Telephone Skills
Telephone Skills
Making Calls
Answering your own phone
Answering company phone
Leaving a voicemail message for another person
Answering your colleagues phone
Answering a departmental phone
Placing a caller on hold
Transferring Calls
Taking Messages
Tele Conferencing
Things to avoid when on phone
Greeting
Identify Yourself – Name and where are you calling from
Request the Gate keeper to connect the call to the concerned person
Thank the Gate keeper
Greet the concerned person
State the purpose of the call
Take the time/ date and venue for the interview
Paraphrase
Thank the other person
Wish him
Wait for the other person to disconnect
Good morning/ Good afternoon/ Good evening, my name is Vikas. I am
called from Microsoft. May I please speak with Nitin from Sales
-
Making Calls
Answer your calls within three rings (if possible)
Always identify yourself when you answer the phone: "This is ______."
Speak in a pleasant tone of voice - the caller will appreciate it
Learn to listen actively and listen others without interrupting
When you are out of the office or away from your desk for more than a
few minutes, forward your phone to voicemail
Use the hold button when leaving a line so that the caller does not
accidentally overhear conversations being held nearby
If the caller has reached a wrong number, be courteous
Answering your own phone
Identifying your company
Give your name and job title/department
Asking how you can help the caller.
When you close the call you should:
Make sure that the caller has no more queries
Thank the caller. Wish them Good day
Let the caller put down the receiver first so they don't feel
you have cut them off
Good morning/ Good Afternoon/ Good evening, GE capital, my
name is Vikas. How may I help you today
Answering Company Phone
Greet the other person and Introduce yourself
State the purpose of the call. Speak clearly and slowly
Be sure to leave your name and phone number. It's best to say it at the
beginning and end of your message.
Keep messages short and to the point. Remember that you want to
leave the person you are calling with a good impression of you
Leave the date and time you called in the message. Let the person know
the best time to call you back
Cover one topic in one message. Specify what you want the recipient to
do
Good morning/ Good Afternoon/ Good Evening, this is Vikas from
Microsoft. I wanted to know if I can send my sales team to close your
order today. You can reach me at 8527382225 or drop me a mail before
1100 hrs. Thank you. Have a nice day
Leaving a voicemail message
Identify the person for whom you are answering
Identify yourself
E.g. “Mr. Kaeleys office, Vikas Mehra”
Receiver: "Mr. Kaeleys office, Vikas Mehra."
Scenario 1 Caller: "Hello, may I speak to Mr. Kaeley please?" (You
have no idea who is calling)
Scenario 2 Caller: "Hello, may I speak to Mr. Kaeley please?“ This is
Puneet Mehta
Receiver: I'm sorry, Mr. Kaeley is not available. May I help you?"
Caller: “ Thanks but I have to speak to Mr. Kaeley."
Receiver: "I'll be glad to ask him to return your call if you will leave
your name and number."
Answering your colleagues phone
Answer with department name
Your name
E.g. “Accounts, Vikas Mehra”
Answering a Departmental Phone
Always ask the caller if he/she would like to hold
Avoid the abrupt phrase "hold please."
Let the caller know how long it will take and ask
whether he/she prefers to hold or be called back
Update the caller periodically (possibly every 30
seconds)
E.g. “Mr. Kaeley is out at the moment, but he should be
back soon. Would you like to hold or may I ask him to return
your call?"
Placing the Caller on hold
Ask the caller if he/she would like to be transferred.
Give him/her the number to which the call is being
transferred in case the call is disconnected or in case he/she
would like to dial the number later
Stay on the line to make sure the connection is completed
Call Transfer norm in case of a frustrated caller who has
made multiple calls
Warm Transfer/ Cold Transfer
Transferring Calls
Taking Messages
Name of the caller and his/her company
Date and time of the call
Complete telephone number-even if the person being called
already has the number
Any other information the caller gives you
Configure your voicemail message
Hi, You have reached the voicemail box of Vikas Mehra. I will be
away from my desk till 1700 hrs or 5 pm today. Please leave
your name, number and a short message and I will call you
back. Thanks and have a nice day

Telephone skills

  • 1.
  • 2.
    Telephone Skills Making Calls Answeringyour own phone Answering company phone Leaving a voicemail message for another person Answering your colleagues phone Answering a departmental phone Placing a caller on hold Transferring Calls Taking Messages Tele Conferencing Things to avoid when on phone
  • 3.
    Greeting Identify Yourself –Name and where are you calling from Request the Gate keeper to connect the call to the concerned person Thank the Gate keeper Greet the concerned person State the purpose of the call Take the time/ date and venue for the interview Paraphrase Thank the other person Wish him Wait for the other person to disconnect Good morning/ Good afternoon/ Good evening, my name is Vikas. I am called from Microsoft. May I please speak with Nitin from Sales - Making Calls
  • 4.
    Answer your callswithin three rings (if possible) Always identify yourself when you answer the phone: "This is ______." Speak in a pleasant tone of voice - the caller will appreciate it Learn to listen actively and listen others without interrupting When you are out of the office or away from your desk for more than a few minutes, forward your phone to voicemail Use the hold button when leaving a line so that the caller does not accidentally overhear conversations being held nearby If the caller has reached a wrong number, be courteous Answering your own phone
  • 5.
    Identifying your company Giveyour name and job title/department Asking how you can help the caller. When you close the call you should: Make sure that the caller has no more queries Thank the caller. Wish them Good day Let the caller put down the receiver first so they don't feel you have cut them off Good morning/ Good Afternoon/ Good evening, GE capital, my name is Vikas. How may I help you today Answering Company Phone
  • 6.
    Greet the otherperson and Introduce yourself State the purpose of the call. Speak clearly and slowly Be sure to leave your name and phone number. It's best to say it at the beginning and end of your message. Keep messages short and to the point. Remember that you want to leave the person you are calling with a good impression of you Leave the date and time you called in the message. Let the person know the best time to call you back Cover one topic in one message. Specify what you want the recipient to do Good morning/ Good Afternoon/ Good Evening, this is Vikas from Microsoft. I wanted to know if I can send my sales team to close your order today. You can reach me at 8527382225 or drop me a mail before 1100 hrs. Thank you. Have a nice day Leaving a voicemail message
  • 7.
    Identify the personfor whom you are answering Identify yourself E.g. “Mr. Kaeleys office, Vikas Mehra” Receiver: "Mr. Kaeleys office, Vikas Mehra." Scenario 1 Caller: "Hello, may I speak to Mr. Kaeley please?" (You have no idea who is calling) Scenario 2 Caller: "Hello, may I speak to Mr. Kaeley please?“ This is Puneet Mehta Receiver: I'm sorry, Mr. Kaeley is not available. May I help you?" Caller: “ Thanks but I have to speak to Mr. Kaeley." Receiver: "I'll be glad to ask him to return your call if you will leave your name and number." Answering your colleagues phone
  • 8.
    Answer with departmentname Your name E.g. “Accounts, Vikas Mehra” Answering a Departmental Phone
  • 9.
    Always ask thecaller if he/she would like to hold Avoid the abrupt phrase "hold please." Let the caller know how long it will take and ask whether he/she prefers to hold or be called back Update the caller periodically (possibly every 30 seconds) E.g. “Mr. Kaeley is out at the moment, but he should be back soon. Would you like to hold or may I ask him to return your call?" Placing the Caller on hold
  • 10.
    Ask the callerif he/she would like to be transferred. Give him/her the number to which the call is being transferred in case the call is disconnected or in case he/she would like to dial the number later Stay on the line to make sure the connection is completed Call Transfer norm in case of a frustrated caller who has made multiple calls Warm Transfer/ Cold Transfer Transferring Calls
  • 11.
    Taking Messages Name ofthe caller and his/her company Date and time of the call Complete telephone number-even if the person being called already has the number Any other information the caller gives you
  • 12.
    Configure your voicemailmessage Hi, You have reached the voicemail box of Vikas Mehra. I will be away from my desk till 1700 hrs or 5 pm today. Please leave your name, number and a short message and I will call you back. Thanks and have a nice day