Mind Your Manners – The Basics of Phone Etiquette

Image credit: Pete (flickr.com)

In these days of instant messages, likes, and tweets, they say that basic phone etiquette is becoming a lost art.

Common courtesy is really important to maintain whether at home or at work. It greatly enhances communication and makes a positive impression for you. Remember that you are representing yourself, your family, or your company when you pick up the phone.

Here are some proven reminders if you want to project a professional image or if you simply want to be a little more pleasant to converse with.

Begin with a greeting

On the top of my head, I can fondly recall a friend’s young daughter who always said “Hello, this is Violet. Good Morning!” It’s really cute and nice plus it’s actually slightly funny because she always said that - regardless what time of the day I called.  

The formula is there, however. Simply identify yourself and then say a short greeting. In business settings, you may include your company name and, when necessary, your department, something along the lines of “Hello, this is Felicity Smoak. IT Department of Queen Consolidated. How may I help you?”

This is always a good way to start a conversation and yes, that’s an Arrow reference right there.

Pay attention to your tone

Although the caller will not see any facial expression, your emotions will still be pretty apparent – thanks to the tone of your voice. Smiling while taking a call might seem like a silly idea but it actually affects your tone. If you doubt this, then you can try recording your calls for proof and you will surely notice a big difference with how you sound like as you speak with others over the phone. You’ll notice that you’ll always sound happier as you smile. Also, do not eat any food or chew gums while talking.  

Choose your words carefully

Again, the main point of exercising etiquette is to ensure that the callers have positive experiences as they contact you. So aside from proper greetings and voice tone, using the right words can be a huge factor.

Using formal words are highly advisable, especially when taking business calls. So instead of saying “Who’s calling?”, “May I know who’s on the line?” is always better. “Can I put you on hold?” is preferable over “Hang in there for a minute.” You get the idea!

Well, that’s basically the basics of phone etiquettes. I’ll try coming up with a video next time so be sure to come back. Also, feel free to leave a comment below in case you agree or disagree with some of the points I raised – or if you have a few pointers of your own!