Phone Etiquette

Learning telephone etiquette establishes a professional environment for your business, your staff and clients
By Rachel Davy, Writer/Editor Using proper phone etiquette can make the all the difference in how you and your employees are viewed as professionals by clients, business associates and customers alike. Often the only thing anyone has to go by is how you sound on the phone, so learning about correct telephone etiquette is an important part of creating a professional business environment for you, your staff and anyone you have dealings with.

In order for you and your employees to learn about telephone etiquette in a business setting, you need to consider the following steps:

1. Go to a business etiquette workshop or seminar where telephone etiquette is one of the subjects covered.

2. Hire a telephone etiquette consultant to come on site and train you and your employees and answer any questions that come up.

3. Have telephone etiquette information available to all employees that they can access when questions arise.

Take a workshop or a seminar to receive phone etiquette training

Since many of us don't even know what proper telephone etiquette is, it might be beneficial for you and your employees to find a trained professional who can help you learn. You can get phone etiquette advice, tips and training either by having some come to your place of business and teach you, by going to seminars or by taking online courses.
Try:  Take the one-day workshop from Softskills Courseware to get phone etiquette information and training for you and staff. Go to Phone Pro to schedule a customized course that’s done at your place of business.

Get phone etiquette training from a phone etiquette consultant

There are etiquette coaches and consultants who are available to answer your questions, give phone etiquette advice and also train you and your staff. Some of these consultants specialize in not just phone etiquette but also in teaching you and your staff about professional business attire and manners.
Try:  Go to Professional Image Management to take a business etiquette seminar, where telephone etiquette is one of the many subjects covered to help you and your staff learn proper social skills for a business environment. Visit The AML Group to hire an etiquette consultant to instruct you and your staff and give you telephone etiquette advice.

Have phone etiquette advice and guides available as a quick reference

Sometimes it's a good idea to have a handy reference around in case you or one of your employees needs quick help with phone etiquette. You can either bookmark websites that have phone etiquette information on them or print copies to post on bulletin boards so that all of members of your staff have the information available to them.
Try:  At both Salary.com and Azusa Pacific University, you can find easy-to-understand lists and other phone etiquette information to share with all of your office staff.

• To make sure that every member of your staff is aware of what you expect of them, have a list of telephone etiquette advice and tips used as part of new hire handbooks or employee folders.