One of the most common things we do on a day to day basis is communicate with other people. Good communication can lead to a better understanding of people and perhaps more importantly, allowing others to fully understand us. This is especially important in business.
Communication means have changed dramatically over the years, with the introduction of modern telecommunications such as faxes and email, but still the most widely used communication tool is the telephone. The telephone is a very powerful tool, especially when used within a business environment and many people underestimate its importance and more importantly, the importance of the person using it.
When a potential client phones a company, their first impression of that company is created by the person who answers the phone. In order to ensure that the caller develops a positive image within their mind, the person answering the call must be efficient, confident and capable of inspiring confidence in the caller. It is a very big responsibility but by examining existing skills and practising new ones this challenge can be met, and the standards maintained.
Professional Telephone Techniques
When answering the telephone always remember:
You are aiming to make the caller pleased that they chose to call your company
You are aiming to impress the caller with your courtesy and helpfulness
Answer the telephone with identification
While on the call:
Remember to ensure your opening greeting identity’s you and your organisation clearly, by speaking into the mouthpiece. Always ask for the caller’s name and use it, it gives the impression of friendly familiarity. Speaking in a warm, interested tone will add to this.
If you have to ask the caller to wait – explain why. In this situation, service your call on hold every 30 seconds and thank the caller for waiting. Make the caller feel that you are anxious and willing to help; if you agree to call back at a specific time, call – even if you have been as yet unable to attend to the query or request.
Attend to a query immediately or you may forget. If there are other priorities, write down the query. Let your caller hang up first and say “Thank you for calling”
As with any form of communication, when speaking on the telephone, there are
certain elements which will effect the ease with which you communicate and also the understanding of the message that you are trying to get across. Comparing the use of the telephone to such methods as letter writing or face to face meetings, it is easy to see that the telephone has a lot of limitations. There is no written word to read, therefore retention of what you have said is difficult. There is no body language, just your voice to make that important impression. Using the voice correctly involves paying special attention to three areas. These are.
A – Speed
B – Clarity
C – Tone
A – Speed
Speaking too fast automatically creates barriers, and confusion. The caller will find it difficult to grasp what you are trying to say. When making outgoing calls you are prepared and [hopefully] know what the call is about. The person at the other end of the line was probably not expecting the call and almost certainly was involved in something completely unrelated at the time.
When answering calls, slow down, think before you answer any queries or questions.
B – Clarity
Avoid mumbling. Speak clearly and distinctly but avoid compensating for this by shouting.
C – Tone
Speed and Clarity may be fine but this means nothing without a positive tone. No matter how bad your mood is, don’t let it show in your voice. Sound friendly and cheerful, even if it is killing you.
Listen!
Another important communication skill essential while on the telephone is listening. Listening to customers is perhaps one of the most important things that anybody can do. Ask questions and then step back. Try not to prompt too much. Allow them to have their say.
Good, professional telephone skills are paramount for a company’s reputation. It is the first impression a potential customer has of the company and sets the standard for future business.
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professional skills
If you’re still alive, you’re growing older every day. You may not notice it, but you are.When we make that great shift out of our teenage years into our twenties, most of the changes we encounter about growing older are good.
When we are in our twenties, growing older means a lot more freedom and a lot of adventure. Physically, we are at our peak of perfection.In our thirties, we are starting to enjoy many of the benefits of growing older as we accumulate more wisdom and in most cases, continue to have a body and a brain that’s still in great shape.
But there comes a time, perhaps in our fifth decade, or in our sixth, when growing older starts to have some negative effects we don’t really like.We may not be as physically fit as we used to be. We start to get sags and bags. We get aches and pains. We may be showing some forgetfulness.Our beautiful perfection of youth is gone.
Why do we age?
Over the centuries, people have often wondered how it is that our bodies grow and develop from a tiny fertilized egg, to a newborn baby, to a young child, then a teenager and, finally, a young adult. A huge number of very complex changes within our bodies must happen perfectly in order to achieve this.
Once we grow into our adult perfection, why can’t we just stay there? Why do we have to age?
And can we stop it?
Doctors and scientists used to take aging for granted. Scientists used to think that because aging was a natural process, there was no need to investigate it.Now, as increasing numbers of baby boomers are turning fifty, anxious to hang on to some semblance of youth, more and more research is being devoted to the topic of aging.
Scientists are trying to find out how and why we age, and they are investigating possible ways to slow down the aging process, or perhaps even stop it altogether.If new ways are found to extend physical and mental health for the aging population, the benefits to society will be enormous.
Although all of us want to live a long time, none of us wants to spend our final years in physical pain or suffering from mental decline.
Scientists have been able to identify some of the factors that influence the process of aging, and new knowledge is accumulating at a rapid rate. Dozens of theories to explain aging have been proposed, but it seems that aging is a very complex, and several processes are interlinked.
Here are some of the current theories about why we age:
If the cells were well fed, they divided faster. Body cells may have a built-in genetic program that tells them not to reproduce anymore.
Free Radical Theory - Free radicals are molecules or atoms that have an unpaired electron. In order to be electrically balanced, these molecules or atoms will grab an electron from a nearby atom, thereby creating another free radical, eventually resulting in a cascading chain of damage to cells and organs.
Free radical formation may not account for all the symptoms of aging, but it probably does play an important part in accelerating cellular damage. Free radicals are unavoidable. They are an inevitable consequence of living in a physical body. However, there are steps we can take to slow down free radical damage, such as avoiding pollutants, and eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.
The Telomere Theory – Telomeres are special types of chemicals that seem to have some ability to protect the chromosomes inside our cells. Every time our cells divide, the telemeres become shorter and less able to protect the chromosome. This may explain why the cells eventually become damaged and die. Scientists are currently trying to find out how to repair telomeres and stop the damage to the cells.
Glycation – When proteins in your body react with excess blood sugar, the proteins become damaged. This process is known as “glycation”. These sugar-damaged proteins may contribute to the breakdown of many other systems in the body. People who have diabetes or problems with insulin resistance are particularly vulnerable to glycation damage because of abnormalities in their blood sugar levels.
If it turns out to be true that glycation plays a major part in causing the negative effects of aging, we may be able to slow it down by making sure we avoid excess blood sugar levels.
Here are some other factors that play a part in aging:
-We experience a steep decline in hormone production in our later years
-Our body becomes less efficient at detoxifying
-The DNA in our cells becomes damaged
-A life time of exposure to stress and environmental toxins in our air, food and water overwhelms our body’s repair systems.
These are some of the explanations for why we age, but it’s not a complete picture. At the present time, we don’t yet know all the reasons for this process. And so far, there is no single magic bullet to stop it.
If scientists can learn how to slow down the process of aging, we will be able to spend many more happy years enjoying our lives while maintaining our peak of physical perfection.
And that’s something to look forward to!