We’ve all had this
experience. You call a business, a harried voice asks you to hold, and before
you have a chance to say, “no!” you’re listening to some prerecorded music
while you linger there, trapped “on hold.” Or you call up to ask a simple
question such as how late the store stays open and the voice on the other end
responds as if you have asked them to push a Mack truck across the country with
his big toe. Perhaps the person on the other end of the line uses the right
words, but the tone of the voice says, “You are an idiot and I don’t have time
for this.”
Are the nonverbal
messages you give out over the phone making a good first impression? Are you
energetic, respectful, and professional on the phone? If you are, you can bet
that people notice it, appreciate it, and value you and the service you
provide.
In the caller’s
mind, the nonverbal message is as important as or more important than the
words. If the verbal message is different from the nonverbal message, people
will rely on the nuances of the voice rather than the words to infer meaning.
These nuances are called paralanguage and include accents, pauses, volume,
emphases, tone, tempo, and rate. On the telephone, much of the emotional impact
and true meaning of the message is interpreted from those nuances and other
nonverbal cues such as time and background sounds.
There are certain
techniques you can use to improve your effectiveness on the telephone and
create a positive impression:
Use a Warm, Sincere
Voice in Your Greeting. Make
sure that the first words, such as “good morning” or “good afternoon,” are
delivered with warmth and sincerity. The most important aspects we look for in
first impressions are qualities that make us feel safe, such as friendliness
and genuineness. If you use an automatic greeting or spiel, you will give an
impression of insincerity and unfriendliness. On the phone, it takes a mere
fortieth of a second to form a first impression, so the voice you use is
critical. We don’t just form these impressions with strangers; we also form
first impressions of the moods of people we already know.
Give the Caller Adjustment Time. Our ears are very sensitive to sound. It
takes 10 to 30 seconds to adjust to voices. Make a habit of saying, “Good
morning,” or “Good afternoon.” This gives the caller time to adjust to your
voice before going on to the most important part of your greeting such as your
name or the name or your business. Say it clearly and don’t rush it. If the
caller isn’t given this adjustment period, he or she may not retain the
information you give. The caller may hear it, but won’t absorb it.
Don’t rush through your prospect’s name and
greeting. It’s a habit
everyone gets into. Remember that a rushed voice creates a perception in the
mind of the caller. It can make callers think that you’re busy, stressed, or
that you want rush them. Take a deep relaxing breath before you pick up the
phone to make a call and focus on using normal conversation speed in your
delivery.
Be Understandable in Your Communication. Take precautions to ensure that you speak
clearly. That means not just slowly, but articulately. You can test how clear
your voice is by taping yourself reading a paragraph.
Match Voice Tone, Volume, and Rate of Speech. You may have heard about the value of
matching or mirroring body language to establish rapport and make someone feel
safer and more comfortable. Did you know that matching the voice on the phone
has the ability to do that as well? Remember that the caller does not have
face-to-face cues to help read you and make him or her feel safe. Matching the
nuances of the person’s voice in the first few minutes of the call puts a
person at ease.
Avoid Making
Background Noise. Have you
ever heard someone on the other end of the line clicking on computer keys?
Chances are it made you wonder if you had the person’s full attention. In this
world of multi-tasking, we may think it’s all right to do more than one thing,
but to the person who you call, it can seem rude, unprofessional, and
disrespectful.
Don't Interrupt
Your Customer. When you are
face to face with another person, you use body language cues such as leaning
forward and eye contact to indicate whose turn it is to speak. When these are
absent, you need to carefully avoid interruptions as they come across more
severely and can appear rude. Wait until it is clear that the person has
finished speaking before you respond.
Answer Your Phone
Promptly. Time is a powerful
nonverbal communicator. When waiting on the phone, there may be little or no
stimulation or distractions to make the time pass, affecting callers'
perceptions so wait time seems longer. If a prospect is calling with a question
or a concern, the longer your phone rings, the less important the call becomes.
It also allows time for the caller’s concern to grow; or for their uncertainty
to turn into refusal. Answering quickly stops these feelings from getting out
of control and helps callers perceive that you are quick and efficient. Avoid
letting the telephone ring more than three or four times. Research shows that
each additional ring after three makes the caller an average of 10 percent more
likely to hang up and 15 percent more likely to be irritated when you finally
do answer.
It is crucial to
consistently practice these skills to establish and maintain good first
impressions. Your tone, energy, and even the speed at which you speak, need to
be the same for everyone at all times of the day. It makes no difference how
you are feeling that day; your prospect needs to feel appreciated and
satisfied.
-from a training I attended-
.
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