CHAPTER 18
Using Your Phone Most Productively
Before the Internet, with its stunning power and flexibility, changed the way we work, the telephone was our fastest and most efficient method for overcoming both great distances and busy schedules.
Easy to use, reliable, and relatively inexpensive, it became the most pervasive communication tool in business—both an enabler and an intruder. It changed people’s lives in many ways, not unlike the explosion of all-encompassing broadband and wireless access has today. And even though e-mail has taken its place in many cases, the telephone still frequently is the communication tool of choice. One reason is that the telephone is often a convenient alternative to conversing face-to-face and because it provides a richer communication opportunity than written words.
TELEPHONE BASICS
For all its advantages, telephone communication certainly has its pitfalls, but handling this communication medium efficiently and courteously can pay big dividends in terms of your productivity and success. Here are some simple, but sometimes overlooked, rules to keep in mind.
Recognize the importance of your voice. In telephone conversation, the immediacy of spoken communication is retained, but the important visual cues inherent in a face-to-face conversation—posture, eye contact, facial expression, or gestures—are lost. For that reason, when communicating by phone, your voice becomes much more important in the interaction because it must carry some of the load usually handled by your body language. You need to rely on the three P’s—Pitch, Pace, and Power—to create the variety and energy necessary to command and keep your audience’s attention. You can achieve this objective by sitting up straight in your chair, breathing deeply for sufficient vocal power, gesturing as you would in a normal conversation, and keeping your eyes off your computer screen if you happen to be near it. Some communication coaches even recommend standing when talking on the phone because this allows the speaker to naturally convey more energy.
When You Are the Caller
Plan your agenda before you call. If necessary, make some notes before you place the call, identifying the two or three points you want to address while you have that person on the line. If you fail to establish your agenda, the other party—who may have his or her own agenda—may have the upper hand in the conversation.
Organize your conversation so that the other person can follow and remember. Use transitions and connector words just as you would in writing a memo. “Hello, Luis. It’s Taylor. I need to let you know about two issues. First, remember that Miriam is leaving on maternity leave on the twenty-first of this month, and we still need to decide on how we’re going to fill that slot. And next, I just heard from Kim Imports and it can’t ship until Monday.”
Place your own phone calls. If you have time to make a telephone call, you have time to place it. Having an assistant call for you and then put the receiver on hold while you come to the phone is inexcusable in most situations. Doing so sends a huge message to the person you called that your time is much more important that anyone else’s.
Get the go-ahead before you begin a lengthy conversation. Remember that unless you have a scheduled appointment to speak with someone on the telephone, you are intruding into that person’s day. When you get Mr. Washington on the phone, immediately ask if he is available for a short conversation, or let him know that you intend to make it quick. Acknowledging that you recognize the importance of the person’s time shows respect and concern for his situation.
Identify yourself quickly and clearly. Even if your recipient has Caller ID (which doesn’t always work if you go through a company switchboard) or if you talk to the person frequently, identify yourself immediately. If this person has an assistant, identify yourself and, if appropriate, say why you’re calling. For example: “Hello, Helen. This is Ross Ortiz. I’m returning Ms. Chapman’s call.”
If you have to call someone at home and the spouse or partner answers, let that person know who you are and ask if the person is available to take your call. If appropriate, apologize for calling the person at home and provide a general reason for your call. “Mrs. Owen, Mr. Owen wanted to have the quarterly sales numbers to prepare for tomorrow’s meeting.”
Use the speakerphone judiciously and courteously. Speakerphones are a great assistance when the call involves more than one person on one end or if you need your hands to perform some function, such as taking notes on a computer. However, you should never use the speaker feature without first asking the person you have called if he or she is agreeable to conducting a phone call that is less than private. Although most people can tell if they are engaging in a call in which the other person is using the speaker, you should still acknowledge that you are choosing this option. Furthermore, if anyone else is in the room, you have an ethical obligation to tell the person to whom you are talking that another person will hear what is being said. The other people in your office should also greet the person you have called and identify themselves.
Consider teleconferencing. In a teleconference, you may or may not use the speaker function, but generally more than two people participate in the conversation, often by accessing a teleconferencing service. A teleconference may be a good alternative to a meeting if the conversation is primarily informational in nature, but it doesn’t work well for handling sensitive issues or for conducting negotiations. The delays inherent in the technology limit one’s ability to speak quickly (or almost simultaneously), while the formality of the process makes spontaneous conversation impossible. Therefore, if you predict a heated discussion, you might want to reconsider using this format. If you actually want the callers to participate, limit the number of participants so that everyone has time to speak during the allotted time.
If you are leading a teleconference, make sure that you introduce everyone on the line and indicate their location and their interest in the discussion. At the end of the call, summarize the conversation and reiterate any action items before ending the session. Thank everyone for participating in the discussion. Following up with an e-mail that summarizes the conference is also a good idea.
As a teleconference participant, these guidelines can make the call go more smoothly:
Identify yourself each time you speak, particularly if the group is large and if you don’t regularly meet by telephone with these people.
Organize your comments for clarity.
Pay attention and avoid offline chats.
Avoid interrupting or responding curtly.
If you have to leave the call, let people know that you are disengaging.
Treat a voice mail message like a memo. If you can’t reach the party you are calling and choose to leave voice mail, make sure your message is efficient and meaningful. Since a great number of telephone calls originate for the sole purpose of exchanging information, you may be able to take care of business as effectively as if the person were actually there to answer the phone.
If you do need someone to call you back, you can save everyone time if you give the person a preview of why you called. A voice mail that says, “Joe, it’s Marie. Call me” doesn’t give him a chance to prepare for the return call. Think of the memo format with its “To,” “From,” “Date,” and “Subject” lines. Since most voice mail systems are date-and time-stamped, you may not need to say when you called. So your message can go something like this: Joe, this is Marie Marsh. I checked on the availability of the conference room that you suggested for the fifteenth, and unfortunately it’s booked. A similar room on the fifth floor is available. Let me know, either by returning this call or by e-mail, if that room will work. I’ll be here until six today.”
If you can’t deliver a message in a half-dozen sentences or so, let the person know that you need to discuss the matter at more length. No one wants to listen to interminable voice mails, and if you have a habit of leaving them, people will start to hit the erase button without listening to the entire message.
Check before you speak. Occasionally, instead of reaching the person you’re calling, you will reach an assistant or someone else in the office, whose function it is to screen calls and sometimes keep calls from reaching their destination.
If you don’t mind stating the purpose of your call, state it when you first ask to speak to the individual you’re calling. Your forthcoming nature may make the gatekeeper feel more comfortable putting you through. If you are returning a person’s call, or if someone suggested that you call that person, by all means say so. If you suspect, however, that stating your purpose will not facilitate a connection, say politely that you have a matter that you really need to discuss with the individual you are asking for. You might add, “I’ve checked and clearly Ms. Rivera is the person to whom I should speak in this case.”
When You Receive a Call
Answering a call requires much of the same behavior as placing one, except this time you aren’t in the driver’s seat. Although you certainly can decide when to take your calls at work, avoid hiding behind voice mail to keep from talking to people. Remember that a huge part of communication is building relationships. You never know when a productive or friendly telephone conversation may make a favorable impression on a customer, client, or coworker that will pay dividends in the future.
Speak clearly and perhaps a bit more slowly than usual. Mechanical reproduction of your voice isn’t the same as hearing you live, and we discern what our ears miss with our eyes in a face-to-face conversation. State your name clearly, and speak slowly so that someone whose first language may not be the same as yours can pick up the nuances of pronunciation.
Provide pertinent information, but avoid a monologue. Callers usually know what company and department they have called by the time they get to the person answering a call. For example, “Piedmont Central University, College of Business, Management Department, Jane Hill, how may I help you?” is a little much. If you need to state your department or title along with your name, make your voice sound helpful and leave off the added baggage. “Management Department, Jane Hill speaking,” gets the call on its way. If you are answering the call for someone else, identify that person and yourself as well. “Mary Grant’s office, this is Clarice.”
Be considerate when you receive a call. If you need to put the caller on hold to gather some information, ask that person’s permission, estimate the length of the hold time, and offer to call the person back. “Please hold”—click—makes people feel like a door just got slammed in their faces.
If someone catches you at a bad time, or when you need to keep the line open for an urgent call, let the caller know in a respectful way that you are not available at the moment (in most cases you can use voice mail to catch calls you don’t want to answer) and say when you’ll call back. Make sure that you honor your commitment.
If you do take the call, focus your attention on the caller and the message. Turn away from your computer screen and summon your listening skills. Listen for both the words and the “music”—any signals that you may be able to pick up from the voice or the emotions of the speaker. If you’re not sure about something, ask for clarification.
Keep the conversation businesslike. Avoid chitchat unless the receiver of your call seems receptive. One of the great advantages of e-mail is that the recipient can choose when and where to access that message. Phone calls don’t offer the same flexibility. For that reason, you should be particularly mindful of your receiver’s time. Keep the discussion on track and your answers to the point. Getting to the point, however, doesn’t mean being abrupt or insensitive. If the caller seems to want to engage in small talk, accommodate if you have the time. If you are the one who is rushed, apologize for being in a hurry and mention that you would like to catch up when both of you have more time.
If you are returning someone’s call, but you also have some information or want to address an additional issue, allow the person you’re calling to tell you the reason for the original call before launching into your own message.
MAKE THE MEDIUM WORK FOR YOU AND OTHERS
Being effective on the telephone can give you a competitive edge in many situations because so many of us use it poorly. Every so often, ask close associates how you present yourself on the telephone and if they would suggest any adjustments to your phone style and manners. If you’re really serious, try recording yourself occasionally to hear what your receiver hears.
The telephone is still a great tool for getting our messages across. Although we have more alternatives today, the telephone can reap significant rewards, if you leverage its advantages.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The telephone is often a simple alternative to conversing face-to-face.
When using the telephone, you keep the immediacy of spoken communication but lose the important visual cues inherent in face-to-face conversation.
Your voice becomes much more important in the interaction since it must carry some of the load usually handled by your body language.
Plan your message and get to the point quickly.
Use speakerphones and teleconferencing judiciously.
Mind your manners when you are answering a call.