming not to “press” the interlocutor from the first minutes of the conversation, but to arouse interest in continuing the conversation.

Here, by the way, it is very convenient that we speak on the phone, since we can easily use auxiliary materials, the Internet, reference books and the help of specialists, which is quite difficult to do in person.

2.3. Preparing and conducting negotiations with foreign partners.

Each nation has its own customs, traditions, culture, political and state structure. All this affects the peculiarities of business relations and accepted rules of conduct. Thus, the open doors of working premises are perceived by North Americans as the norm, and by the Germans as the highest degree of disorder. Americans and Japanese are accustomed to working in large rooms where everything is in plain sight, while the Germans, on the contrary, behind closed doors. A loud conversation by an American or Italian can be perceived by an Englishman as a sign of bad manners. The maximum approach to each other of the interlocutors-Latin Americans causes the desire to move away from the British, etc.

In the process of preparing and conducting business negotiations, national characteristics are manifested in the nature of the formation of the delegation, the mechanism and degree of independence in decision-making during negotiations, the value orientation of the participants, the peculiarities of perception and thinking, the most characteristic tactics.

Ignorance of the national peculiarities of business etiquette can produce an undesirable impression on partners, complicate interaction both at the stage of the negotiation process and in the implementation of certain joint projects.

The features of business etiquette and business culture as a whole are based not only on traditions, but also on the features of the national character.

The translator, as a rule, is not only a philologist, but also a country expert, which gives grounds to use his knowledge and experience not only for translation work, but also for building trusting relationships with partners. A professional translator plays a key role in establishing a spirit of cooperation, especially when negotiation processes are carried out with representatives of peoples and cultures whose worldview, moral attitudes and business etiquette are significantly different from those adopted in the West.

When communicating via a conference call through an interpreter, the following rules must be observed:

Speak slowly, clearly formulating thoughts, avoiding the possibility of an ambiguous interpretation of what was said;

You should pronounce no more than one or two sentences in a row, given that the translator is not able to keep in memory and translate more material completely and correctly. In addition, some languages ​​are grammatically directly opposite to Russian. For example, in Persian, the predicate always completes the sentence, and does not stand in its middle, as in Russian, English and other languages;

You can not accompany your speech with sayings, idiomatic phrases and, moreover, quoting poetry. Translating them into another language requires a lot of work and is impossible during a dynamic conversation. An incorrect translation can spoil the atmosphere of negotiations, since our proverbs and sayings in another language can acquire an ambiguous meaning, and sometimes even an offensive meaning;

It is necessary to take into account the reaction of partners and take immediate action if there is a feeling that they misunderstand you. The interpreter, in turn, may, if necessary, ask either party to explain the idea in simpler words or repeat the phrase again;

Before negotiations, it is necessary to allocate sufficient time to work with an interpreter in order to familiarize him in as much detail as possible with the range of issues raised, and to clarify the terminology used. The report, speech at the presentation and other written materials should be handed over to the interpreter for review a day or two before the speech. And lastly, there are no translators who, without training, operate equally well with medical, technical, and any other terminology.

Chapter 3. Recordings of telephone conversations.

It is difficult to convey shades of emotions in written speech. The same words, uttered with different emotional overtones, can have completely different meanings. During verbal contact, the amount of information in the word/meaning ratio may differ several times in favor of the meaning. The interlocutor said almost nothing, but you understand everything, or vice versa, you don’t want to talk to him.

Meaning is the third aspect of conversation, along with verbal and non-verbal characteristics.

When negotiating, you need to carefully analyze your words and the words of the interlocutor. In the “question-answer” scheme, you need to find the basis that is not uttered by you and your opponent.

Consider the standard dialog:

Good afternoon, company X, we sell cartridges for office equipment, which are distinguished by increased reliability, resource and build quality.

Thank you for calling, we are not currently considering such offers.

Leader's order.

Can I call you in a month?

Call...

1. The manager offers his product. He is sure that this offer may be of interest to the buyer and immediately declares all his characteristics (by the way, the mistake is also that you need to sell the benefit that the buyer will receive after the purchase, but this is not about that)

2. The buyer politely cuts off this call. The reasons why he does this may vary. Maybe there really is an order from the manager, maybe he is just tired, or they recently made a big purchase, but they don’t want to let strangers know about it.

3. The seller is rather abruptly trying to find out the reason for the refusal ...

4. And gets an equally harsh response

5. "Drain counted!"

What was wrong?

Unwillingness to understand the client's problems. Perhaps the seller was tired and acted on the machine. However, in this case, it is better not to work, reschedule the meeting and get in touch only when you are ready.

Sharpness in question. Asking an open-ended question is a good idea, but remember that the client is not obligated to answer any, even the most elegantly asked question. Establishing contact is the first thing to achieve when starting a conversation.

Endless conversation. "I'll call you back in a month." Instead of figuring out the problem, he simply moved it further in time. Maybe in order to forget and look for more accommodating clients.

To summarize: the conversation should be about things that interest your interlocutor and he should feel it. The conversation should be easy and logical. And remember that words can have completely different meanings, try to understand the client.

Now let's look at four questions that will help convince a potential client about the need to buy.

This method is especially good in cases where you have to talk to a client who is completely unprepared. Usually in such situations, many salespeople become nervous and uncomfortable because they do not know how to carry on a conversation.

The bottom line is to fish out as much information as possible, and based on the data obtained, lead the client to the only reasonable decision - the purchase.

The first question to start with, once all the prelude is over, is:

What do you think is the most important thing about a product (or service)?

Client: "I prefer reliable cars"

This question aims to find out the needs and preferences of the client. The purpose of the question is to find a bait, to find out a weak spot, in order to subsequently catch the client on the hook. You need to listen carefully and memorize. Once you find a clue, move on to the next question.

What does … mean to you? (In a specific situation - what does “reliable car” mean to you?)

Client: First of all, this is a car equipped with all modern means security.

And again, you need to listen and remember. This question can be asked several times, just change it a little. For example: "What do you understand by the word ...?" or “What do you mean by…?” etc.

If you skillfully use these two questions in any situation, you can find out weakness client. When you feel that you have learned everything you need, go on the offensive.

If I offer you ..., will you agree to the purchase? (in a specific situation - if you make sure that the car we offer is more than reliable and safe on the road, will you agree to cooperate with us?)

Here you need to list all those important characteristics that you managed to find out? What do you think, will a person cooperate after you offer him everything that he wants? In most cases, you will hear a positive response.

But if the client still says no. We return to the very beginning.

What else is important to you in...?

And everything starts anew. With the help of these four "magic" questions, you can crack truly "hard nuts".

Now consider what it means to own a culture of telephone conversation:

Dial a phone number only when you are sure that it is correct.

Carefully prepare for a business telephone conversation, achieve maximum brevity.

Before especially responsible telephone conversations, make the necessary notes on a piece of paper.

If there is a long conversation ahead, ask the interlocutor if he has enough time and, if not, transfer the conversation to another, agreed day and hour.

Having achieved a telephone connection with the desired institution, name yourself and your company.

If you "got in the wrong place", ask for an apology, and do not hang up silently.

On an erroneous call, politely answer: "You have the wrong number" and hang up.

When working on an important document, turn off the phone or switch it to the secretary.

In business telephone conversations, "keep oneself in hand", even if before that he was annoyed with something.

When answering a phone call, give your last name.

During a long monologue of the interlocutor on the phone, from time to time confirm your attention with brief remarks.

Finishing a business conversation on the phone, thank the interlocutor and wish him success.

If the colleague being asked on the phone is not available, ask what to give him and leave a note on his desk.

Chapter 4. Conclusion.

Communication by phone takes up a significant part of the working time of many business people. This type of communication is convenient and besides modern technologies allow you to solve a lot of things with it. But at the same time, talking on the phone is somewhat different from the communication that occurs in person.

It depends on how the telephone conversation takes place, whether communication with this client will be continued in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to make every effort so that the client remembers this particular conversation, so that he experiences positive emotions. They influence not only the desire of the client to deal with this particular company, but also, according to psychologists, they have a positive effect on the activity of the brain, contribute to the clarity of thinking.

A prerequisite for the emergence of positive emotions in the client is good mood his interlocutor. It manifests itself through voice, intonation, manner of speaking.

Clear speech makes a good impression, helps the interlocutor tune in the right way. There is no need to rush - the time won on this will be lost due to misunderstandings and forced repetitions. The speed of speech should not exceed one hundred twenty-five words per minute. A person who pronounces all the words clearly, distinctly, calmly will never be perceived badly, on the contrary, they will be taken seriously. People willingly make contact with such a subject, especially when talking on the phone.

The culture of speech is very important when communicating on the phone. Actually, how appearance, hairstyle, behavior affect the image of a person in direct communication. The ability to construct phrases beautifully and correctly, to use words appropriately, to insert catchphrases, proverbs, quotes, will always come in handy. This is not just the ability to speak - it is a sign of good manners, good breeding, culture.

The basic rule of business telephone communication is to be polite, sincerely wish to help the interlocutor, establish business contact with him. To do this, you need to choose the appropriate expressions, do not forget about the intonations that sound in your voice, and the mood with which certain phrases are spoken. At the same time, tact should not be confused with gentleness. A polite conversation does not mean at all that you should agree with the interlocutor in everything, yield to him in all respects, wanting to make a good impression. It is required to answer politely, but firmly, not to forget to defend your interests and take into account the interests of the client.

Practicing and pre-thinking a telephone conversation is, of course, a very serious procedure, but do not forget about the conversation itself, during which many mistakes can be made. Indeed, during communication on the phone, information is perceived only by ear, therefore, all emotions must be expressed aloud, otherwise they simply will not be perceived. However, all emotions must be shown very thoughtfully and sparingly enough, excessive emotional saturation of the conversation is erroneous, because it interferes with business communication.

It must be remembered that the end of a telephone conversation does not mean the end of communication. If this conversation has developed successfully, then most likely it will continue, in any case, this is implied in most important telephone conversations. In this case, the subsequent short recording of telephone communication will be very useful, and its absence will be a significant mistake. The recording of the conversation contains a lot of interesting information that was not noticed directly during the conversation. It can be analyzed later.

Chapter 5. List of used literature.

1. Orlov V.I. Telephone conversations. Technique and psychology. – M.: Alfa Press. – 2007.

2. Baeva O.L. Oratory and business communication. - Minsk. - 2000.

3. Mananikova E.N. Business conversation ( tutorial). - M .: Publishing and Trade Corporation "Dashkov and K *". – 2009.

4. Titova L.G. Business communication (textbook for university students studying economics and management). – M.: UNITY-DANA. – 2008.

5. Smirnov G.N. Ethics of business, business and public relations. – M.: 2001.

6. Kuznetsov I.N. Modern business rhetoric. – M.: GrossMedia Ferlag Publishing House. – 2008.

7. Romanova E.V., Ushakov N.I. Etiquette. - M .: Publishing house Lukomorye. – 2000.

8. Woodcock M., Francis D. Liberated manager. - M .: Business. - 2001.

9. Filippov A.V. Work with personnel: psychological aspect. – M.: Economics. – 2001.

10. Khlopova T.I., Lebedeva M.M. Protocol and etiquette for business people. – M.: 2002.

11. Bramm I.N. Ethics of business communication. – M.: 2005.

13. Borodina G.V. Psychology of business communication. Moscow: Aspect-Press. – 2000.

14. Andreeva G.M. The relationship of communication and activity // Communication and optimization of joint activities. - M.: 2000.

15. Vlasov L.V., Sementovskaya V.K. Business communication: notes on official conversations, disputes. M.: Enlightenment. – 2000.

16. Debolsky M. Psychology of business communication. - M.: Knowledge. - 2002.

17. Yager D. Business Etiquette: How to Survive and Succeed in the Business World. - M.: 2004.

Rules for conducting telephone conversations - simple, but very important skill needed by the secretary. Sometimes, important business contacts begin with a phone call, and competent telephone conversations can be the argument that will allow the company to receive a large order. The article describes the basic rules for conducting telephone conversations.

From the article you will learn:

• what are the characteristics of telephone conversations;
• what kind general rules should be used in business negotiations;
• what is included in the rules for conducting telephone conversations of the secretary;
• conduct telephone conversations with incoming and outgoing calls.

Conducting telephone conversations- an important job function of the secretary

Characteristicsconducting telephone conversations

AT official duties any secretary, regardless of specialization, includes maintaining telephone conversations. Many mistakenly believe that this does not require special skills - after all, now everyone has a phone in their pocket and everyone, at least, talks on it several times a day. The mistake lies in the fact that even in a personal conversation that does not require much haste, not everyone can concentrate and be able to competently and briefly express their thoughts. Those shortcomings that are inherent in the speech skills of a particular person are even more pronounced in a telephone conversation.

In personal communication, the inability to conduct telephone conversations is not critical, but in a business environment it can have the most adverse consequences - up to refusal to do business with the company and large financial losses. Therefore, the secretary who receives business telephone calls “at the entrance” must be perfectly aware of the rules for conducting telephone conversations. These rules must be followed for automatic level, regardless of who is "on the other end of the line" - the person who made the wrong number, or an important representative of a higher organization.

Fortunately, the ability to conduct a business conversation on the phone, like any useful skill, can be developed, that is, acquired as a result of training, self-control and self-improvement. business conversation characterized by the presence of a large number of standard phrases and speech stamps. In this case, their abundance is not considered a minus or a sign of insincerity, as in a personal conversation. As in business correspondence, stamp phrases allow you to concretize the meaning, avoiding unnecessary explanations. All this makes it possible to use the standard rules of telephone conversations.

Read also:

Generaltelephone rules

Skill speak competently and to negotiate, including by telephone, is a sign by which not only the general cultural level of a person is unmistakably determined, but also his “cost” in the labor market as a specialist. Therefore, a person who positions himself in this way should demonstrate competent telephone conversations both in personal and business communication. This should always be:

• polite;
• attentive;
• benevolent;
• as informative as possible
• concise.

These qualities, shown in telephone conversations, are an indicator of a respectful attitude towards the interlocutor, that his time is valued.

• Politeness is achieved not only through the use of well-known "polite" words, but also due to such nuances as clear diction, presentation and the ability not to interrupt the interlocutor at the key moment of the conversation. It is necessary to introduce yourself if the conversation is not personal, regardless of who initiates it.
• If everything is clear with the rest of the qualities that are necessary for conducting telephone conversations, it is necessary to say separately about attentiveness. This quality can rather be called the ability to hear the interlocutor, that is, to understand what exactly he wants to say. This will help them make the right decisions and give the right answers to the questions they ask.
• benevolence manifests itself in the willingness to listen and help the interlocutor, even if he does not express such a request directly in a conversation. Each subscriber who has applied by phone expects that he will be treated carefully and respectfully, that his question is one of the most urgent. Therefore, after the conversation, he should have the same impression. The interlocutor after the conversation must remain convinced that his issue will be considered and resolved. In a conversation, for this you need to use the phrases “OK, I understand the essence of the problem”, “I think that your issue will be resolved.” They will help to position the interlocutor.
• informative in a conversation is achieved by refusing to present secondary and irrelevant information. This can be easily achieved if, in the process of preparing for negotiations, all available information on this issue is collected, studied and analyzed. In a conversation, it is necessary to appeal only with facts and avoid speculation.
• Conciseness- the ability to briefly and succinctly formulate phrases, clearly adhering to the topic of conversation.

Rules for conducting telephone conversations of the secretary

In addition to other duties, the secretary performs dispatching functions. Through the contact phone of the organization, which is on the desktop of the secretary, the external interaction of the company with customers, clients, business partners, and government agencies is carried out, among other things. The main task of the secretary is to relieve the head as much as possible, communication with which, as a rule, is the goal of subscribers. Therefore, he needs to clearly know which of the specialists is authorized to resolve issues with which subscribers apply to the company.

With the competent performance of dispatching functions by the secretary, the manager will be able to avoid unnecessary workload, and the subscriber will receive an exhaustive and competent answer to his question. The secretary, in the general case, when receiving a call, must independently decide on its forwarding and, if necessary, connect the subscriber with the manager.

You should always control yourself and pay attention to intonation and choice of words. Sometimes, especially if the interlocutor is irritated, he is inclined to accept any words with hostility, even those spoken in a neutral tone. Rules of conduct telephone conversations imply special restraint, even in the case when the subscriber is clearly excited and ready for rudeness. The secretary should always remember that he is not only an assistant to the head, but also the face of the company.

When conducting telephone conversations, incoming and outgoing calls have their own characteristics.

on outgoing calls

1. Prepare and study all the necessary information on the topic that will be discussed during the conversation. Including, if possible, find out the position, name and patronymic of a potential interlocutor;
2. After the subscriber's response, introduce yourself, naming your position, the position of the head and the company, saying: “I have been instructed ...”, ask to connect with a specific specialist or employee authorized to discuss the topic of conversation. If the call is long-distance, introducing yourself, you should also mention the city where the call comes from;
3. After waiting for the answer of the desired subscriber, warn him that he will be connected with the head of the company, naming his position, last name, first name and patronymic;
4. In the case when the secretary is authorized to independently conduct a conversation, after connecting with the desired subscriber, briefly and clearly state to him the essence of the issue;
5. When your message is sent in the form of a telephone message, at the beginning of the conversation, warn the interlocutor that he will need to record your message, transfer it, write down information about who exactly the message was received with an indication of the position and time;
6. Listen to the response to the message, say goodbye to the interlocutor. By general rule, one of the subscribers who initiated it should end the conversation.

Basic rules for conducting telephone conversationson incoming calls

1. When you hear a call, you should answer it immediately and, without waiting for a question, name the company, your position and last name. After the interlocutor, in turn, introduces himself, you should greet him, addressing him by name and patronymic. If he himself does not show initiative, you need to ask what question he is addressing, while evaluating which of the specialists can give a competent answer to the caller and how quickly he wants (and can) receive this answer. If it is possible to redirect the call to one of the employees, the interlocutor must be informed about this, naming the position, surname, name and patronymic of the specialist;
2. If the answer to the question does not require special competence, you should answer it yourself. But never go beyond your competence and, moreover, do not provide information that may be redundant or even confidential. In the event that it is necessary to clarify the information necessary for the answer and it will be necessary to move away from the phone, the interlocutor will have to be asked to wait or call back after a certain time;
3. In the case when the necessary specialists are absent or busy, you also need to tell the interlocutor about this and ask him if you can call him back and at what time in order to connect him with someone who can give the necessary information;
4. If the subscriber needs to be connected to the manager, the director should be warned, giving him the details of the subscriber and the topic that he wants to discuss. In some cases, immediately after the connection is established, prepare and bring to the manager materials and information related to this issue.

One-on-one negotiations and telephone conversations are really so different things that each option has its own ethical standards and rules for conducting telephone conversations with a client. If you are sincerely surprised by this fact, let's start the study of the subject with an analysis of the common features, features and fundamental differences.

So, the difference is the first and most important.

Telephone conversations are going blind. This means not only that you do not see the face of the interlocutor, but also that you do not know where, in what environment you are calling, whether they can take your call, whether the interlocutor is set to talk.

If you are calling to offer services, then this is clean water lottery: you can be rudely cut off simply because you are not on time, or because your voice was not liked by the client. How many reasons can there be to end the conversation when it is enough to press the lever! But you, as a manager, cannot be satisfied with such a situation in which sales depend on the location of the stars, which is why the tricks and rules of telephone working negotiations were invented.

The second difference.

Telephone conversations are a fundamentally different format, most often very limited in time. big deals are extremely rare, and even for these rare cases it is customary to use video communication.

The main purpose of a manager’s call to a client is not to make a deal, but to establish primary contact, raise a topic, interest, and arrange a personal meeting. That is, to make the conclusion of the transaction possible in principle. And on average, after lifting the handset, the caller has about 10 seconds to get a positive answer.

The third difference.

You are deprived of all means of influencing the interlocutor, except for the voice. But the worst thing is not this, but the fact that the visual perception of the interlocutor has not gone anywhere, just now you cannot control it.

What does it mean? That the client not only listens to you, but also imagines how you look, where you are, what you are wearing, what table you are sitting at, in a word, everything that he cannot see during the conversation. And your direct task is to inspire him with the most successful image that he wants to deal with. This is the ability to negotiate on the phone.

telephone etiquette

A few basic rules, following which you can create a good impression about yourself and your company. After all, it is the etiquette of telephone conversations in business communication that allows you to create an image of people with whom it is pleasant to do business.

• Plan your conversation before you call. This elementary respect for the interlocutor will allow you not to waste time trying to quickly orient yourself, remember what you wanted to say, etc.
• Choose a time to call. Best time Of course, you won’t be able to guess for a conversation, especially if you need to call a stranger, but you can completely minimize the likelihood of an unsuccessful call.
• Start the conversation with a polite greeting, then introduce yourself and get the person's name. This is the first step in making contact. You will need the name of a partner or client in the course of a conversation as one of the levers of influence, so do not miss the opportunity to know it right away.
• Be consistent. The worst thing that can be done over the phone is to dump a bunch of information on the interlocutor and force him to understand it himself. To prevent this from happening, choose the sequence in which you will submit information. Ask questions to make sure that you are heard, understood and want to listen further.

Skill Development

Telephone communication skills are 90% development of voice and speech. This can help attending acting courses, stage speech courses, oratory and frequent public appearances. The latter is necessary to overcome the fear of communicating with strangers and the stiffness that arises from an uncomfortable situation. If you can go on stage and quietly present to an unfamiliar audience, then you will easily be able to conduct business negotiations over the phone.

As for the development of speech, the main qualities of a negotiator are:

1. Diction and power of voice. When a person mumbles something inarticulately and quietly into the phone, he forces the interlocutor to ask again 10 times and thereby waste valuable time and attention on nonsense.
2. Emotional expression. Basically, these are shades of intonation. The more intonations a negotiator has in his arsenal, the easier it is for him to influence the listener. Monotonous will have no effect gray voice no signs of emotion.
3. Vocabulary and good language skills. The negotiator must be able to build proposals quickly, competently and succinctly. The fewer unnecessary words, the less the attention of the interlocutor is scattered, the more time remains for a productive conversation. The more accurately the thought is expressed, the greater the chance to interest and captivate.

Effective Negotiation Techniques

Unlike ethics, which is designed to ensure that the conversation complies with the norms of business communication, the telephone negotiation technique is aimed at creating a positive image of the company representative and the company itself through the interlocutor. Some techniques are aimed at keeping the initiative in your hands and discreetly leading the client to the goal of the conversation - a personal meeting.

Active listening

Phrases like “yes, of course,” “understood,” “so,” “okay,” “clear” allow you to keep the client talking. With their help, you indicate interest, activity and participation, and the client does not get the feeling that he is talking to himself. With any of these phrases, you can make a transition to a clarifying question and thus correct the direction of the conversation. Your goal is still a face-to-face meeting and closing a deal. Do not let the client deviate from the right course.

Smile on the phone

Not everyone knows about it, but the smile of the interlocutor is guessed even in a telephone conversation. The voice becomes warm, intonations joyful. Conducting telephone conversations with a smile produces the same effect as in personal live communication: the imagination that tries to show you to the interlocutor will demonstrate a smiling person. In order to control yourself during negotiations and not let a smile leave your face, it is important to have a small mirror on the table and constantly look into it.

Client name

By using the client's name in a conversation, you emphasize their individuality and importance. A name is what distinguishes a person from others, an individual and personal attribute. The sound of the name is a kind of signal to the subconscious: you are valued, you are considered, you are not an empty place. The positive effect of the name will affect very quickly: the client will speak more willingly, make contact faster and even show sympathy for you.

The telephone is a convenient and efficient means of communication. It's impossible to imagine without it modern life. They exchange personal and official information by phone, arrange meetings, establish and develop business contacts. Humanity has been using the telephone for over a century. In 1876, the first, still imperfect, but already recognized telephone set was created.

A telephone conversation provides a two-way exchange of information regardless of distance. AT short term the phone will connect you with a colleague from a neighboring department, with a subscriber on the other side of the ocean. But, as practice shows, it is necessary to prepare for a telephone conversation, especially a business one. For a civil servant, a business person, you need to learn to value your time (and the time of your interlocutor).

Poor preparation, inability to succinctly and competently express one's thoughts takes from 20 to 30% of a person's working time, in addition, the culture of telephone communication is a means of shaping your image among partners and the image of the institution in which you serve.

It is useful to have a pen, notepad and calendar next to the phone.

After the call, quickly pick up the handset. Do not “pick up” the handset during a call: the current in the electrical circuits rises sharply, which can lead to damage. Etiquette provides for picking up the phone before the fourth ring of the phone, since the impact of phone calls adversely affects the nervous system. Do not pick up the handset "without looking", without looking up, as it may touch the contact lever and the connection will be interrupted. If you are doing urgent work, then you can leave the phone on the phone or pick it up immediately after the call and politely ask to call back at a certain time. For example: “Please, please call back in two hours. Now I'm busy with urgent business."

The tube has been removed. The question arises: what is the first word to pronounce so that contact is established? There are no hard limits here. As a rule, the person answers: "Hello", "I'm listening", "Yes". It is believed that the first two options are preferable, since “Yes” sounds dry and illogical, which can make it difficult to establish psychological contact. Often there are reviews: "I'm listening to you" - a somewhat mannered and archaic version - "At the phone" or "On the wire." All of the above reviews are relevant in a home environment.

In business communication, informative answers are preferable (who answered the phone and in which institution), and one should not speak in a tongue twister.

What should you do if the phone rings while you are talking to a client? Rules telephone etiquette and courtesy are instructed to do the following: apologize to the client, pick up the phone and, citing being busy, ask to call back. Another option is also possible: write down the phone number of the caller and call him back as soon as you are free.

How to invite a colleague to the phone? "One minute (now), Ivan Petrovich - you." After that, the tube is transferred or gently, without knocking, is placed on the table. It is not recommended to invite you by shouting or demonstrating your cool relationship with a colleague: after the recall, “bang” the pipe on the table and say in a cold tone: “Ivanova!”.

When calling an employee who is currently absent by phone, you should not limit yourself to the answer: “He is not there” and throw the receiver on the lever. You should say: “He is not here now. It will be then. Maybe give him something?" If you are asked to do so, record the request and place the note on a colleague's desk. The answers sound very unfortunate: “He is not there, I don’t know where he is. Can you leave your phone number? Moreover, you should not go into details: “Alla Viktorovna has not yet returned from lunch”, “Probably in the buffet (smoking room)”, etc.

A business phone conversation should be brief. For example, a Japanese company will not keep an employee for a long time who does not solve a business issue over the phone in three minutes.

The one who called ends the conversation, so it is not recommended for the person who received the call to be impatient and strive to “curtail” the conversation. But what to do if the interlocutor is excessively talkative, distracts from the topic of conversation, focuses on details? There are many techniques to end a conversation with a verbose interlocutor without offending him and at the same time maintain courtesy and delicacy. Usually the phrases are used: “It’s very nice to talk to you, but now I have to leave”; “I would like to talk to you more, but I have very urgent business”; “I was very glad to listen to you, but I need to go to a business meeting,” etc.

It is important that a business telephone conversation be conducted in a calm, polite tone. During the conversation, it is necessary to create an atmosphere of mutual respect. A smile helps. The interlocutor does not see it, but feels it. Voice, timbre, intonation and tone can say a lot about you. According to psychologists, intonation and tone of conversation carry up to 40% of information. Speaking on the phone, we can inspire confidence in the interlocutor, or, conversely, hostility. It is recommended to speak evenly, restrain your emotions and not interrupt the speech of the interlocutor. If your interlocutor speaks in a harsh manner, is prone to disputes, then be patient and do not answer him in the same way, do not object directly and openly.

Never speak on the phone with your mouth full. It is unacceptable to chew food, drink and talk with employees during a telephone conversation. It is not recommended to chew gum during telephone conversations.

The phone exacerbates the shortcomings of speech, so it is recommended to monitor the pronunciation of numbers, proper names, and surnames. In a conversation, it is better not to use specific, professional terms that may be incomprehensible to the interlocutor. Jargon and expressions are not allowed: “goes”, “frets”, “good”, “bye”, etc.

Since the telephone interlocutors do not see each other, then

they confirm their attention with a replica: “Yes, yes”, “I understand”. If there is an unexpected pause in a telephone conversation, then you can clarify: “How can you hear me?”, “Do you disagree?” etc. In case of deterioration

audibility, it is quite reasonable to call back one of the interlocutors. If the telephone connection is interrupted, then the initiator of the conversation calls back.

You should end the conversation on time to avoid satiety with communication, which is expressed in causeless discontent and resentment of the partner, and sometimes irritability. At the end of the conversation, you need to thank for the call or the information received (news): “Goodbye, thanks for the call”; “It was nice talking to you,” etc.

What to do first, where to start and how to behave if you have to call

Determine the purpose of the telephone conversation (maybe it is unimportant and unnecessary). Unnecessary conversations disrupt the working rhythm and interfere with the work of those who are nearby. If you have determined the purpose and tactics of conducting a telephone conversation, then draw up a conversation plan, sketch out a list of issues that you would like to solve, as this will allow you not to lose sight of the main thing and make the conversation logical and concise. As the analysis of telephone conversations shows, up to 40% are repetitions of words and phrases.

The number has been dialed. Try to interest the interlocutor with the first phrase. At first, according to the etiquette of a telephone conversation, it is advisable to name yourself and say hello. For example: “Ivanova Maria Sergeevna. Hello (good afternoon) ... "Before you ask the person you need to the phone, wait for the answer" Hello "on the other end of the wire, and then say:" Please, call Peter Petrovich. The phrases “Who is this?”, “Where did I get to?” Are unacceptable. etc. If the subscriber does not answer your call, remember that after the fifth signal they hang up, and the call is repeated later.

A home phone call to a co-worker for a business conversation can only be justified by a serious reason. Calls to the apartment after 10 p.m. and before 8 a.m. (up to 10 a.m. on weekends) are considered a violation of the rules of etiquette.

Failure to fulfill the promise to call back is considered a violation of etiquette. If you promised, you must definitely call, otherwise you will create a reputation for yourself as a frivolous person (4; 30).

telephone etiquette

Can you imagine working without a phone? Can you imagine life without a phone?

From all the variety technical means The telephone remains the most widely used mode of communication with outside world. With the advent of increasingly sophisticated devices such as pagers, voice mail, and car phones, a whole new telephone etiquette has emerged. This chapter will introduce you to the latest communication etiquette (2;93).

How do you answer the phone

Many people answer phone calls haphazardly. Some call themselves by their first names, some (especially former military men) by their last names, others by both their first and last names at the same time. And some don't bother themselves - they don't introduce themselves. You may even hear occasional sounds like, “Well!” or "Ah!" from representatives of the current motorized generation.

When learning the art of answering the phone correctly, you should remember that the words you choose to speak determine the tone of the conversation. So, the right words you have chosen will help you start the conversation correctly (2;93).

How to answer calls to the company

As some people already know, but don't fully realize, the person who answers the phone in a company is one of the most important employees. Why? Yes, because he (she) is like a "gatekeeper" for every call coming to your switchboard. What your secretary says and how he (she) does it creates an impression of your company with customers and clients, potential customers and customers, suppliers - almost any person who, for whatever reason, dialed your phone number.

For this reason, I always advise starting a telephone conversation with a greeting: "Good afternoon" or "Good morning." The name of the company should then follow, and the name of the person who answers the phone would also be nice. For example: “Good morning! Customer service. My name is Mary."

Answer in detail, but briefly. Avoid monotonous enumeration. If you are an employee of the company, there is the only way answer incoming calls - follow the rules established by the company.

If you've never been asked to answer a phone in a certain manner, now is the time to learn how to do it.

In a large office workspace, consistency is especially important. Therefore, what you say when you answer the phone should be consistent with the way other employees answer the phone. Working in the same style, you and your colleagues will demonstrate that you are a single team, that you are professionals (2;94).

Answering internal calls

If you can tell by the sound of the phone that this is an internal call, then you should answer, "John is on the phone." If you work in a large corporation, and people whom you hardly know often call you, then when answering, give both your first name and last name (2; 96).

Answering external calls

If you determined by the sound of the phone that the call is external, then when answering, state both your first and last name.

"Good morning! "Weiss Graphics". On Mary Smith's phone."

Naming yourself in this way, you give the impression of a responsible and authoritative employee. Those who, when answering a phone call, give only their name, on the contrary, risk being perceived as people with duties but no power. This is one of the little tricks (2;96).

When you can't determine the nature of the call

How to answer a call if you cannot determine in advance whether it is internal or external? In this case, assume that he is external, and call yourself by name and surname (2;96).

When you call

Telephone etiquette requires that you identify yourself even if you call yourself.

"Good afternoon, this is Mary Smith from Weiss Graphics. Is Mr. Jones there?

This frees the secretary or the person who answers the phone from the onerous duty of asking, "How do I tell who is calling?"

When Mr. Jones answers you, do not immediately enter into conversation. Be nice and ask if he has time to talk. Mr. Jones will appreciate that you consider his time.

And finally, a few words about erroneous calls. Everyone sometimes accidentally dialed the wrong number. If this happens to you, don't hang up without an apology. “Sorry, I must have got the wrong number.”

Of course, if you get the wrong call, then you should always show courtesy to the person who got the wrong number. Don't make the caller more embarrassed by showing him or her your annoyance at being interrupted (2:97).

How to deal with routine duties that disgust you.

Calls on behalf of the boss usually generate the same enthusiasm as cleaning windows. This is probably because most people find it beneath their dignity to call on behalf of the boss, knowing that there is a secretary for this. Thank God, this practice is usually the exception rather than the rule.

And yet, the egotistical unpleasant duties of calling on behalf of the boss can be performed skillfully and gracefully. Here are some tips.

Before calling anyone, let your boss know that you intend to do so. Then he or she can be ready to pick up the phone if the person you are calling is there.

Once you've reached the person's office, explain the reason for the call. Once you make contact, let your boss know that he/she can pick up the phone.

If the person you are trying to reach is not available, then leave it on the answering machine or pass on the information that Mr. Smith of Company XYZ called. In addition to his work number, also let me know when Mr. Smith can be found (3;57).

When to call back

If you are not there and you naturally cannot answer the phone, you should call the person who called you back as soon as possible. For some, that means 10 minutes, for others, two days. Call each person back or have a staff member do it. Prompt callbacks can pay big dividends (5;35).

Get others to call you back quickly.

When you call a person who, for some reason, cannot answer your call, explain when and where you can be found. The more you explain everything, the more professional you will look in the eyes of your colleagues.

If you are making a long distance call, be sure to say so. Then your call will be answered more readily (2;99).

How to win the phone game of catch up.

One of the most common games in our daily culture, the tag game, can seriously disrupt your plans. Studies have shown that your chances of getting through to the right person on the first try are about 1 in 6. The data also suggests that you could lose more than two years of your life playing phone chase. Here are some etiquette tips to help you save time when using your phone.

When you are talking to a person with whom you will need to continue the conversation, then agree on the exact time of the next call.

If the person you are calling is not available, explain the reason you are calling. Be specific. Maybe someone else can help you.

Be polite to administrative staff. Ask when is the best time to call again.

When your phone calls consistently fail, look for an alternative connection. Send the person a note or fax them (2;100).

It is the norm to observe telephone etiquette by every employee of the organization who answers incoming calls, makes phone calls on behalf of the company, or to whom a customer call can be forwarded. If you strive to look like a professional in the eyes of partners and clients, then the implementation of the laws outlined is simply mandatory for you.