How Does Business Phone Etiquette Affect Your Business Performance?

Before and During the Call

It is important for someone to constantly practice their tone before making an actual phone call to ensure that they can achieve the right pitch - volume and tone of voice when speaking over the phone. This will help the listener over at the other end to interpret what is actually being said beyond the verbal cues.

When you make your phone call for business matters - always begin by identifying yourself - your position - and what company you belong to. Then - indicate the name of the specific person you wish to talk to. But take note that you have to be polite when requesting to speak to that person because you'll never know when they might be busy attending to something equally important.

On the other hand - if you are the one answering a phone call - make sure to assume a professional but pleasant tone. As when you are the one calling - identify yourself and your business organization. This straightforward approach of phone communication is preferred in the business setting wherein almost everyone works at a rapid pace.

Answering or Responding to Phone Calls

Another important etiquette feature in a business phone system is the hold feature. This particular feature produces dual results such that it will enable you to attend to urgent cases and still be able to maintain your communication with the person on the other line. However - there is a specific way to do this right to avoid offending the other person on the phone and to avoid wasting their precious time.

If you are about to put someone on hold - make sure to ask them first if they would allow to be kept on hold for a short while. Wait for their answer before you leave and attend to an urgent task - leaving them with no idea where you just went.

If they are indefinite about being kept on hold - calmly and clearly explain to them the necessity of attending to another matter while you are talking on the phone. Make them feel that this does not render them unimportant - but that there is a sense of urgency about this other matter. If you are going to cause inconvenience to the person you are speaking to - make sure that you explain it to them fully. However - make sure to not keep them waiting beyond 30 seconds and be quick when addressing the urgent matter that you promised to respond to while you keep the other person on the line waiting.

Leaving Voice Mail or Messages

The voice mail option is available for most business phone systems - which enables one to leave a message to someone informing them of what you are up to such that you are not available to answer the call. Hence - it informs the caller instead of trying to guess why the call is not being responded by the person on the other hand. This is especially useful in a business setting wherein people you are communicating with lead a hectic schedule such that they cannot waste even a few minutes trying to connect to you via phone call.

When you leave a voice mail message though - keep it brief and straight to the point. Make sure you speak the words clearly for the person on the other line to understand the message clearly. If you have a playback feature when recording your voice mail - you can play it again to see for yourself whether it is clear enough. Any business professional will appreciate getting a return message to let them know you cannot respond within the time needed.