Business etiquette: how to talk on the phone correctly. How to talk on the phone correctly

“A conversation on the telephone lies halfway between art and life. This communication is not with a person, but with the image that develops in you when you listen to him” (André Maurois).

Introduction

Knowledge of the basics of business etiquette and the ability to establish contacts are an integral part of the professional experience of employees. According to statistics, the telephone is actively used to resolve more than 50% of business issues.

Indirect negotiations differ in many ways from direct business communication. Failure to comply with the basics of telephone etiquette leaves an imprint on the image and reputation of any organization. What are the basic rules for communicating on the phone?

5 stages of preparation for telephone conversations

The outcome of telephone conversations largely depends on planning. Productive calls cannot be spontaneous. Preparation and planning of negotiations can be divided into 5 stages.

Rules for communicating on the phone in business

• At the beginning of a conversation, you cannot use the words: “hello”, “listening”, “speak”. The first and elementary rule: introduce yourself kindly when answering the call. For example: “Good afternoon. Manager Tatyana. Fortuna Company.
• Negotiations should be brief. You cannot discuss a transaction or other matter on its merits. To do this, you must schedule a personal meeting.
• Passing the phone many times during a conversation is bad manners.
• Negotiations are conducted only with decision makers.
• The promise to call back should be fulfilled immediately, as soon as the problem is resolved, or within 24 hours.
• If a specialist is absent from the workplace, it is possible to exchange information with the help of another employee or assistant manager. The content of the message via third parties or to an answering machine must be planned in advance, observing the rules of telephone communication. Ask the secretary to organize the transfer of data and ensure that it reaches the addressee in any case.
• Recording on an answering machine begins with a greeting, indicating the date and time of the call. After a short message there are words of farewell.
• Telephone calls should not be left unanswered, as any call can help obtain important information or close a deal. Pick up the handset quickly until the third ring.
• Of course, you cannot answer two phones at the same time.

1. Negotiate quickly and energetically. Presenting arguments clearly and clearly, answering questions without long pauses or vague phrases.
2. The pause may, as an exception, last no more than one minute if the specialist is searching for a document. When the interlocutor waits longer, he has every right to hang up.
3. Politeness is required when calling. Swearing and shouting in any case is a violation of the ethics of telephone communication.
4. During telephone conversations, it is not recommended to use jargon, colloquial or profanity. It is also not advisable to use terminology that may not be clear to the interlocutor.
5. You should not cover the handset or microphone with your hand when communicating with colleagues, as the interlocutor will likely hear this conversation.
6. Forcing a guest or visitor to wait while you are on the phone is a violation of business etiquette. In this case, you need to apologize, state the reason and set a time for a new call.
7. If the connection fails, when the conversation is interrupted, the person who called dials the number again. When a company representative negotiates with a client, customer or partner, the representative calls back again.
8. Concluding negotiations, it is worth once again voicing joint agreements and understandings.
9. The one who called, or the senior in position or age, ends the conversation and says goodbye first.
10. Sincere words of gratitude are indispensable when ending a conversation. In parting, you can orient your interlocutor towards cooperation: “See you tomorrow” or “Call me in...”.

Taboo, or What expressions should be avoided?

7 secrets of successful calls

1. The rules for talking on the phone with clients suggest that effective negotiations take 3-4 minutes.
2. Posture and intonation are just as important as the information conveyed during a conversation.
3. How does the interlocutor speak? Fast or slow. Successful managers know how to adapt to the pace of the client’s speech.
4. It is preferable to replace monosyllabic “yes” and “no” with detailed answers. For example, if a client asks whether you will be there on Friday, you should not only answer “yes”, but also tell them your working hours.
5. If the conversation has dragged on, then instead of apologizing, it is better to thank the interlocutor. The rules of talking on the phone with clients do not allow an apologetic tone.
6. Taking notes and notes during telephone conversations in a notepad will help you restore the flow of an important conversation. A business person will not use scraps of paper or calendar sheets for this.
7. The peculiarity of the phone is that it enhances speech impediments. You need to carefully monitor your diction and pronunciation. Recording and listening to your conversations with clients will help you improve your negotiation techniques.

When a client calls...

The client who gets through may not identify himself, but immediately begins to explain his problem. Therefore, it is necessary to tactfully ask: “Excuse me, what is your name?”, “What organization are you from?”, “Please tell me your phone number?”

The rules for communicating over the phone with clients are based on the fact that you should only convey accurate information if you have the necessary data. A client who does not wait for a clear answer will no longer contact your organization.

Sometimes you have to deal with an angry or nervous client. It is better to listen to his complaint and not interrupt. He will be capable of constructive dialogue only when he speaks out. When you hear an insult, you must hang up.

Making calls in public places or in a meeting

Meetings and business meetings are times when, according to the rules, you should refrain from calling. Live voice is a priority. Negotiations that distract the attention of those present are unacceptable.

Answering a call at a business meeting or meeting means showing your interlocutor that you do not value him and the time spent with him, that the person who called is more important.

There are also good reasons, for example, the illness of a relative, a large contract. The rules for communicating by telephone suggest that those present must be notified before the meeting or meeting and the receipt of the call must be coordinated with them. The conversation should be conducted very quickly (no more than 30 seconds), if possible in another office.

A person talking on the phone during a private meeting, in a restaurant, at a meeting looks uncultured and stupid.

Business conversation on the phone. Example

Option 1

Head: Satellite Center. Good afternoon.

Secretary: Good afternoon. Union of Consumer Societies. Morozova Marina. I'm calling about a competition.

R: Alexander Petrovich. I'm hearing you.

R: Yes. You can book a conference room with 150 seats.

S: Thank you. This will suit us.

R: Then it will be necessary to send us a letter of guarantee.

S: Okay. Can I send it by mail with a notice?

R: Yes, but it will take three days.

S: It's long.

R: You can send it by courier.

S: So, we’ll do that. Thank you for the information. Goodbye.

R: Goodbye. We look forward to collaborating.

Business conversation on the phone. Example 2

Manager: Hello. I would like to talk with Ivan Sergeevich.

Exhibition Director: Good afternoon. I'm listening to you.

M: This is Vladimir Baluev, manager of the Maxi Stroy company. I am calling regarding negotiations to clarify prices.

D: Very nice. What exactly are you interested in?

M: Has the cost of an exhibition square meter increased?

D: Yes, I grew up. One square meter in the pavilion costs six thousand rubles from September 1, and three thousand in the open exhibition.

M: I see. Thank you for the information.

D: Please. If you have any questions, please call.

M: Thank you. I will contact you if necessary. All the best.

D: Goodbye.

Conclusion

The ability to apply the rules of telephone communication with clients becomes an integral part of the image of any organization. Consumers prefer companies that are pleasant to do business with. Effective business communication is the key to successful transactions, and therefore the financial well-being of the enterprise.

Nowadays, it is simply impossible to live without a phone. We are all accustomed to this common means of communication as something ordinary. Many schoolchildren now have a personal mobile phone.

But does every schoolchild know that there is telephone etiquette?

Remember the basic rules for communicating on the phone:

You cannot call on the phone and say to the person who answered the phone in the tone of an order: “Mishu!” First, you need to say hello and introduce yourself first. Secondly, don’t forget: you expect that they will do you a favor - they will call your friend on the phone. This means you need to ask for it politely. And be sure to thank for the answer, even if your friend was not at home, and say goodbye.

You can’t start a telephone conversation with the question: “Who is this?” No one is obligated to introduce themselves to you - you are the one calling and bothering people.

. “Hello” is a special telephone word. You can also use a short “yes” or “listening” instead. The manner of talking on the phone always carries important information about a person and is part of his image.

You should not make frequent phone calls or at late times, even if you disturb someone very close to you.

Never address a stranger on the phone using a first name, even if you thought it was a child who answered - your impression may be wrong.

Don't be afraid of the telephone answering machine - formulate your message clearly and concisely. State your name and telephone number where you can be called back.

You should not leave an invitation on your answering machine - such an invitation is considered impolite. Be sure to call your friend and invite him personally.

You should not thank someone over the phone for a gift or important service. This must be done in person. It is also not recommended to express condolences over the phone.

Excessive politeness is inappropriate when contacting a help desk operator - here you need clear information from both sides. But even in this case, one cannot do without the words thank you and please.

Telephone bullying is unacceptable. Violators face heavy fines for false calls and telephone hooliganism.

To discuss some important matter that will require a lot of time, arrange a call with your friend in advance.

You cannot talk for a long time or loudly on a mobile phone in public places.

In the theater, in the library, in the museum, on excursions, at a concert, mobile phones must be turned off.

You successfully met a girl on the Internet, interested her and got her phone number. Now you have the last step on the path to a real meeting with a girl - this is a phone call.

But not all guys know how to talk to a girl on the phone correctly. They don’t know what to talk to her about, they can’t direct the conversation in the right direction, they can’t make the girl laugh, and as a result, awkward pauses appear in the conversation.

Such a conversation can easily ruin the entire impression you created during the correspondence. If you are familiar with everything described above, then this article is for you.

Mistakes guys make when talking on the phone

After all, we are accustomed to the fact that when we learn something new, we need to spend a lot of effort on acquiring this skill. It may seem that before you start to succeed, you will need to have dozens of unsuccessful conversations. But it is not so.

In order to learn how to communicate on the phone as quickly as possible, we will use the experience of telemarketing, borrowing several extremely effective tricks.

But, first, let's look at the mistakes that most often prevent guys from easily calling out girls:

• They don't know what they want from the call.
  You must have a clear goal. You're not calling to chat, make her laugh, or ask how she's doing. You are calling for a specific purpose - to make an appointment.
• There is no clear conversation plan.
  You need to work out the structure of your conversation. Divide it into parts and determine when exactly you will ask the girl to meet.
• Voice problems.
  Your voice should sound loud and confident. There is no need to mumble into the phone, “scream” and “mess”. You must speak loudly, clearly and confidently. Convey emotions using your voice, do not speak monotonously. And, of course, you shouldn’t rush and chatter.
• Negative attitude and lack of positivity.
  You should call a girl in a good mood. This will help you convey your positivity to her and charge her with positive emotions. To do this, you need to smile yourself during a conversation. If you smile, then your mood automatically improves. You can smile for a minute before speaking.

  Another way is to call your positive friend or girlfriend first and chat and joke with him for a couple of minutes, and immediately after that call the girl.

• Taking the meeting too seriously.
  You need to treat the date as a simple, non-binding meeting. You'll just see each other and have a good time. You can even regard it as a friendly walk. If you take a simpler approach to a date, then you will arrange it with ease. By the way, don’t use the word “date” when talking to a girl. Remember, this is just a meeting.
• No date plan.
  You must tell the girl what you will do at the meeting. “We’ll take a walk around the center, look at the park, then maybe go to a cafe to drink tea.” It often happens that when a girl asks: “What are we going to do?”, the guy gets confused and says: “Well, I don’t know” or “What do you want?” This shows you as an insecure person. Take the initiative.
• Uncertain communication.
  It often happens that guys speak hesitantly. It feels like they are bothering the girl and are just waiting for a refusal. They start asking the girl’s permission, the following phrases slip through: “If you have time, maybe I’ll see you?” and other similar nonsense.

  Say any sentence in the affirmative: “Tomorrow I have a free evening, I’m thinking of going for a walk. Will you come with me?” They expect the girl to take the initiative. If you called a girl, it means you should also take the initiative in the conversation. You have to lead the conversation, choose topics, determine when to hang up and when to make an appointment with the girl.

How to learn to talk on the phone with a girl in a few hours?

Telemarketers are people who sell products and services over the telephone. And, very often, people without experience or knowledge of the product begin to successfully sell over the phone the very next day after getting a job. How do they do this? They use conversation scripts.

A conversation script is a written plan for how you will communicate. It includes your remarks, questions, objections of the interlocutor, etc. If talking on the phone with a girl you don’t know very well is very difficult for you, then this tool is what you need.

• First, of course, you need to say hello.
  You can use regular greetings: “Hello”, “Good evening”, “Hello”, etc.
• After this, you need to introduce yourself and remind yourself.
  You can introduce yourself simply: “This is Vasya from Contact,” or, what would be better, remind yourself in the context of your previous correspondence. You can jokingly introduce yourself: “This is Vasya, the cat lover,” “This is Vasya, who promised to teach you how to dance tango,” etc.
• Ask if she is comfortable talking?
  You need to say: “Are you comfortable talking now?” Here is the first branch of the dialogue. If she says that it’s inconvenient or has doubts, then offer to call back. If he says that it is convenient, then move on to the next point.
• Ask how she's feeling.
  Depending on the answer, come up with a new remark. She can say “good”, “great”, “good”, “not so good” or “bad”. Now think about the development of events depending on each answer and so on.
• Prepare funny jokes and funny stories in advance, which you will learn by heart and tell the girl to cheer her up.

  Gradually lead the girl towards an offer to meet. You can use her curiosity for this. If you said something interesting and the girl started asking you about it, you can say that you will only tell her about it in person.

• Prepare a meeting proposal, consider all the girl’s possible objections and figure out how you will remove these objections.
  End the conversation on a positive note. You can give a compliment or use a prepared joke.

As soon as an uncomfortable pause appears in your conversation, you immediately look at your cheat sheet, find a suitable remark there and continue the conversation. If it works for sales professionals, it will work for you.

Some more tips on how to talk to a girl on the phone

• You can't argue with a girl while talking.
  The same applies to advice. In most cases, girls don’t need your advice; they already know perfectly well what to do. Your desire to help will only lead to negativity.
• Make a call from a quiet place, in which you are comfortable and no one can disturb you.
• Call the girl as soon as possible after you get the number.
  If you call her right away, then this conversation will be like a continuation of your correspondence and will be much easier for both of you.
• Ask the girl open-ended questions.
  Well, try to give detailed answers to her questions. Try to end each of your remarks with a question.

Conclusion

After a while, you will not need to look into this pattern of communicating with a girl on the phone, and you will begin to improvise on the fly.

Business telephone etiquette

Business phone etiquette makes life a lot easier. Today there are many companies. Some companies go bankrupt not because their business is going wrong, but because their employees do not know the rules for telephone conversations with clients. Today I would like to tell you about how to conduct business negotiations correctly. If you want to avoid clients turning away from you, learn business telephone etiquette. This will help you look professional in the eyes of your partners.

1. Watch your intonation. During communication, people convey information to each other using three methods: “body language” (55%), intonation (38%) and words (7%). When communicating on the phone, we try to convey to the interlocutor the meaning of our messages using intonation and words .
Intonation - 86%;
Words - 14%.
Your intonation and voice help your interlocutor understand what kind of person you are. When communicating on the phone, you should not lounge on a chair and put your feet on the table. If a person is lying down or half-sitting, the timbre of his voice changes, this happens because the angle of his diaphragm changes. Therefore, a person, even without seeing you, knows that you are lying down.

2. Be sure to greet the caller. If you greet the caller, it lets him know that his call is important to you. When answering a call, you should not say: Hello, I’m listening, and so on.

3. Always try to introduce yourself over the phone. After the greeting, be sure to introduce yourself and say the name of the company. When receiving external calls, two methods are used, the so-called “minimum” and “maximum”: “Minimum” method: Greeting + name of the organization. “maximum”: “minimum” + the name of the person who answered the phone.

4. You try to answer calls after the 3rd ring. If you pick up the phone after the first call, the person who called may think that you have nothing to do. If the phone rings more than 4 times, then the caller will begin to get nervous.

5. When calling, do not say “You’re worried about...” or “You’re worried about...”. Just say: “Good morning, Marina from Ogonyok magazine is calling you.”

6. After calling, ask if the person has time to listen to you. After introducing yourself, do not immediately start talking about business; first, find out if the interlocutor has time to talk with you. There are two ways to use these tips:

Introduce yourself + ask about free time + say the purpose of the call.
Introduce yourself + say the purpose of the call + ask about free time.

7. Try to get to the most important thing as quickly as possible. Introduce yourself and ask for time to talk, don’t waste time with meaningless questions like: So, how do you like the weather?
When communicating on the phone, busy clients don't like to deviate from the topic. Of course, there is a slight exception to this rule if you have developed a good relationship over the years of working together.

8. Using the “hold” function. This feature allows you to retain the client if necessary. This function is created in order to: print the required document; call the right person to the phone; or ask a colleague for help. If you want to put a person on hold, ask if the other person has time to wait a little, and be sure to explain the reason for the wait. For example: “Can you wait to help me contact accounting?” After resolving the issue, thank the person who was waiting. If you know you'll have to wait a long time, then you shouldn't put the person on hold. Apologize and say that you will call back after solving his problem.

9. If they ask a person who is not at work right now, do not hang up immediately. If the right person is not available, offer your help. If the person does not agree to your offer, then ask to leave a message. For example, like this: What should I tell my colleague? This is called telephone ethics.

10. At the end of the dialogue, say goodbye to your interlocutor. Before you say goodbye to a person, ask: “Can I help you with anything else?”, and only after receiving a negative answer, say goodbye.

11. Try to adapt to the speed of speech of the interlocutor. Don't think that the faster you speak, the faster your interlocutor will mark you. On the contrary, if they cannot keep up with your speech, people will miss your train of thought and become completely confused. Try to vary the speed of your speech.

12. Telephone etiquette is advised. When communicating on the phone, do not be distracted: do not drink, do not eat, and do not smoke. This is very audible over the phone and very annoying.

13. You should not apologize to your interlocutor for wasting his time. This advice also applies to business meetings. If you think that you have distracted your interlocutor from important matters, then do not tell him about it out loud. Just say, “Sorry, our conversation has gone on a bit, I probably took up a lot of your time.” Instead of apologizing, simply thank the other person. It sounds something like this: I understand how busy you are, thank you for the time spent on our conversation.

14. Telephone ethics recommends caution against using a speakerphone. Do not use speakerphone unless absolutely necessary and without warning the interlocutor. If a client hears you using a speakerphone without his consent, he may become wary. Moreover, he can draw certain conclusions. That person has more important things to do besides communicating with me, or most likely someone is eavesdropping on us.

15. Communication with secretaries. If in the course of your work you communicate with secretaries. You must listen to their opinion.

Here are some rules for telephone conversations with secretaries. Don't consider yourself above them. Don't insult or humiliate them. As a rule, these people have great power over some decisions of their superiors. Secretaries can become either your allies or enemies, it all depends on you. If they wish, they can present information from you as just another trick of an obsessive idiot. They are able to make sure that your mail never reaches the director of the enterprise. Using the etiquette of a business conversation on the phone, when communicating with a secretary, you get a faithful assistant. Try to build friendly relations with the secretary.

Here's everything you need to know about business telephone etiquette.

Continuation of the tape:

Business, success, motivation. Smart magazine.

Ending your workday correctly is the key to success What successful people do in the last 10 minutes of their workday: You may spend the last 10 minutes of your workday staring at the clock, counting the seconds until you are free. Or maybe you're immersed in work until the very last minute, and then you grab your things and leave without saying goodbye to anyone. If any of these scenarios sound familiar to you, it may be time to reconsider your end-of-the-day traditions. Michael Kerr, international business expert and author of No More Serious! Let's add a little humor to work "(You Can"t Be Serious! Putting Humor to Work), says: “It is very important how you end the work day. It can determine your mood for the rest of the day; it can affect your personal life, general feeling of happiness, quality of sleep, and also sets the tone for the next day." Lynn Taylor, an American workplace expert, wrote the book "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Deal with a Capricious Boss and Thrive at Work" (Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant : How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job) She says the most successful people usually create an action plan to deal with current problems that may interfere with their focus on the next morning's events - both planned and unexpected. To-Do Lists Taylor mentions that successful professionals always keep an eye on their to-do lists, which are constantly updated, she adds, “However, in the last 10 minutes, they also check to see how much of the day's tasks have been completed. These people adjust their final to-do list accordingly, rather than abruptly leaving work and expecting to remember all the details the next morning.” 2. They Organize Your Desk and Computer Projects take much longer if you're disorganized. Taylor says, “Desktop and computer chaos makes it difficult to think clearly and prioritize effectively; it also makes it difficult to find important documents. Keep your digital and paper documents organized so you can find them quickly when you need them.” 3. They review the amount of work completed Taylor believes: you need to not only concentrate on what has not yet been done, but also look back at the work already completed. Kerr agrees: “Even one minute of reviewing the work completed can provide insight into progress, and on a particularly difficult and overloaded day, it can remind you that much more has been accomplished than it seems. Psychological research shows that even a short review of completed work is a great way to boost your mood.” 4. They review the day. Successful people think not only about the projects they were involved in during the day, but also try to understand why something went according to plan or vice versa. Taylor says, “Skilled professionals know that if they don’t learn, they don’t grow.” 5. They reduce the volume of “urgent” conversations You are on call all day, but letters and calls come in a continuous stream - right up to the last minutes of the working day. Taylor notes, “This is where time management skills come in—successful people can decide what needs immediate attention and what can wait.” Try to postpone long conversations on important issues until the most productive time - that is, until the morning. Taylor advises: “Think about whether you can postpone discussion of important issues until a specific time the next day. Otherwise, the matter may drag on until late, you and your interlocutors will run out of energy and time will be running out. This delay will also give time to think about the matter better.” 6. They Stay Focused Taylor explains: “Typically, in the evening, people are less alert and have a harder time concentrating.” Try to stay focused and not get carried away with other things at the very end of the day. 7. They define tasks for the next day Successful people make a list of what will be ready by the morning and define the main tasks for the next day. Taylor advises: "You may have a couple of things that are your main focus, but it's best to write them down so you have a base to start with the next morning." Kerr adds, “The more thoughts you can get down on paper, the more likely you are to be able to focus on life outside of work with a clear head and ready to start the next day.” 8. They tell you if they can be reached before the next morning. The most successful people analyze how free they will be and whether they can be contacted if necessary, and then tell those who might need it. Kerr says: “Do you go into ‘total darkness’ and completely lose contact with the office? Or do you make some exceptions? It depends on the situation, and there is no one right answer. The most important question to ask yourself is: “How willing am I to be available outside of work hours without it interfering with my rest?” 9. They review the next day’s schedule There is nothing worse than starting the work day with news that In five minutes you have an important meeting. Kerr states, “Successful people know how to create a schedule and plan for the next day and - more importantly - imagine how that day will turn out.” This allows you to start work with more confidence and less stress. 10. They express gratitude for the support provided. Good teams are built on the basis of gratitude and recognition. Kerr says, "The habit of thanking someone at the end of the day is an incredibly effective way to improve your own mood and end your and everyone else's day on a good note." 11. They wish their colleagues a nice evening A friendly “have a nice evening” is very underrated - and requires very little effort. Taylor says, “It reminds your boss and employees that you are a real person, not just a colleague.” Moreover, in this way you focus the attention of your colleagues and management on the fact that you left. 12. They leave on a positive note Before you leave, lift your spirits with a smile, Taylor recommends. “This will prepare you to say goodbye to your colleagues on a good note.” Successful leaders leave a positive impression at the end of the day that lasts until the next morning. 13. They Still Leave Successful people overcome the temptation to stay longer. They know how important it is to maintain a work-life balance, so they try to leave the office not too late. Taylor says, “Staying at work unnecessarily reduces the level of performance you will need tomorrow.”

Telephone conversations are an integral part of business communication. A significant part of business contacts with partners, officials, and clients occurs over the telephone. Proper use of telephone communication capabilities very effectively saves valuable time. However, ignorance of telephone etiquette causes irreparable harm to the reputation and image of a business person.

The basic requirements of telephone etiquette are simple.

When arranging a call, always check when it is most convenient to make it. After dialing a number, you should not hold the phone for a long time if no one answers at the other end of the line. The maximum waiting time is six beeps. If you have assigned an employee or secretary to get through to the person you are interested in, then you must be ready to join the conversation at any time.

Don't forget to say hello. Always and with everyone. Psychologists recommend saying “Good afternoon!” rather than “Hello!”, since the latter word contains more consonants. Saying "Good morning!" and “Good evening!” It’s also not advisable: it’s a working day for us.

After the greeting, invite the person you are interested in to the phone, then introduce yourself - the one who calls first introduces himself. It is acceptable not to identify yourself if the person you need to talk to is not there. You can ask when he will be there, or ask him to give him something.

Don’t ask “Who are you? What is your number?”, but you can clarify whether you dialed the number correctly and reached where you wanted. If you have the wrong number, then the next time you dial, immediately check whether it is the number you need. If the conversation is interrupted due to technical reasons, the initiator of the conversation must call back.

A telephone call must comply with the requirements of brevity. Don't forget: time is money! The recommended duration of a business conversation is no more than five minutes. It will be very kind of you if at the beginning of the conversation you ask whether the interlocutor has time and how much. If he is busy, apologize and ask when is the best time to call back.

When answering a phone call, you need to pick up the phone before the fourth or fifth ring, ideally after the second. Answers such as “Yes!”, “Hello!”, “I’m listening!” are unacceptable in a professional setting. Business etiquette recommends creating a script for the first words of greeting in relation to the specifics of your company or company. You don’t have to give names, limiting yourself to just identifying your position or department of the company. It is important that the person who dialed your number understands exactly where he called and who is talking to him. If your colleague is asked to answer the phone, it is rude to find out who is asking.

If you are very busy, it is better to turn off your phone or ask your secretary to answer phone calls. If there is a client or visitor in your office, then communication with him is undoubtedly a priority. You should answer the call only to find out who is calling and tell you when you can call you back, or ask the other person to leave their number and promise to call them back later. If you have visitors and you need to make a call, you should apologize to them and try to make the call itself as short as possible.

Under equal conditions, the one who called ends the conversation. When talking with your boss, the initiative to end the conversation should come from him. (By the way, in an off-duty setting, a woman has the same privilege). If the conversation drags on, you can sum it up using the phrases: “I believe that we have discussed all the issues,” “Thank you for your time,” and the like. Try not to be impatient, leave a good impression.

It is considered bad manners to make business calls at home or on a personal mobile phone. Business people of good standing must be able to get their work done during business hours. If your business partner has provided you with his home or mobile phone number and permission to call you at any time, you should not take this literally. In the case of prior arrangement or extreme circumstances, you can, of course, call outside of business hours, but such a call should be the exception and not the rule. Moreover, think a hundred times before calling too early in the morning or late in the evening. For you to decide to call before 8 am and after 11 pm, at a minimum, there must be a fire.

And most importantly, always be friendly. After all, telephone wires can convey both a gloomy look and a dissatisfied expression on the face, and a friendly smile.