Soft skills for employee training

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Soft Skills / Etiquette

© Tally Solutions Pvt. Ltd. All Rights Reserved 2
What is Etiquette?
 A fancy word for getting along with others
 Politeness
 Poise
 Confidence
 A code that governs the expectations of social behavior

 Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication
 Facial Expression
 Body Language
 Listening Skills
 Dress Sense
 Managing a conflict
Communication

Why Do We Need Etiquette?
 There’s no such thing as a vacation from good manners.
 To be at ease by showing more confidence and poise in business &
social situations.
 Increases the likelihood that your calls, appointments and e-mails
will be received positively.
 To come across as the polished professional you really are!

WRITING SKILLS

Rs. 1000000000
Rs. 10,00,00,000/-
Rs. 10 Crore
Clarity in Writing…

 Plan what you want to say in your document
While Writing…
 Use simple language – avoid ambiguous words
 Check spelling & punctuation, then send
 Reread the letter when you have finished

 “KISS” (Edit the letter by cutting ruthlessly)
 Be kind to others’ eyes (font size, clarity)
 Be creative (use tables, graphs)
 Use the language YOU
While Writing…

Writing Tips
a. Your e-mail should be reader friendly.
b. Use the subject line and keep it, clear, concise and informative.
c. Greeting the customer. For the first e-mail reply mention ‘Greetings’
and subsequent e-mail interactions can continue with Salutation and
Reply.
d. Salutation is addressing the customer with Mr. / Ms. / Dear Customer.
e. Communicate the most important information first and then move to
the least important. Good business writing is structured as an
inverted pyramid.
- Most Important
Reply First
- Least important
matter/ Solution

• For multiple queries, structure your reply in points.
• Leave a space between paragraphs.
• Label attachments – You need to provide appropriate names for
attached files, as it will help the customer in identifying the relevant
attachment and relate to it better while reading the mail.
• Limit messages to one screen, use an attachment instead.
• Spell Check: Check your spelling and grammar by copying the
written mail contents to MS Word or any other spell check software.
• Signature or Sign Off
Writing Tips

Infosys
"Since I have to go to my village to sell my land along with my wife,
please sanction me one-week leave."
Humor in writing
CDAC
“As I want to shave my son's head, please leave me for two days.."
Oracle
“As I am marrying my daughter, please grant a week's leave.."
H.A.L.
"As my mother-in-law has expired and I am only one responsible for it,
please grant me 10 days leave...”
A leave letter to the headmaster:
"As I am studying in this school I am suffering from headache.
I request you to leave me today"

"Since I've to go to the cremation ground at 10 o-clock
and I may not return, please grant me half day casual leave"
Humor in writing
Covering note:
"I am enclosed herewith..."
Another leave application:
"My wife is suffering from sickness and as
I am her only husband at home I may be granted leave".
A candidate's job application:
"This has reference to your advertisement calling for a
' Typist and an Accountant - Male or Female'...
As I am both for the past several years and I can handle both
with good experience, I am applying for the post..

Telephone Etiquette

Today's technology allows you to handle more customer
service calls than ever before. But when telephone personnel
lack call management skills, the only thing you get from all
that technology is the ability to serve more people poorly. That
means losing customers - and profits. Your telephone
personality has a definite bearing on your rating.
Introduction

The Telephone and You

Basic Phone etiquette
Telephone etiquette can make or
break the caller’s perception of your
service.

Professional Telephone Etiquette!!!
Often a client's first contact with a business
is by phone.
Professionalism is being
polite, thoughtful, efficient,
educated and valuable at all times.

Alertness
Show that you are wide-awake, ready to engage in a
conversation
Pleasantness
Put a smile in your voice
Naturalness
Use, simple, straightforward language; avoid technical
terms/slang
Ways to Sound as Good as You Really Are!

Inflection
 86% of the message is from
your tone of voice
 14% is grasped by the actual
words
86%
Tone
14%
Words

Tips to Improve Inflection
 Smile
 Stress Words
 Breathe
 Exaggerate your tone

Do’s
 Smile (they really can hear it!)
 Speak Clearly and Concisely
 Be Enthusiastic
 Lower the Pitch of your Voice
 Talk in a Positive Mood
 Listen/Discuss

Don’ts
 Frown
 Mutter
 Sound Tired
 Speak in a Shrill Voice
 Speak Negatively
 Ramble

Making a Call

Making a Call
 Know the name of the person you want to reach.
 Know how to pronounce it correctly.
Verify the phone number before calling.
 Keep frequently called numbers handy.
 Ask the caller if it is convenient to talk.
 Insist on calling back if the connection is faulty.

Answering a Call
Telephone calls should be
answered
within three rings.

Before you answer
 Be prepared
 Turn away from your computer, desk or other work
 Have pens, pencils and notepaper handy

Create a Good First Impression
Answer with a friendly greeting
Smile - it shows, even through the phone
Ask the caller their name, even if their name is not necessary
for the call, and use it!
Keep the phone two-finger widths from your mouth

First Impressions
Communication is an art
and mastering that art can be the key for building
stronger customer relationships.

Being Courteous ‘n’ Effective
 Always identify yourself when placing a call.
 Keep the conversation brief but not to the point of curtness.
 Always let the customer know when you will return the call.
 When you have finished talking say, “Thank you, Madam/Sir. Goodbye.”
 Let the caller hang up first.

Being Courteous ‘n’ Effective
Address people by their names and titles, as appropriate.
Place a call on hold, if necessary, rather than leaving a phone with an open line.
Respond promptly to all requests.
Listen. Do not interrupt a caller or become impatient.
Do not talk with food or chewing gum in your mouth.
Respond courteously to requests and responses.

Identify Yourself
Suggestions:
When answering someone else’s line, give the name of the company and your
name.
When answering your own line you can give your department name and then
your name.
What should you say
when you answer the phone?

Choice of Words
 Avoid crude expressions.
 Reply with a distinct “Yes,” rather than “Yeah/Ya.”
 Show respect with simple comments and responses such as “Thank you,”
“ I appreciate your help” and “Please.”
 Avoid responding with non-words noises such as “ah,” “uh-huh” or
“ummm.”
 Speak slowly and pronounce words clearly.

Placing Calls on Hold
Ask permission before placing a caller on hold.
Examples:
 “Would you hold while I get your file?”
 “Can you hold briefly while I see if Mr. Jones is
available?”
1. Ask callers if they want to continue holding.
2. Indicate how long the delay could be.
3. Return to the line periodically.
4. Always thank the caller for holding
5. Offer to call the person back if the wait will be long.
6. Never leave a customer on hold for longer than one minute.
7. Be courteous, respectful and professional.

When you need to leave the line during a conversation:
Say how long it will take, and then:
Ask your caller if he/she will hold the line, or if he/she would prefer that you take a
message.
“Check in” with your caller if you have to be away from the line for more than a
minute, with “It will take me a few minutes more to find that information; do you
wish to wait or shall I call you back?”

Avoid saying, “Just a moment,” then leaving the line. Your
caller may prefer to receive that information later than to wait
out the time of your search!
Get the Customer’s attention. To pick up the telephone and
continue with, “its 044-4321-1116,” will invariably bring a
“what was that?” So…..
Thank him/her for waiting or apologize for taking more
time than you had anticipated would be necessary.
Now that you have his/her attention again, give him/her
the information.

Closing the Call
When you are closing:
1. If you initiated the call, review the information details. Whatever the
business may have been. Be sure that the details you have written down are
correct.
2. If you have received the call, repeat to your caller the business of the call.
Make certain that your caller has understood correctly what you have told
them.

Close the Call Correctly
When the conversation is completed, what do you do?
Make sure that the caller has no more queries
Use “Goodbye, thank your for calling,” or some other appropriate closing to
indicate the conversation is ended.
Let the caller put down the receiver first, so they don't feel you have cut
them off.

Handling Complaints &
Angry Callers
 Listen to the complaint, investigate and act to resolve the issue.
 Avoid interrupting until the entire complaint has been stated.
 Do not allow yourself to get angry.
 If the caller is angry, pause before you respond and then respond politely.
 If the caller refuses, ask if you can have few minutes to collect needed information.
This additional time may allow the caller to calm down.

Handling Complaints and
Angry Callers
 Never put an angry caller on hold.
This may make them more angry.
 Empathize. Express regret for the situation.
 For example, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
 Find a way to agree with their circumstances. For example, “I understand what
you are going through. I’d be upset too if that had happened to me.”
 Suggest alternatives for handling the problem that show you have the authority
and can take responsibility for providing answers to the customer.

What you should do is:
Listen without interrupting.
Gather the facts and make a note of them.
Take their details so you can get back to them.
Sympathize with them and offer to act as fast as you can.
Apologize if you have made the mistake.
Stay calm even though the caller is angry and possibly abusive.
Handling Complaints and
Angry Callers

Avoid Verbal Barriers to
Communication
We know that people resist being told they “have” to do anything!
Here are a few expressions to reflect upon:
NOT THIS BUT THIS
Are you indifferent?
“Hold on...” “Do you mind waiting while I
check that for you?”
“You’ll have to check with “Mr. X is handling that matter.
Mr. X. May I have him get in touch with you?”
Are you arbitrary?
“You have to.... “Will you please do this….”
“You need to….

Avoid Verbal Barriers to
Communication
We know that people resist being told they “have” to do anything!
Here are a few expressions to reflect upon:
NOT THIS BUT THIS
Are you tactless?
“Who’s calling?” “May I tell her who’s calling, please?
“What is your name?” “May I ask your name?”
Are you casting reflections?
“I don’t know where he is.” “Mr. X isn’t in the office just now.”
“He hasn’t come in yet.” “May I have him call you later?”
“He’s still out to lunch.”

Answering calls for others
 Identify yourself and the company or person for whom you are answering and
say, "How may I help you?
 Offer assistance in the absence of others--say, "She is not in today, perhaps I
can be of assistance".
 Do not make commitments for others-say, "I'll give him your message when
he returns," rather than-"He will call you as soon as he returns".
 Take accurate, legible messages with time, date, reason for call, urgency,
company represented, if any, the best time to reach them and all other
pertinent information.

16 Words and Phrases that
Keep the situation Cool
Hello! I'm sorry to keep you waiting.
Good morning! Thank you for waiting.
Please. It was nice talking with you.
Thank you. Is there anything else I can do for you?
I'm very sorry. Thank you for coming in (or calling).
Excuse me. It's been a pleasure to serve you.
You're welcome. I'd be happy to do that for you.
May I help you? We appreciate your business.

Concluding the call
 End the conversation with agreement on what is to happen next; if you
are to follow up, do so immediately.
 Thank the caller for calling, invite the caller to caller again

11 Most Frequent Caller Complaints
1. "The telephone rings for a long time before it is answered."
Try to answer calls within 3 rings.
2. "They place me on hold for sometimes, it seems, hours."
If you find yourself placing many calls on hold, write down the name of the caller and a
brief description of what they are calling about.

3. "The line is busy for hours it seems."
Try to keep calls short.
4. "They are very rude and get offensive when asked their full name or sometimes just
won't give it."
Try to stay pleasant.
5. "They let me talk on and on only to realize that they're not the person I should be
talking to."
Politely interrupt the caller if you are unable to help them.

6. "If I call the wrong department for help, they don't give me suggestions to where I
should be calling, they just say, 'I don't know, not our department.'"
Frequently, you will find that your number is similar to another department on campus.
Rather than hanging up on a caller or saying you don't know, try to be helpful (within
reason).
7. "They don't clearly listen to my needs before they transfer me to the wrong
person."
Listen to the caller carefully!
8. "Sometimes they disconnect me while transferring my call."
Be careful when transferring a call.

9. "They told me to call back, but never gave me a name or number or division to ask
for."
If you tell a caller to call back later, tell them which number to call.
10. "The person says, 'Wait', and then talks to other co-workers without putting me on
hold so that I can't hear their small talk."
Use the hold button!
11. "They answer with an aggravated voice, as if I disturbed them by calling."
Remember that students are the reason there is a college.

Last Impressions
• Before ending the call, always…
• Make sure you answered all the caller’s questions
• Always end with a pleasantry:
• Have a nice day
• It was nice speaking with you
• Let the caller hang up first

• Don’t get personal, even if they do
• Be prepared for rejection – just apologize for bothering them and graciously
get off the phone
• If you need help – get a supervisor
Last Impressions

Effective
Communication
Stronger
decision
making
Steadier
Work flow
Clearer
promotional
materials
Enhanced
professional
image
Quicker
problem
solving
Stronger
business
relationships
Increased
productivity
Improved
stakeholder
response

Something to Remember
A person may forget what you say,
A person may forget what you do,
But, a person will not forget how
you made them feel…

Success…
When every customer
leaves satisfied.
Satisfied customers tend to bring
new customers to your doorstep.

10 Tips for Keeping Fresh and Cool
Under Pressure
 Take brisk walks in your break.
 Post motivational quotes on your phone or around your workstation.
 Get more sleep at night.
 Take breaks with positive coworkers.
 Share your feelings about work with friends and
family members.
 Eat a healthy lunch.
 Listen to motivational tapes on your way to work.
 Make time for your hobbies.
 Keep a funny picture near your phone so you remember to smile.
 Allow yourself one five minute phone call to a friend.

Five Ways to Add Some Fun to
Your Workday
Work in a perk (lively and cheerful).
Breathe deeply for some time. Several times during the day, pause for three
slow, deep, relaxing breaths.
Keep stress relievers on hand.
Celebrate small victories.
Review your successes at the end of the day.
Think about what you did well.

At the End of the Day….
 At the end of the day, spend a few moments reflecting on what you have
accomplished. Tally up the good experiences against the bad.
 Sure, there are always angry customers and those you can never please.
 Because you are a professional, it's natural to remember and be concerned
about the negative customer contacts you experience.
 You deserve to pat yourself on the back!

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