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Rules for communicating by phone 1. Personal conversation by phone

Currently, the telephone is the most popular means of communication. It helps reduce the time required to resolve various issues and save money on trips to other cities and countries. Modern business is greatly simplified thanks to telephone conversations, which eliminate the need for lengthy written correspondence in business style, going on long-distance business trips. In addition, the telephone provides the ability to conduct remote negotiations, present important issues and make inquiries.

The success of every enterprise directly depends on the correct conduct of telephone conversations, because it is enough to make one call to create a general impression of the company. If this impression turns out to be negative, it will be impossible to correct the situation. Therefore, it is important to know what constitutes competent business communication over the phone.


What is it?

Business communication – performing professional tasks or establishing business relationships. Business communication over the phone is a specific process for which you should carefully prepare.

Before implementation phone call, some basic points should be clarified.

  • Is this call really necessary?
  • Is it important to know your partner's answer?
  • Is a personal meeting possible?

Having found out that a telephone conversation is inevitable, you need to tune in to it in advance and remember the rules, the observance of which will help to conduct telephone conversations at a high professional level.


Features and Standards

The rules for communicating by phone are quite simple and include: the following steps:

  • greetings;
  • performance;
  • clarifying the availability of free time from the interlocutor;
  • description of the essence of the problem in a brief form;
  • questions and answers;
  • ending the conversation.

The culture of telephone negotiations is one of the important components business communication. Specifics telephone communication is determined by the factor of remote communication and the use of only one information channel in work – the auditory one. Therefore, compliance ethical standards regulating telephone communication is important factor, which determines the efficiency of the enterprise and the development of relationships with partners.

Business telephone etiquette for outgoing calls includes several rules.

  • Before dialing, you must check that the phone number is correct. In case of an error, do not ask unnecessary questions. It is necessary to apologize to the subscriber, and after the call ends, check the number again and call back.
  • Submission is a must. After the greeting from the interlocutor, you need to respond using greeting words, the name of the company, position and surname of the employee making the call.
  • It is recommended to first draw up a plan that reveals the goal (in the form of a graph/diagram or in text form). It is necessary to have a description of the tasks before your eyes so that you can record their implementation during a telephone conversation. Also, do not forget to note the problems that arose on the way to achieving a particular goal.


  • 3-5 minutes is the average time allotted for a business conversation. If the specified period is not enough, a reasonable solution would be to schedule a personal meeting.
  • You should not disturb people with calls early in the morning, during a lunch break or after the end of the working day.
  • In case of a spontaneous call that was not agreed upon with the partner in advance, prerequisite is to clarify whether the interlocutor has free time and indicate the approximate time required to resolve the caller’s issue. If the interlocutor is busy at the time of the call, you can arrange a different time or schedule a meeting.
  • When concluding a conversation, you need to thank the interlocutor for their time or information received.

When a telephone conversation is interrupted, the person who initiated the call should call back.


Telephone etiquette for incoming calls also includes several important points.

  • You must answer the call no later than the third ring.
  • When responding, you must provide a name or organization. IN large company It is customary to call a department, not a company.
  • A call made by mistake should be answered politely, clarifying the situation.
  • The materials used for work should be in sight, and the conversation plan should be in front of your eyes.
  • Multiple simultaneous connections should be avoided. Calls should be taken one at a time.
  • When answering a call made to criticize a product/service or the work of an enterprise as a whole, you must try to understand the state of your interlocutor and take some of the responsibility upon yourself.
  • Outside working hours, it is recommended to turn on your answering machine. The message should include relevant information that will be useful to all clients.
  • If the employee being asked is not available, you should offer your assistance in conveying the information to him.


It is possible to highlight general principles carrying out business communication by phone.

  • It is necessary to prepare in advance for telephone conversations with clients by drawing up a plan with goals, main points, structure of the upcoming conversation and ways to resolve problems that may arise during the conversation.
  • You need to pick up the phone with your left hand (for left-handers - with your right) after the first or second signal.
  • It is necessary to take into account information related to the subject of the conversation.
  • The subscriber's speech should be smooth and restrained. It is necessary to listen carefully to your partner and not interrupt him during the conversation. It is recommended to reinforce your own participation in the conversation with small remarks.
  • The duration of the telephone conversation should not exceed four to five minutes.


  • If a discussion arises, it is necessary to take control of emerging emotions. Despite the injustice of the statements and the raised tone on the part of the partner, one should be patient and try to calmly resolve the dispute that has arisen.
  • Throughout the conversation, you need to monitor your intonation and tone of voice.
  • It is unacceptable to interrupt a conversation while answering other phone calls. IN as a last resort, it is necessary to apologize to the subscriber for having to interrupt communication, and only after that answer the second call.
  • Be sure to have paper and a pen on the table so that you can write down the necessary information in time.
  • The caller can end the conversation. If you need to end the conversation in the next few minutes, then you should end it politely. It is necessary to apologize to the interlocutor and say goodbye, after thanking him for his attention.

After graduation business conversation some time should be devoted to analyzing its style and content, identifying mistakes made in the conversation.


Stages

As already noted, business communication over the phone does not require much time. According to the rules, such a telephone conversation can last no more than 4-5 minutes. This is the optimal period of time to resolve all issues.

During business communication over a business telephone, it is necessary to follow the sequence of stages that make up the structure of the call.

  • Greetings using special phrases that correspond to the time of day during which the call is made.
  • Informing the virtual interlocutor of the name and position of the employee making the call, as well as the name of his organization.
  • Information about the interlocutor’s free time.
  • Concise presentation of basic information. At this stage, you need to outline the essence of the problem in one or two phrases.
  • Questions and answers to them. It is necessary to show interest in the interlocutor’s questions. The answers to them must be clear and provide reliable information. If the employee who answered the call is not competent in the issue under consideration, you should invite someone to answer the phone who can give an accurate answer.
  • Ending the conversation. The telephone conversation is terminated by its initiator. This can also be done by a senior in position, age, and a woman.

The phrases that end the conversation are words of gratitude for the call and wishes of good luck.


To improve the efficiency of a mobile phone conversation, general recommendations should be followed:

  • prepare the necessary correspondence in advance;
  • have a positive attitude towards the conversation;
  • express thoughts clearly while remaining calm;
  • record significant words;
  • avoid monotony by changing the pace of conversation;
  • pause in the right moments conversation;
  • reproduce information to be memorized;
  • do not use harsh language;
  • When receiving a refusal, you should remain friendly and show respect for your interlocutor.


Examples of dialogue

The examples of telephone conversations below will help you understand the essence of business communication. Dialogues clearly show how to talk to a client or business partner on the phone to avoid misunderstandings.

Example telephone dialogue № 1.

  • Hotel administrator – Good morning! Hotel “Progress”, reservations department, Olga, I’m listening to you.
  • Guest - Hello! This is Maria Ivanova, a representative of the Skazka company. I would like to make changes to my reservation.
  • A - Yes, of course. What would you like to change?
  • D – Is it possible to change the check-in and check-out dates?
  • A - Yes, of course.
  • D – The period of stay will not be from September 1 to 7, but from September 3 to 10.
  • A – Okay, the reservation has been changed. We are waiting for you at our hotel on September 3.
  • G - Thank you very much. Goodbye!
  • A – All the best to you. Goodbye!


Example of telephone dialogue No. 2.

  • Secretary - Hello. Company "Holiday".
  • Partner - Good afternoon. This is Elena Petrova, a representative of the creative team “Flight of Fantasy”. Can I speak to your director?
  • S - Unfortunately, he is not in the office right now - he is at a meeting. May I help you? Should I give him something?
  • P - Yes, please tell me when he will be there?
  • S - He will return only at three o'clock in the afternoon.
  • P – Thank you, I’ll call you back then. Goodbye!
  • S - Goodbye!

Ethics not only controls the business relationships of business partners and establishes relationships with competitors, but is also a means proper organization telephone conversation. Compliance with the rules of business communication over the phone, which involves thorough study of each point, ensures effective result and long-term partnerships.


For the vast majority of us, the telephone (both landline and mobile) has become an essential attribute. We use it to conduct most of our conversations, conversations and business negotiations, communicate with clients, partners, acquaintances, and relatives. That's why Often ignorance of telephone etiquette causes significant damage to reputation, changing the image in a negative direction.

Telephone Etiquette Basics

You should pick up the phone around the third ring, since for the caller, the first impression of the company will be not only how he is greeted, but also how long it takes to get an answer (in fact, whether anyone is present at the workplace). On the first call, you need to put things aside, on the second, tune in to the conversation, on the third, pick up the phone.

After calling the desired number and hearing an unfamiliar voice, find out the name and patronymic of the interlocutor so that you can then contact him. If you couldn’t do this right away, ask again how to address the person, or introduce yourself first, after which the interlocutor will most likely introduce himself. This is very important during business negotiations over the phone.

In order not to be a source of “interference” for your surroundings, set up your mobile phone correctly, removing the excessive volume and timbre of incoming calls - make it audible only for yourself. Or switch to vibration mode: this way you will “feel” the call without disturbing others.

At a concert, in a museum or in a theater, you should turn off your mobile phone altogether, because calling during the premiere of a play or concert performance will not give you authority in the eyes of those present.

If you are calling, do not disconnect until 5-6 rings have sounded, since the interlocutor on the other side may need some time to pick up the phone or take out his mobile phone.

Do not hang up first so as not to offend the person and try to thank him for the call and conversation.

Telephone etiquette rules

Attention to the caller must be absolute, so do not start parallel conversations in the office if someone is on the line and is waiting for your answer. Do not engage in any other activities and do not be distracted by extraneous noise or interference.

When talking on the phone, do not chew or drink, as this has an extremely negative impact on a business partner or potential customer, because he begins to feel superfluous. If you accidentally cough during a conversation, immediately apologize.

If you made a promise to call again, be sure to do so, since on the other side of the line they may be specifically waiting for your call, freeing up for this working hours. Also call back if a telephone conversation you initiated is accidentally interrupted due to technical reasons.

When conducting telephone conversations for work, always keep a pen and paper near you in case you need to write down important information, data or figures, as well as, if necessary, transfer information to the person who at the moment not in the office.

It often happens with a mobile phone that you often get a call on it at inopportune times: either during negotiations, or at a meeting, or in any other place. In such circumstances, it is necessary to inform the caller that you will dial him yourself, but a little later, when you are free. It is best to schedule the most likely time to call.

If visitors have arrived and you need to make an urgent call, ask them for forgiveness, trying to keep the phone conversation as short as possible. In this case, it is preferable to move a short distance so as not to embarrass those present.

If you are visiting and need to call, first ask permission from the owners and only then dial the number on your cell phone or on the landline of the owners of the house/apartment. Keep the conversation short, immediately stating the reason for the call.

When making a cell phone call, remember that the interlocutor on the other side may be driving a car, at negotiations, having lunch or in a road at that time, so be brief, postponing the discussion of all the details until later. This way you won't distract him or put him in danger.

Phone etiquette phrases

When you pick up the phone, you must immediately say the name of the company and introduce yourself. It is worth remembering that the address “Good afternoon” or “Good morning” carries a much more positive charge than the standard “Hello”. This immediately determines the style and mood of a telephone conversation or negotiation.

If you need to call you, be sure to identify yourself and the company on behalf of which you are contacting the person. Formulate the essence of the issue that requires resolution over the phone briefly and, if necessary, ask who could help you resolve it. Next, ask to be connected to a competent person or the right specialist. If he is not available, ask when he can call back.

If it is necessary to switch the caller to the called party, be sure to report this, and if he is not there, apologize, asking if you can be of assistance to the caller at your office.

You need to speak on the phone grammatically correct, without distorting words, clearly and clearly, at a strictly defined pace - from 120 to 150 words per minute, which is the standard rhythm of telephone conversations. But the first words (greeting and introduction) must be spoken a little slower than the others.

Monitor the volume of your speech, avoiding too low or too high a tone, as this may be perceived by the other party as indecisiveness or, conversely, as pressure and pressure.

When talking on the phone, as in a real conversation, be an active listener, not a passive one. To do this, it will be enough to utter approving sounds, gentle exclamations and interjections. Also in telephone etiquette may be repeated keywords and phrases. But the desire to interrupt your interlocutor, despite all your activity as a listener, is condemned and must be suppressed.

Good to end business negotiations over the phone with a condensed resume, where to list everything results achieved, noting out loud what you are going to do based on the results of the past conversation. That is, you need to draw a clear conclusion in order to avoid omissions (suddenly you or your interlocutor did not hear or misunderstood something).

End your phone call with an uplifting, polite phrase, for example: “All the best”, “It was nice to meet you”, “It’s a pleasure to do business with you”, “I hope for a fruitful cooperation”, etc. The final chord is extremely important because it can enhance or, conversely, blur the impression of the entire conversation as a whole.

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Since there is no visual contact when talking on the phone, factors such as intonation, length of pause, speed of speech, etc. play a decisive role. Psychologists say, and this applies not only to telephone but also to personal communication, that the outcome of a conversation is 90% determined not by “what” is said, but by “how”. Agree that it is much more pleasant and interesting to talk with a cheerful, energetic interlocutor who carries a positive “charge” than with a sluggish and disinterested one.

The telephone imposes certain requirements on the one who uses it: after all, when telephone conversation your interlocutor cannot in any way appreciate what you are wearing, nor the expression on your face when you say certain words, nor the interior of the office where you are sitting, nor other non-verbal aspects that are very helpful about the nature of communication. And yet there are non-verbal stimuli that can be manipulated with skillful use of the telephone; these include the moment chosen for the pause and its duration, silence, intensification or weakening of background noise, intonation expressing enthusiasm or agreement. Then, it matters a lot how quickly a person picks up the phone (after which the dial tone); this allows you to more or less accurately judge how busy he is, how close the phone is to him, and to what extent he is interested in being called.

  • 1. It is important to remember that when you call, you do it at a time that is convenient for YOU, but perhaps not for your interlocutor. Don't be offended if you are asked to call back later. After all, you most likely did not drop everything you were doing for this call, and it is therefore logical to assume that the person you are calling may also say: “I don’t feel comfortable talking right now.” If you are calling a person whose habits you do not yet know, it would be polite to start the conversation with the question: “Do you have time to talk to me now?”
  • 2. Every person wants to feel that his call is special, so why deprive him of this pleasure? The rule “talk to people the way you want them to talk to you” makes your work much easier.
  • 3. When a call rings in the office, you should pick up the phone until the third or fourth ring.
  • 3. Then you need to say a greeting; the most common options for the first word spoken when the phone is picked up are: “Yes,” “Hello,” “I’m listening.” These words, in their information content, are completely identical and impersonal; they can be called neutral, since they in no way characterize who exactly answered the phone and in what organization or company. Therefore, in business communication it is necessary to abandon neutral reviews and replace them with informative ones. You should always start the conversation by introducing yourself and your organization - both when you call and when they call you. People like to know who they are talking to. This, in addition, creates an atmosphere of trust and helps to better understand the interlocutor.
  • 5. Find any friendly formula that you like (how you would like to be answered). In any case, the subscriber must know who he is talking to, or at least where he is. It is best to use single form greetings: firstly, it is solid, and secondly, the company acquires a face, its own style.

Instead of: “Can I help you?” It’s better to say: “How can I help you?” You cannot ask the question: “Who is this?” or “Who is asking him?” It is more correct to say: “May I know who I am talking to?” or “Please tell me how to introduce you?”

  • 6. It goes without saying that the conversation should begin with the business message that made you call.
  • 7. During a conversation, you need to carefully monitor your diction. Words must be pronounced clearly and distinctly to avoid repeating questions. Special attention require names, titles and numbers.
  • 8. The conversation should be conducted in a friendly, calm tone, not quickly, but not too slowly. Consider professional level interlocutor. Follow the logic of your statements, give reasons for them, but without dissatisfaction or aggression.
  • 9. To avoid wasting time, it is better to prepare for a business call in advance. Everything you might need during a conversation should be kept at hand. It is also advisable to make a list of questions so as not to miss anything important and not create unnecessary pauses. Surely everyone had to “hang” aimlessly on the line while the interlocutor was looking for documents or the right thing.
  • 10. At the end of the conversation, you need to make sure that you have understood the information correctly. If you have been asked to convey something to a third party, try not to forget about it by first writing down the request.
  • 11. The voice reveals the mood, which is perfectly captured by the interlocutor. Therefore, you need to control your emotions. It is unacceptable to shift your irritation, fatigue or Bad mood at the interlocutor. Even the posture in which a person speaks affects intonation. And if you are lying in a chair and leafing through a magazine with your free hand, you can be sure that your interlocutor will feel it.
  • 12. During the conversation, also make sure that the client does not receive information that is not intended for him. This happens in cases where an employee covers the phone with his hand to clarify some detail with his colleagues. It would be wiser to use the “mute” button, which is equipped with all modern devices, unless, of course, the client is willing to wait.
  • 13. To save time, try to prevent the interlocutor from deviating from the topic of conversation, tactfully returning him to the purpose of the call. If the conversation with your interlocutor drags on, sometimes you should correctly ask your counterpart: “Do you have time to continue the conversation?”
  • 13. Often, when problems arise, you can hear phrases such as “I’m not doing this,” “it’s not my fault,” “I don’t know.” Such statements portray the company in an unfavorable light. The client may have a completely reasonable question: what do the employees of this company do? In any case, you should not immediately give a negative answer. The word “no” makes it harder to resolve a problem positively. A sincere desire to quickly and effectively help the client in most cases neutralizes the brewing conflict.
  • 15. People usually conduct business conversations on their office phone. If you did have to disturb someone at home on business, you should apologize. Only after this, briefly outline the essence of the issue and arrange a meeting or call at work. At home, people have the right to take a break from business, and we must take this rule into account.
  • 16. Choose the most convenient time to call so as not to cause inconvenience to the subscriber. Calling someone's home before 9 a.m. or after 10 p.m. is a violation of basic etiquette.
  • 17. If the subscriber is silent after 5-6 signals, stop calling.
  • 18. You cannot call your partner’s home phone number that you know, unless he himself gave you this number and said that he can call home.
  • 19. Business calls to home numbers should be avoided on weekends and holidays.
  • 20. It is permissible to instruct an employee or secretary to call the person you are interested in.
  • 21. If your colleague is asked to answer the phone, you cannot find out who is asking him.
  • 22. If you are very busy, it is better to turn off your phone or ask your secretary to answer phone calls.
  • 23. Answer politely to someone who calls by mistake.
  • 23. If an error occurs when dialing a number, the misunderstanding will be immediately clarified and will not result in loss of time to clarify it.
  • 25. If the interlocutor has not introduced himself, it is quite appropriate to politely ask who you are talking to. This is best done at the beginning of the conversation.
  • 26. It is necessary to remember the rules of conversation. Always try to speak evenly, restrain your emotions, listen to your interlocutor without interrupting him. At the same time, do not remain silent for a long time; confirm your participation in the conversation with some short remarks. Otherwise, your interlocutor may think that you are distracted from the conversation and are not listening to it, or that the connection has been interrupted.
  • 27. If there really was a disconnection for technical reasons, the one who called called back - this is the rule so as not to disturb each other while dialing the number at the same time.
  • 28. During a business telephone conversation, it is necessary to create an atmosphere of mutual trust. Conduct the conversation in a calm, friendly tone. It is very important that the conversation evokes positive emotions, this will help you complete agreements with the client in a dignified manner and will have a good effect on your reputation. When talking with a client, it is useful to resort to the following phrases: “How can I help you?” or “Can I be of assistance to you?”, “Sorry, I didn’t hear what you said,” “Could you repeat that?” are part of the etiquette of a business conversation. An impolite response from a secretary may discourage a potential client from contacting the specified company. 29. If the required employee is absent, you must politely apologize and indicate the time when he will be at the workplace.
  • 30. If any disagreements arise, try to resolve them tactfully. Under no circumstances should you give free rein to your emotions when working with clients. You should always remember that the effectiveness of a business telephone conversation depends on emotional state person and his mood. Excessive emotionality creates the preconditions for speech inaccuracy, incorrect phrases, and increases the conversation time. Even if your interlocutor shows a tendency to conduct it in a raised tone, expresses unfair reproaches, be patient and do not answer him in the same way, and if possible, move the conversation into a calmer direction and try to put yourself in his place or partially admit that he is right. State your arguments briefly and clearly. Your arguments must be correct in essence, convincing and literate in form.
  • 31. When working with clients, your desire to quickly and effectively solve a problem or provide assistance in solving it is very important. People always appreciate if they are given enough attention and help in resolving their issues. An attentive and sympathetic attitude towards clients will have a positive impact on the company's image.
  • 32. You must always remember about intonation, tone and timbre of the voice, since, according to most psychologists, they carry up to 40% of information about a person. Talk on the phone at the same volume level as in a face-to-face conversation. Loud speech on the phone is often less intelligible because the microphone and phone settings are set for normal, average volume levels.
  • 33. Do not start shouting if you have difficulty hearing your interlocutor: it is quite possible that he can hear you well, and this may make an unfavorable impression on him. Therefore, in case of poor hearing, you should not raise your voice yourself, but ask the person calling you to speak louder, and at the same time ask how he hears you.
  • 33. In telephone conversations, it is better to avoid the following expressions that may cause mistrust in the client: “Hello”, “Speak”, “Everyone is having lunch”, “No one is here”, “Call me back”, “I don’t know”, “We can’t do this” do”, “You have to”, “Wait a second, I’ll be back soon”, “I can’t tell you, because I don’t have an accountant, and I don’t know anything myself”, “it’s coming”, “good”, “alright” , “for now,” etc. Such expressions instantly create a feeling of distrust in the company’s representative and in the company itself.
  • 35. You should not use specific, professional expressions that may be incomprehensible to the interlocutor, and this may cause a feeling of awkwardness and irritation of the interlocutor.
  • 36. A business conversation on the phone cannot be accompanied by sipping tea or chewing gum. If during a conversation you accidentally sneeze or cough, apologize to your interlocutor.
  • 37. An indispensable condition is your competence in this area and the ability to resolve any issue that arises with the client.
  • 38. During a business conversation, succinctly, briefly and competently state the essence of the problem. Always remember that people do not like to communicate with a person who is not able to give them answers to their questions.
  • 39. If it is impossible to resolve the situation on his own, it is necessary to clearly indicate to the person who in this organization he can turn to for help.
  • 40. To conduct business successfully, you must be able to interest your interlocutor. Try to do this from the very first phrase. At the same time, master the correct use of methods of suggestion and persuasion.
  • 41. If you receive a call while you are talking with a visitor (employee), you need to know that the rules of conversation dictate that you should not interrupt the conversation with telephone conversations. You should first apologize to the visitor for the need to interrupt the conversation, then pick up the phone, say hello, give the name of the company, surname, indicate that you are having a conversation with the visitor and agree to reschedule the conversation. In this case, your actions could be like this:
    • -- ask the caller to wait a little without hanging up (if your face-to-face conversation is close to ending and someone younger in age or position is calling you);
    • -- arrange to be called back in a few minutes (if you are not currently ending the conversation and it is not a higher-ranking official calling);
    • -- write down the phone number of the caller and call him back at a time convenient for both of you. As a result, the interlocutor will see that you are putting off other things to talk with him. This will emphasize that you treat the visitor with great respect. If you interrupt the conversation by talking on the phone, you will certainly emphasize your bad manners. And rescheduling the time of conversation with the caller on the phone will help you not to lose the right client.
  • 42. If the phone rings while you are talking on another phone, pick up the phone, say that you are busy, and find out from the second interlocutor whether he will wait for the end of the first conversation or you will call him back after a while. Informing the first client that you need to speak with another person will allow you to finish the first conversation.
  • 43. If the conversation with the first interlocutor is very important, as an exception, you can leave the second phone on and tell your client that if the other person really needs it, he will call back later.
  • 44. Keep a pen and paper near your phone. To avoid missing important details of a conversation, train yourself to take notes either during the conversation or immediately after it ends. During the conversation, write down important details such as names, numbers, and basic information that your subordinates and colleagues can later review.
  • 45. The initiative to end the conversation belongs either to the caller or to the senior speaker. social status or by age. It is very important to end it politely. It is best to use the phrases: “Sorry to interrupt you, but I’m afraid I’ll be late for the meeting,” “It was very nice talking with you, but I have to call back to another organization. Can I call you later?” You can also refer to being very busy, to the need to complete the work started. Sentences like “Thank you for calling,” “It was nice talking to you,” etc. will help you end the conversation politely.
  • 46. ​​If the conversation with a business partner was constructive, then it would be nice to end it with an agreement on further cooperation.
  • 47. Make sure that information transmitted in someone’s absence reaches the recipient. Although it is not easy to organize information sharing through third parties, it can pay off handsomely. In order to find out what you need, ask questions according to the questionnaire principle (“Where are you calling from?”, “Your name and your phone number?”, etc.).

And one last piece of advice. After finishing a business conversation, spend 5-6 minutes analyzing its content and style. Analyze your impressions. Find vulnerabilities in it. Try to understand the reason for your mistakes. It would be nice to observe people talking on the phone and analyze their conversations from the point of view of brevity, tact, and effectiveness. It is very useful to record several conversations on a tape recorder and then listen to them. All this will subsequently help you, firstly, save time by reducing the duration of negotiations, and secondly, it will help you understand the most common mistakes made during telephone communication, which will have a very positive effect on both your prestige and the image of your company.

Almost every person periodically has to conduct business telephone conversations - it doesn’t matter whether he holds a position general director large company or receptionist district clinic. And a lot can depend on how well a person has mastered the rules of business communication over the phone, including the size of his bonuses and the reputation of his home enterprise. How to build a conversation, what mistakes to avoid so as not to get into trouble?

There are times when all that remains of trust is the phone.
Vladimir Kolechitsky

We called you

First, let's consider the situation when incoming call. An employee whose responsibility is to conduct telephone conversations must do the following:

  • pick up the phone without waiting for the third ring, so that the caller does not have the feeling that they do not want to talk to him; instead of the usual “hello”, immediately say the name of your company and your company, as well as your position and surname - this will put the interlocutor in a businesslike mood and stop questions like: “Where did I go?”, “Who am I talking to?”, “Is this a cash register?” (pharmacy, hospital, etc.)?”; when introducing yourself, say hello politely.

    You can immediately ask a leading question or invite your interlocutor to move directly to the topic of conversation:

    • “Good afternoon, the company “Holiday Every Day”, manager Svistoplyaskin. How can I help you?

      For the organization secretary approximately this form of greeting should be polished almost to automatism and should always be pronounced in a polite, friendly tone, because the secretary is the face of the institution. It would be great if other employees followed this greeting.

      If the phone rings in the middle of a personal conversation with a client or colleague, you should pick up the phone, despite the fact that the conversation will be temporarily interrupted. You should apologize to the interlocutor, and then ask the person on the other end of the line to repeat the call in a few minutes. Depending on the situation, you can promise that you will call back yourself - the main thing is that then you must fulfill this promise.

      If it turns out that you are negotiating on one phone, and then another “comes to life”, pick up the second phone and invite the interlocutor to call back, but call exact time when it can be done.

      You call

      Now let's move on to the opposite situation - an outgoing call.

      The rules of business communication over the telephone require that a person intending to dial the number of an organization or a private client must first find out when it would be most convenient to make a call. You should find out the working hours of the partner company or client, the hours when he has lunch.

      It is undesirable to call at the very beginning of the working day and, of course, unacceptable - after the official end, unless there was some agreement in advance. If one of the company’s employees has not yet gone home and still picks up the phone, believe me, he will definitely not be happy to see you, and this is unlikely to contribute to a constructive dialogue.

      How should the caller begin the conversation? Necessary:

Telephone conversations
because they are so relaxed and friendly,
that the interlocutors do not see each other.
/ Leopold Nowak /

“- Hello, where did I end up?

We talk a lot on the phone. It does not matter whether the bulk of the conversations are related to work matters or family matters, a code of conduct must also be observed here. Let's start with the fact that if you are at the peak of emotions, do not pick up the phone to make a call. Your aggression may be unjustified; you need to calm down and understand the situation. Your overflowing positive emotions may also not suit your interlocutor, who may either be busy important matter, or experience some troubles.

The telephone is, of course, for the most part a means of communication between two people, but, as a rule, only spies from films manage to talk about confidential topics using this means of communication. Whenever you speak, someone else is sure to hear you, even if accidentally, so if you urgently need to communicate something “not for common ears,” try to find the most remote place. As practice shows, when in a foreign country you should also not rant in native language, especially when discussing your personal life. In the era of global movements, you are not immune to the fact that the person next to you is not your compatriot who enjoys listening to your conversation, or is even familiar with the object of discussion.

There are acceptable and unacceptable times for making telephone calls. It is better to postpone calls that occur before half past eight in the morning and after half past ten in the evening. The exception is the situation when you know exactly the habits of the interlocutor and are sure that you will not wake up his household. By the way, calls to home or personal mobile number are unacceptable in the absence of friendly personal relations. On holidays and weekends, you should try to refrain from assignments and conversations on work topics; at this time, you can call and congratulate those colleagues with whom you communicate most closely.

If the call came during a meeting, and you forgot or, due to its importance, did not turn off the phone, then you need to ask for forgiveness from your interlocutors and interrupt the call as long as possible. short time. If it's your subordinate or peer calling career ladder, explain that you are busy and appoint specific time, when you need to call back with a reserve of ten to fifteen minutes, or promise to call back yourself, also indicating a specific time.

Business telephone conversations going through a secretary is a separate topic for etiquette. The secretary is the face of the company, so he must be as correct as possible. If the caller needs to talk to management, you need to find out his name and the question for which he is calling. To avoid unpleasant situations, the secretary should not forget about the schedule of his superiors. If the reception or secretariat telephone is configured for a multi-channel line, then when switching to the corresponding subscriber, you need to check whether he is there before switching to a personal number. The answer about the subscriber’s absence should be as ethical as possible using the formula “He is not there right now. What can I tell him? (How can I help you? - in case you can really replace this person in his field)"

Talking on a mobile phone should not disturb the people around you. The volume of the call should be balanced so that people near you do not jump when someone calls. Talking on the phone loudly is a sign of insufficient education. Never shout into the phone if you are hard of hearing - take pity on the ears of your interlocutor and simply ask him to speak louder in a normal voice.
Mobile phone should be disabled in such public places, like theaters, on such important events, such as meetings or family holidays, if this is provided for by the etiquette of a particular family, as well as on airplanes for safety reasons.

There are several generally accepted rules for telephone conversations:

  • if the conversation is interrupted, then the person on whose initiative the conversation took place should call back;
  • you should speak as briefly and to the point as possible;
  • You cannot speak too loudly into the phone, while at the same time avoiding speaking too quietly;
  • if you have the wrong number, you cannot ask, or it is better to ask again;
  • If you are calling someone and your call is not answered, do not hang up until you hear 4-6 long beeps - it may take some time for your interlocutor to answer the phone;
  • Think at least several times before calling at odd times - too early in the morning or late in the evening. As a general rule, you should not call before 8 a.m. or after 11 p.m.;
  • You cannot call your partner’s home phone number that you know, unless he himself gave you this number and said that he can call home. Business calls to home numbers should be avoided on weekends and holidays.

Uncomfortable situations

It often happens that a phone call catches you during an important conversation or meeting. In such cases, it is best to ask the interlocutor to leave his phone number and promise to call him back later. It is best to designate possible time return call (remember to keep your promise).

If you have visitors and you need to call, you should ask them for forgiveness, and try to make the call itself as short as possible.

It happens that you are visiting and you need to call. This can only be done by first asking permission from the owners.

When going on a visit or a business date, if necessary, you can leave your employees or relatives telephone number the place where you are going. True, you need to ask permission from the owners or your business partners in advance.

In this case, you should warn that you are expecting a call. But it is better to avoid such situations.

If you have a cell phone

Achievements modern science and technology allows us to be almost always within reach of a telephone call. Cellular or other radiotelephones have become firmly established in the everyday life of businessmen, financiers, journalists and people of many other professions. But at the same time, he should under no circumstances interfere with others. Almost every phone like this has the ability to adjust the volume and tone of the call so that it is almost inaudible to anyone except you.

When going to the theatre, concert or museum, you should turn off the ringer or turn off your phone altogether. Ringing a telephone in a theater is inappropriate and will not at all add to your authority in the eyes of others.

But it also happens that you are waiting for a call and a signal cell phone caught you during a conversation, lunch with a business partner or negotiations. In this case, you must definitely apologize and keep the conversation to a minimum. The same applies if you need to make an urgent call. If possible, it is better to step aside.

Cell phones are not cheap; talking on them is several times more expensive than using a regular phone. telephone line. A loud and unnecessarily long conversation surrounded by many people will probably not add authority to you in their eyes; on the contrary, it will leave them with the impression of an upstart who wants to show off.

If you are calling a cell phone number, you should remember that your interlocutor may be on the road, driving a car, and by distracting him, you can put him in danger. So be brief and save discussing the details for another time.

Business etiquette in a telephone conversation - business etiquette communication by phone

It is impossible to imagine modern business life without a telephone. It is used to negotiate, give orders, and state a request. Very often, the first step towards concluding a business contract is a telephone conversation.
A telephone conversation has one important advantage over a letter: it provides a continuous two-way exchange of information. But you need to carefully prepare for a business telephone conversation. Poor preparation, the inability to highlight the main thing, concisely, succinctly and competently express your thoughts leads to significant losses of working time (up to 20 - 30%).
The art of conducting telephone conversations is to briefly say everything that needs to be said and get an answer. For example, a Japanese company will not keep an employee for long who does not solve a business issue over the phone in three minutes.
The basis for a successful business telephone conversation is competence, tact, goodwill, mastery of conversation techniques, the desire to quickly and effectively solve a problem or provide assistance in solving it. It is important that the conversation is conducted in a calm, polite tone and evokes positive emotions. F. Bacon also noted that a friendly tone is more important than the use good words and their location in in the right order. Thus, during a business telephone conversation, it is necessary to create an atmosphere of mutual trust.
Business efficiency telephone communication largely depends on the emotional state of a person, on his mood. Skillful expression is also essential. It indicates a person’s conviction in what he is saying and his interest in solving the problems under discussion. During a conversation, you need to be able to interest your interlocutor in your business. This will help you correct use methods of suggestion and persuasion. According to psychologists, tone, timbre of voice, and intonation can carry up to 40% of the information. You just need to pay attention to such “little things” during a telephone conversation. You yourself should try to speak evenly, restrain your emotions, and not try to interrupt your interlocutor.
If your interlocutor shows a tendency to argue, expresses unfair reproaches in a harsh manner, and there is conceit in his tone, then be patient and do not answer him in kind. If possible, change the conversation to a calm tone, partially admit that he is right, try to understand the motives for his behavior. Try to present your arguments briefly and clearly. Your arguments must be correct in essence and correctly presented in form.
We must remember that the telephone aggravates speech deficiencies. Pronouncing words quickly or slowly makes it difficult to understand. Pay special attention to the pronunciation of numbers, proper names and consonants. If in a conversation there are city names, surnames or other proper names that are difficult to hear, they need to be pronounced syllable by syllable or even spelled.
Business telephone etiquette has in stock a whole series cues to adjust communication. For example:

How can you hear me?
Would you please repeat that?
Sorry, it's very hard to hear.
Sorry, I didn't hear what you said, etc.

Call by home phone to a business partner for a business conversation can only be justified for a serious reason, no matter who you are calling: your boss or your subordinate. A well-mannered person will not call after 10 pm unless there is an urgent need for this, or prior consent for this call has not been obtained.
As analysis shows, in a telephone conversation, 30-40% of the time is taken up by repetitions of phrases, unnecessary pauses and unnecessary words. Therefore, you need to carefully prepare for a telephone conversation: select all materials, documents in advance, have the necessary telephone numbers, addresses of organizations or the right people, calendar, fountain pen and paper. Before you start dialing a number, you should clearly determine the purpose of the conversation and your tactics for conducting it. Make a plan for the conversation, write down the questions you want to solve or the information you want to obtain, think about the order in which you ask questions. Formulate them clearly, eliminating the possibility of ambiguous interpretation. Try to predict the counterarguments of your interlocutor and your answers to him. If you are discussing several issues, then finish discussing one and move on to the next.
Using standard phrases, try to separate one question from another. For example
So, have we agreed on this issue?
May I take it that we have reached agreement on this issue?
As I understand you, (in this matter) we can count on your support?
A conversation on each topic should end with a question that requires a clear answer.

In preparation for business conversation Over the phone, try to think through the following points:

What goal do you set for yourself in the upcoming telephone conversation?
- can you do without this conversation at all;
- is the interlocutor ready to discuss the proposed topic;
- are you sure about successful outcome conversation;
- what questions you should ask;
- what questions the interlocutor may ask you;
- what outcome of the negotiations will suit (or not suit) you;
- what methods of influencing your interlocutor you can use during a conversation;
- how will you behave if your interlocutor
- he will resolutely object and switch to a higher tone;
- will not respond to your arguments;
- will show distrust of your words and information.