Communication Skills

1. Telephone
Communication
By: Mahnoor S. Mufti

2. What isTelephone Communication
• The transmission of speech over a distance either by electric
signals propagated along conductors or by radio signals; a type of
telecommunication.
• Telephone communication permits conversations to be carried on between
people (subscribers) separated by almost any distance.

3. The evolving world of technology
• In a world where mobility, apps, social and cloud are increasingly becoming the
preferred way to do business, many companies are forgetting how important
the traditional telephone is when communicating with customers.
• The telephone offers a more personal touch, allowing businesses the
opportunity to integrate real-time two-way communication with customers.
• Technology has become such a vital part of our lives that we find it difficult to
envisage life without our smartphones or having information at the touch of a
button.We all know how important communicating with customers is to a
business and how difficult it would be to operate without a reliable phone
system.

4. Making it easier to do business
• The internet is a really powerful tool and helps businesses promote brand
awareness and sales messages to customers. But customers can find it difficult
to work technology and not being able to deal directly with a person.This can
lead to customer frustrations and a loss of the personal touch.
• Offering online options for your customers to contact your business is essential
nowadays for delivering great customer service, but so is providing and efficient
telephone system.
• With a suitable telephone system in place, your customers will be able to
contact your business directly and get answers to their queries often quicker
than if communications are handled through email or online platforms.

5. Advantages of the telephone
• It is important to take time to fully understand what your business needs and
goals are to help you choose the correct telecoms system to fulfil your
requirements.
• An efficient business telephone system streamlines good communication
between organization and customers.The telephone offers a faster interaction
than email, is more personal, and easy and quick to use.
• Keeping ahead of your competitors means providing a better customer
experience. Having the right tools in place can your business that extra edge.

6. Disadvantages of telephone in business
communication
Some most common disadvantages of the telephone –
• Expensive for video call and SMS
The telephone is a little bit expensive for video calls and SMS on the other hand voice
call, video calls, sending SMS through the internet is very cheap and this is the great
facility of the internet.
• Physical Damage
In long term use it cause headache and permanent damage to the brain especially
when it is a mobile phone.

7. • Often use for threat
One of the greatest disadvantages of the telephone is it is often used for threats for various
purposes.
• Network problem
Because of network problems, we can not talk properly sometimes and this is a very annoying
limitation of a telephone.
• Use for criminal activities
A telephone is often used for criminal activities because criminal use the telephone for its
various advantages

8. • Often it causes miscommunication
Sometimes the telephone causes miscommunication among people like some misunderstanding because of the same word.
• Habit of lying
Telephones and mobile increase the habit of laying in society because people on the other side cannot judge.
• Absence of face to face conversation
The telephone cannot provide face-to-face conversation and this is one of the most common disadvantages of the telephone
though if someone uses 3G or 4G they can make a video call.
• Voice is not clear some time
Sometimes the voice can’t come clearly because of network problems. Most people know about these disadvantages of the
telephone.

9. Telemarketing
• What IsTelemarketing?
Telemarketing is the direct marketing of goods or services to potential customers over the
telephone, internet, or fax.Telemarketing may either be carried out by telemarketers or
increasingly by automated telephone calls or "robocalls."
The intrusive nature of telemarketing, as well as reports of scams and fraud perpetrated over
the telephone, has spurred a growing backlash against this direct marketing practice.
Telemarketing may also be referred to as "telesales" or "inside sales."
Telemarketing is the direct marketing of goods or services to potential customers over the
telephone or the internet. Four common kinds of telemarketing include outbound calls,
inbound calls, lead generation, and sales calls.

10. KEYTAKEAWAYS
• Telemarketing is the direct marketing of goods or services to potential customers
over the telephone or the internet.
• Four common kinds of telemarketing include outbound calls, inbound calls, lead
generation, and sales calls.
• Due to the intrusive nature of telemarketing, including spam calls, many customers
are against it.
• Countries such as the U.S. and Canada have federal "Do Not Call" lists where
individuals can register their phone numbers to avoid telemarketing calls.

11. HowTelemarketingWorks
• Telemarketing is the practice of contacting, vetting, and approaching potential
customers. It does not include the use of direct mail marketing methods.
• Telemarketing may take place from a call center, an office, or, increasingly, a home.
Many times, telemarketing can involve a single call to assess interest or suitability,
and then follow-up calls to pursue a sale.Various data may be used to narrow down
large databases of names to a small number of higher-probability customer
prospects.
• Telemarketing is used by for-profit businesses, nonprofit charities, political groups
and candidates, surveying, donation solicitation, marketing research, and other
kinds of organizations.

12. Types ofTelemarketing Activities
• Outbound: Companies actively reach out to customer prospects and existing
customers via outbound telemarketing calls, also known as "cold" calls.
• Inbound:These telemarketing calls are based on inbound inquiries about products
or services as prompted by advertising or sales efforts.These are considered
"warm" calls as customers will typically have submitted an interest form online or
already be familiar with the company.
• Lead generation:This is the collection of intelligence about the profiles, interests,
and demographic data of potential customers.
• Sales:Telemarketers who are trained sales people engage in this persuasive
activity.They aim to close a deal on the phones.

13. Telemarketing: Criticism and Regulation
• The intrusive nature of telemarketing, together with its association with
scams and fraud, has turned a vast number of people against this direct
marketing method. Often, telemarketing phone calls are unwelcome, and
the companies that operate in this space are persistent.
• Suspicious activity together with a backlash from the public has led many
countries to lay down laws and police how telemarketers can operate.

14. What Is an Example ofTelemarketing?
• If you receive a call from somebody you don’t know who seeks to sell you
products or services, you are talking to a telemarketer.These individuals
contact people usually with the intention of selling something and can be
very persuasive.

15. Challenges in communicating with customers over the phone
• These challenges can include lack of body language, no eye contact, long
wait times, lack of follow-up, and using slang, jargon, or acronyms.You can
use your voice, tone, and careful word choice to ensure your customers have
a positive experience with your company.

16. FiveTips for Effective Communication
• Speak slowly and clearly, and don't use medical jargon. In person we can usually tell if
patients understand us, but over the phone it is not as obvious.To optimize comprehension
during phone visits, we must be extra thoughtful about how we speak.
• Listen actively. It may seem cumbersome, but during phone visits it is particularly
important to clarify what patients say.We may need to ask them to repeat themselves, ask
a few clarifying questions, or restate what we heard, beginning with, “So I want to be sure I
am understanding what you are saying. I heard you say that ….”
• Develop rapport. It is important to spend a few minutes at the beginning of the call
establishing rapport, just as we do upon entering the exam room. Be sure to explain why
the in-person visit (which some patients have waited months for) now has to be a
telephone visit. Focus on why we want to keep patients out of the clinic right now.
• Give each call your full attention to help the patient know you are listening.We must
resist doing anything else while talking on the phone.Try not to check your e-mail or read
that text that just came through.Your divided attention is more obvious to the patient than
you think.
• Be clear about the plan. Review what you discussed during the call, and establish what will
happen after you hang up. If you have the capability, send an after-visit summary through
the portal so the patient will have something in writing from the phone visit.

17. Importance ofTone ofVoice
• On the phone, where face-to-face interaction is impossible, (we mean traditional phones that
you communicate with clients on, not FaceTime and similar apps) tone of voice takes on a
significant importance. In fact, listeners glean emotion better from voice-only communications,
according toYale.
• A defined tone of voice is essential in establishing clear communication between both
parties. Here are two reasons why:
1.Your tone of voice projects what message you want the other person to hear when you speak
to them.
A wide spectrum of messages can be conveyed through your tone in communication. Compassion
and empathy are two important signals to a caller who is distressed, worried, or impatient.

18. 2.Your tone of voice projects your company’s brand.
How you come across over the phone when communicating with a customer in
the first 7 to 10 seconds establishes the impression that the caller will take
away about your company.
You can come across as genuine and positive on a call by:
· Breathing into your stomach and not from your chest
· Smiling when you speak
· Speaking around 120 to 150 words per minute. Any slower of faster than this
means you are likely not listening or do not come across as a good listener.
· Don’t take notes based on everything that is said. Writing every little detail
means that you are not actively listening. We train ourCSRs to take the “meat
of the message”, meaning what is most important to accurately relay the
message or input it into our client’s customer relationship management
software or field service software.

19. • Setting theTone
Setting the stage for a positive call starts with a warm, comforting tone.This
puts your customer at ease and increases the likelihood of the agent capturing
an accurate and complete message.This is vital in industries where
compassion and accuracy are essential, such as funeral homes or doctor’s
office.

20. • Tone of voice is comprised of 3 factors:
• 1. Rate of Speech: A normal rate of speech is 125 words per minute. Anything
faster will seem rushed. And, a slower rate will impart a sense of disinterest and
boredom, or worse-a feeling of condescension.
• 2. Pitch: Height or depth in the tone of voice. A monotonous voice can be
interpreted as robotic or disengaged. Higher pitches can be perceived as annoying
or less trustworthy.
• 3. Quality:The above three factors, when taken together, will determine the
overall quality of tone of voice.
• A telephone agent who is conscious of all four elements will have an easier time
gaining call control and creating a professional engagement.The attitude
conveyed by tone of voice will determine the outcome of the call, i.e., a frustrated
customer or a happy, satisfied one.

21. • Confidence is Key
A caller has only a person’s tone of voice and helpful attitude on which to base
their opinion over the phone. A tone that displays confidence will have an
advantage over a weak tone. Furthermore, a confident tone commands
attention, gets interrupted less often, and is more likely to be considered a
leader.

22. • Compassion and Empathy Over the Phone
• Because your company’s reputation is on the line, deciding who answers your calls
is an important decision for your business. If your business is considering hiring
an after-hours telephone answering service, or already works with a call center, you
want to make sure the phone agents answering your calls are highly skilled and
have received voice training.
• A good place to start is their core values. Do they align with your company’s? Do
they include compassion or empathy? Communicating with compassion is critical
for your business.
• A tone of compassion and empathy in communication means that you are engaged
and builds trust.When you treat your callers and clients as partners, rather than an
accounting entry, they will want to establish long term relationships with you.
Relationships will outperform price every time.

23. • https://study.com/academy/lesson/challenges-in-communicating-with-
customers-over-the
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