Communication skills for the phone

- [Narrator] Phone calls never seem to come at the right time. The phone inevitably rings when you're in the middle of something, in a bad mood, or crazy busy. It's Murphy's Law. Maybe you've experienced it yourself. Ever call a business and the person on the other end sounds like they'd rather be doing anything else besides talking to you? Here's the thing. Work calls can be tricky. Add to that the fact that you can't read body language over the phone so you really have no idea how someone else is feeling. So, how can you make a good impression on the phone? All right, first and foremost, take a breath and smile before you even reach for the phone. Smiling when you talk actually changes the intonation of your voice. It makes it higher and gives you more inflection. The person on the other end can actually hear a difference when you smile. Weird, but cool. Second, use names. "Vendor Mifflin, this is Pam," is easy enough. Identify yourself and identify your company. If the other person doesn't introduce themselves, ask, "May I ask who I'm speaking to?" And now that you've asked for it, use it. Fun fact, using a person's name is the sweetest sound in any language for them, seriously. Using someone's name gets their attention and makes them feel more comfortable. All right, third thing, please be brief. We are all busy so get to the point just like you'd want if you were on the other end of the line. And if you can handle next steps over email, do it. Speaking of brief, final thing. When you end the call, repeat anything you agreed on so you both won't forget. Make sure you're on the same page, thank them for their time, and bid them adieu. So, there you have it. No more grumbling. No more mumbling. Use these tips and up the ante to make sure your business calls bring out the best professional you.