Whether you’re an established sales professional or a student looking to begin your booming career, brushing up on your phone skills can be crucial to your success. Whether you need to close that big deal or get your foot in the door to get noticed, being able to handle your telephone calls makes the difference, especially for the latter. Being a millennial entering today’s workforce is a challenge, because we’re so accustomed to our smartphones being used for texting and instant messaging, rather than, well, phones. Growing up in an era with access to mobile devices and information at our fingertips means that we never really acquired the telephone skills that generations before us needed. This is something that you students entering the workforce need to work on, because the fact is, the workforce isn’t just Millennials—get used to picking up the phone with some of our tips and see how you’ll stand out from the others and impress people!
1.Know what the call is about
This one sounds obvious, and it very well may be, but understanding what you’re getting yourself into can help you direct the conversation in a strong way. If you really understand the purpose of the call and what both sides want to achieve from it, you can be better prepared for any direction the conversation can go in and avoid any uncomfortable moments. This goes from that interview call, to that sale-close, the follow-up, and even calling your mom back.
2. Get comfortable
The environment around you can impact your call drastically. Any outside stimulus that may affect the call should be avoided. Turn down the radio and stay away from that background noise, get in your chair or comfortable space and take a breath, then make your call. If you’re pacing around, running errands, or simply uncomfortable, the other person on the line can tell.
3. Practice!
This could otherwise be the second half to the “Get comfortable” point above. You need to be comfortable speaking on the phone to achieve a successful call. The only way to do this is practice. It doesn’t matter who or for what reason… call, call, call. Call your family, call and order a pizza tonight, call Avega if you have to, we’d love to chat!
4. Be attentive, grab a pen
The worst thing you can do on a call is miss information while the other person speaks. They could be telling you exactly what they need, and you could have the perfect solution, but you miss a detail daydreaming about something else. A great method to start practicing is taking notes while you’re on the phone, write down their name, their number, or anything you think you should remember. You’ll make a great impression when you read it back! Remember, I truly believe a pen and paper is better than a keyboard for this, you don’t sound busy or hesitant, and you’re less distracted by that computer!