The document provides a comprehensive guide on effective telephone communication skills, covering aspects such as call structure, opening and closing techniques, and listening skills. It emphasizes the importance of professionalism, maintaining control during calls, and ensuring clear communication. Additionally, it offers tips for gathering and providing information, managing conversations, and following up after calls.

1. Communicate on the
Telephone
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials
Communicate on the Telephone

2. Communicate on the
Telephone
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
By the end of the Power Hour you will be able to:
• Open or answer a call professionally
• Structure a call to retain control and make sure that
it achieves its objectives
• Close and follow up a call effectively

3. Communicate on the
Telephone
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
The Structure of a Telephone Call
• Greetings
• Identification of
the nature of
the call
Beginning
• Exploration of
issues
• Supply of
information
Middle • Summary/
agreement of
next actions
• Sign off
End

4. Communicate on the
Telephone
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsTrain the Trainer Oct 2011
Opening/Answering a Call
Outbound
• Say who you are
• Check who you are talking
to
• State the reason for the call
• Ask if it is convenient for the
other person to talk
Inbound
• Answer the call within 4
rings
• Answer with a short, but
professional greeting
• Clearly state your name (&
dept in large companies)
• Go through the relevant
data protection questions (if
required)

5. Communicate on the
Telephone
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
Voice Tone
Volume
Energy
Speed
Pitch
Articulation

6. Communicate on the
Telephone
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
Structuring a Call: The Funnel Technique
Useful for
GATHERING
information
Open Questions
to allow the other person to express
themselves in their own way
Probing Questions to enable
you to get a better
understanding
Open Specific and
Reflective
Questions to check
the details
Closed
Questions to
gain
agreement

7. Communicate on the
Telephone
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
Structuring a Call: TEA
Useful for
PROVIDING
information
Tell
• The purpose
of your call
Explain
• The subject
that you
want to
discuss
Ask
• For a
specific
response

8. Communicate on the
Telephone
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
Listening and Recording: CARES
Concentrate Acknowledge Record
Encourage or
Empathise
Summarise

9. Communicate on the
Telephone
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
Signposting and Controlling a Call
Signposts are words and phrases such as:
• We’ll start by discussing X, and then move onto looking into Y
• Now we’ve got those details, we can move on to look at X
• Thank you for that, now I’d like to discuss Y
• OK, there’s just two more things I need to tell you about now;
X and Y
• You’ve been so helpful, we just have another 5
minutes, and then we’ll be finished
• I’m going to put you on hold for a few minutes
whilst I speak to my colleague about this

10. Communicate on the
Telephone
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsTrain the Trainer Oct 2011
Signposting and Controlling a Call
DO
• Remain polite at all times
• Acknowledge their concerns/issues
• Reassure them
• Explain why you need to do certain
things
• Focus on their situation and their
outcomes. They don’t care about
your process/system
• Refer back to things already
discussed/agreed
• Focus on solving the problem/dealing
with the query
DON’T
• Lose your patience or temper
• Get angry that the other person
doesn’t understand your system
• Be sarcastic
• Blame the customer
• Be too passive
• Fob the caller off
• Transfer them
without good reason
or warning

11. Communicate on the
Telephone
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
Closing a Call
Look for a natural end to
the conversation when
the ‘business’ part of the
call is over.
Summarise key points.
Check that the other
person has covered
everything that they
wish to.
Use phrases such as
“Thank-you for your
time” to signal that you
feel the call is complete.
Remain polite.
Be assertive if you have
to. It’s OK to say “I really
have to go now”.
Use your voice tone to
emphasise that the call
is at an end.
Make sure that other
person has your contact
details for the future (if
appropriate).
Update your
notes/records.
Schedule any follow-up
action.
Do (or diarise) any
actions that you have to
take as a result of the
call.
Speak to anyone else
who may be affected by
the outcome of the
conversation.

12. Communicate on the
Telephone
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
Make it Work at Work
What are you going
to DO as a result of
this Power Hour
Session?

13. Communicate on the
Telephone
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
These slides have been produced as an optional
resource to support a Bite-Size Training session on this
subject.
A full set of materials, including detailed Session
Leader’s Guide, Delegate Workbook and supporting
activities can be purchased from our Training Shop
Our Training materials are licence-free, but are for use
by the purchaser only.
They CANNOT be passed or sold on.