Should you be seeking advice on how to improve your performance on the phone, Acorn ICT have 5 tips for better call handling. Whether you’re lacking confidence or experience, we have some handy advice to help you move forward when communicating over the phone.
Better Call Handling Tips
When it comes to business, a lot of the conversations you have with clients or other companies will be made over the phone. In order to best represent your business and come across in a professional manner, you will need to nail your calls. If conversations or enquiries are not handled the right away, you could be at risk of losing a customer, money, or even your business’ reputation.
Stay ahead of the game by taking the time to read through our suggestions and better call handling with our tips below.
1. Invest in a Quality Phone System
First things first, it’s extremely important to have a good quality phone system. Without this, you could easily lose control of the call, and potentially the sale. People often get frustrated and end a phone call when the phone line isn’t up to scratch. By investing in a quality business hosted telephone system you can make sure that your phone calls will run smoothly without the risk of a poor connection.
2. Monitor, Call Feedback, and Learn
If you have noticed, a lot of call centres or businesses have call recording on every call. This is essential for businesses to make improvements to the quality of their calls and providing call feedback is key to learning and moving forward.
Usually, at the end of a phone call you realise the areas of improvement. From having the right training and skills in place to managing the call, getting feedback is critical for developing your call handling. It is important for businesses to monitor calls, provide call feedback and then teach their employees how to improve their call skills. This will not only help to improve your call handling, but show that you have the confidence when cold calling or speaking to a client.
3. Be Prepared
Before taking the call, be prepared for the possible upcoming conversation. Take the time to check if there are any previous notes on the business you’re calling, as this will allow you to keep up to date with the latest conversations. Prior to making a call, you should consider:
- The reason for your call
- Who it is you’re speaking to
- Have you got the information, message, or purpose of the phone call in front of you or prepared?
- Ask them how their day is or how they’re doing
- Is there anything you need from them?
- If you regularly contact this person, do you need to schedule your next call?
- Smile, it makes a difference
4. Stay on Top of Your Game
The key to improving your call handing is to stay on top of your game. Getting to know the client or the person you’re calling is vital in order to make a professional relationship. Try to make an effort with the person you’re calling, be it by remembering their interests or having some friendly chit-chat. The closer you get to creating a professional relationship the more the person will trust and come to like you.
It’s also important to know your limits, as there could be certain conversations or questions that can cause the client to turn off from wanting to discuss matters. Stay professional, friendly, and if you’re selling something, don’t come across too strong or they may feel pushed into a conversation.
5. Make the Caller Feel Important
Put yourself in the shoes of the person you’re calling. Make them feel comfortable and at ease with your conversation. Whether you’re making a sales call or having a general conversation, the person on the phone needs to feel important. Be there for them when they need advice, and let them feel comfortable when speaking to you. This way, you will create a fantastic business contact and could even close the sale by simply making them feel significant.
Good Luck with Your Call Handling!
Now that you know our 5 tips for better call handling, you can begin to put things into practice. This will allow you to improve your performance on the phone and develop new communication skills. Acorn ICT wish you the best of luck in your phone calls and improving your call handling.