business phone etiquette

Telephone conversations can be considered as a specific case of a business conversation. From this, two conclusions should be drawn. Firstly, the rules for preparing and conducting a business conversation largely retain their importance in telephone conversations. Secondly, a telephone conversation has a number of distinctive features compared to a face-to-face conversation.

The general norms of behavior in a conversation should be considered unchanged: a demonstration of interest in the subject of conversation, goodwill towards the interlocutor (even if a phone call distracted you from important and urgent matters, you should indicate to the interlocutor that you are busy in a correct and polite form), no influence on the character conversation of your general mood.

It's always worth apologizing for being bothered, even if you're sure your phone call was expected. The rule of good form should be considered a question to the interlocutor whether he has time for a conversation, even if you are sure of an affirmative answer on his part. You can help the interlocutor to navigate in time if you indicate the specific duration of the conversation that will be required to resolve issues, thereby forcing yourself to pre-predict the approximate time of the conversation and, based on this, adjust its outline, and maybe refuse the telephone option due to with a long duration of the intended conversation.

Considering the fact that the interlocutors do not see each other, the rule should be considered mandatory according to which you need to introduce yourself - concisely, but succinctly. It is bad form to believe that you should be recognized by your voice, thus you put your interlocutor in an awkward position, forcing you to ask again who exactly is calling him. Ignoring the introduction to your interlocutor is more typical for everyday telephone conversations, although sometimes it also occurs in business practice. The presentation should be considered in advance. If you are not sure that you will be recognized by your last name, briefly name the organization you represent, your position and a brief summary of the issue that you would like to discuss.

If the connection is unexpectedly interrupted, the one who started the conversation calls back; he also has the right to be the first to finish it. It is considered unethical if you deliberately indicate to the interlocutor the need to end a conversation that was not started by you. Thus, he finds himself in an awkward position, being forced to hastily correct the course of the conversation or refuse certain issues that he intended to discuss with you. If you feel that telephone conversations are going beyond an acceptable time frame, use the appropriate methods for correctly ending the conversation in this situation, for example, refer to the need to end the conversation in connection with the expectation of an urgent long-distance call.

The culture of a telephone conversation, which is also related to the efficiency of presenting this or that information, also includes some rules for communicating with third-party subscribers. So, if you call an unfamiliar organization, first of all find out who is competent in solving your specific issue (for this you need to formulate its essence in a concise form in advance). Detailed information should be given only to the interlocutor who can help you in resolving the issue. Unaddressed transmission of unnecessary information is a fairly common mistake in telephone conversations.

On the other hand, if you get a call from an outside organization asking a question outside of your area of ​​expertise, help the caller figure out who can solve their problem. Remember that polite, friendly telephone communication is one of the important ways to create a positive image of both the organization as a whole and its individual employees and departments.

1. Ethical standards of business telephone conversation.

It is not always possible to talk directly with a partner or client. Therefore, very often we have to turn to the phone. It is estimated that business people spend between 4 and 25 percent of their work time on the phone. Thanks to the telephone, the efficiency of solving a huge number of issues increases, there is no need to send letters, telegrams or go to another institution, enterprise or company. Telephone communication provides a continuous two-way exchange of information at any distance. Negotiations are carried out by telephone, orders are given, requests are made, consultations are given, inquiries are made, and often the first step to concluding an agreement is a telephone conversation.

The ability to speak on the phone is largely related to the personal image of each employee of the company. After all, during a telephone conversation, your interlocutor cannot appreciate what you are wearing, nor the expression on your face with certain words, nor the interior of the office where you are sitting, nor other non-verbal means that are very helpful in judging the nature of communication.

It should also be borne in mind that unreasonably frequent use of telephone communications leads to the fact that errors that are quite costly for business become more frequent. In addition, the telephone, being one of the most effective means of saving a businessman's time, is also one of the most common "sinkers" of his working time. Thus, all of the above allows us to conclude that knowledge of telephone etiquette and rational rules for conducting telephone conversations is necessary for every civilized person.

There are unwritten rules for business telephone communication. They cover both normal telephone etiquette and business administration. Let's consider these rules in relation to two cases: firstly, when they call you, and secondly, when you call.

2. Rules for conducting a business telephone conversation when they call you

It is best to pick up the phone after the first call. If you are sitting alone in a room, you have enough time to complete a sentence or read a paragraph in a letter. It is perfectly acceptable to pick up the phone after the second or third ring. If you have a visitor, you will have enough time to finish the phrase and, having said “I'm sorry” to the interlocutor, pick up the phone.

Sometimes the phone is hard to hear. But that doesn't mean you have to raise your voice. The conclusion that if you do not hear the interlocutor well, then he does not hear you well, and, therefore, you need to speak louder, is erroneous. Therefore, in case of poor hearing, you should not raise your voice yourself, but ask the person who is calling you to speak louder, while asking how he hears you.

The most common variants of the first word spoken into the off-hook are “yes”, “hello”, “listening”. These words are completely identical and impersonal in their informativeness, and therefore do not characterize the one who pronounces them.

Reviews “yes”, “hello”, “listening” can be called neutral, since they do not carry information about who exactly picked up the phone and in which organization or company. Therefore, in business communication, you should abandon neutral reviews and replace them with informative ones. On an external phone, they usually do not give their last name, but a company, organization or division. On the internal phone, the division and surname are called. Thus, when answering a call, you should always introduce yourself. People want to know who they are talking to. This, in addition, creates an atmosphere of trust and helps to better understand the interlocutor. Find a friendly form that you like yourself (as you yourself would like to be answered).

With frequent calls or in a hurry, they usually give the last name with the addition of the word “listening” (“Ivanov is listening”) or indicate only the name of the institution or its department: “accounting”, “first department”.

In all of the above cases, the subscriber must know with whom he is talking, or at least where he is. If an error occurs when dialing a number, the misunderstanding will be immediately clarified and will not entail loss of time to clarify it.

The phone rang. You picked up the phone. Again ~ for the umpteenth time - they ask for a colleague who is absent at the place. Frowning in displeasure, you sharply answer: “He is not there!” and immediately hang up. But let's think about it - are you yourself provoking repeated calls by answering? Where is the exit? He is in a polite and more detailed response to every phone call to an absent employee, no matter how annoying he may be. The optimal answer in this case may be something like this: “He is not there, he will be then. Maybe give him something?

When your colleague sitting at the next table is asked to phone, you can answer the request: “Now” or “One minute”, after which invite a colleague to the device.

Make sure that the information transmitted in someone's absence reaches the addressee. Although it is not easy to organize the exchange of information through third parties, it can pay off handsomely. In order to find out what you need, ask questions according to the questionnaire principle (“Where are you calling from?”, “Your name and your phone number?”, etc.).

The following is a short list of do's and don'ts when the phone rings at your firm.

Do not do it	Should:
1. Do not pick up the phone for a long time	1. Pick up the handset until the fourth ring of the phone
2. Say "Hi", "Yes", "Speak" when starting a conversation	2. Say: “Good morning (afternoon)”, introduce yourself and name your department.
3. Ask "Can I help you"	3. Ask: “How can I help you?”
4. Have two conversations at once.	4. Concentrate on one conversation and listen carefully.
5. Leave the phone unattended, at least for a while.	5. Offer to call back if required to clarify details.
6. Use scraps of paper and calendar sheets for notes.	6. Use forms to write down phone numbers
7. Transfer handset many times .	7. Write down the number of the caller and call him back.
8. Say "Everyone is having lunch", "No one is there", "Please call back"	8. Write down the information and promise the client to call him back.

This list is endless. For example, you can’t turn a conversation into an interrogation, ask questions like "Who am I talking to?" or -"What you need?" You have to watch your diction. If you speak with an accent, try to speak clearly. Avoid the habit of holding the microphone with your hand to say something to colleagues - the client can hear *.

If your partner or client is making a complaint over the phone, don't tell them: "It's not my fault", "I don't do this", "Our products never fail" etc. If you say so, it may negatively affect the reputation of your firm and will not help the client in solving his problems. So let him speak to the end; express sympathy to him, and if you are to blame, apologize; write down his name and phone number, order number or other details. If you promised to call him back, do it as soon as possible, even if you did not manage to solve the problem by the appointed time.

Remember: when the problem is finally solved, the client, as a rule, feels indebted to you. And this can be used in the future for business contacts and business expansion.

Exist EXPRESSIONS TO AVOID during telephone conversations, so that your company is not misrepresented. In particular, these include *.

1. "I don't know". No other answer can undermine the credibility of your firm so quickly and thoroughly. First of all, your job is to know that this is why you are in your place. If you are unable to give an answer to your interlocutor, it is better to say: “Good question. Allow me to clarify this for you*.

2. "We can't do it." If this is true, your potential client will turn to someone else, and it is very likely that his new conversation will turn out more successfully. Instead of saying no right off the bat, offer, for example, to wait until you figure out how you can be useful and try to find an alternative solution. It is recommended that you always focus on what you can do first, and not on the other way around.

3. "You must...". Serious mistake. Your client doesn't owe you anything. The wording should be much softer: "It makes sense to you ..." or "It would be best to ...".

4. "Wait a second, I'll be right back." Think about it, have you ever managed to manage your affairs in a second at least once in your life? Hardly. Tell your interlocutor something more like the truth: “It will take me two or three minutes to find the information I need. Can you wait?"

5. "No", spoken at the beginning of a sentence, unwittingly leads to the fact that the path to a positive solution to the problem becomes more complicated. There are no universal recipes for how to get rid of “negative evasion”. Each phrase containing disagreement with the interlocutor should be carefully considered. For example, to reject a customer who is asking for a refund for a defective product, an explanation like "We are unable to compensate you, but we are willing to replace your purchase" is appropriate.

As practice shows, even with a cursory acquaintance with the theory of telephone conversations, the work of employees is significantly improved and at the same time the level of satisfaction with their own work increases - it is pleasant to talk to polite people. Checking how your company's employees have learned the lessons of telephone etiquette is very simple - just call the office and introduce yourself as a client.

It is very valuable for a company when the professional experience of employees is combined with the ability to establish human contacts. If the relationship with the client is good and he enjoys doing business with your firm, you can consider that the transaction is closed.

A large number of potential clients or partners call the firm, and the manner in which the conversation is conducted largely determines whether a deal will be concluded. If the caller, without introducing himself, immediately begins with an explanation of what he needs, politely ask for his name, company name and phone number, and only then continue the conversation. Try not to take orders, do not give information to uninformed interlocutors. You may, for example, not understand that you are talking to a large buyer who is entitled to a discount, and offer him a fixed price without discounts, thus losing a profitable order.

Some buyers define their requirements very precisely: type, color, terms of delivery of goods, etc. Others need help in this regard. Very often you have to "pull" additional information from the client. To do this, use questions that begin with "what", "when", "where", "who", "how", but avoid "Why", because it contains a shade of distrust.

Having understood the requirements of the client, you begin to convince him of the advantages of your product. If the client called specifically to place an order, your arguments should be aimed at increasing the volume of purchases, expanding the range of goods or marketing related products. If the client is only interested in preliminary information, your task is to convince him to start the business with a trial purchase.

Often, when communicating with an interlocutor, we prefer talking on the phone. This is not entirely logical. Why does the person who called you on the phone have the right to interrupt your conversation? After all, he turned to you later than the one who is next to you and with whom you were talking. The visitor is forced to sit and wait, listening to the telephone dialogue, and then restore the broken threads of the interrupted conversation, and sometimes re-remind what was discussed before. That is why, if the conversation with the person sitting with you ends, you need to ask the telephone interlocutor to wait without hanging up. If you feel that the conversation will last another 10-15 minutes and it is serious enough, you need to ask to call again in a quarter of an hour, when you are free.

In some cases, telephonograms are used in telephone communication. The telephone message, as a rule, contains information not exceeding 50 words in volume. If a telephone conversation is a dialogue that is not limited in time, then a telephone message is a written fixation of a monologue, regulated in time.

Mandatory details of telephone messages are the name of the institution (company) of the sender and addressee, the details "from whom" and "to whom" indicating the position, last name, first name and patronymic of officials, number, date and time of transmission and receipt of the telephone message, the names of the sender and receiver of the telephone message, phone numbers, text and signature.

The telephone message must have a title. It is composed as for an official letter, i.e., it must begin with a noun in the prepositional case with the preposition “about” or “about”, for example: “On changing the time of the meeting of the editorial board”, “On the arrival of the seminar participants”.

Telephone messages are written in telegraphic style, that is, briefly, clearly, precisely, unambiguously, in simple sentences. A two-part composition of a telephone message is allowed: in the first part, the facts that prompted the telephone message to be given are stated, in the second, the actions taken. As a rule, the text of the telephone message is stated in the first person (for example: “We remind you ...”, “We inform ...”, “I will ask you to send ...”).

The telephone is currently the most popular means of communication. It helps to reduce the time interval required to resolve various issues and save money on trips to other cities and countries. Modern business is greatly simplified thanks to telephone conversations, which eliminate the need for lengthy written correspondence in a business style, travel on business trips over long distances. In addition, the telephone provides the possibility of remote negotiations, presentation of significant issues and inquiries.

The success of any enterprise directly depends on the correctness of telephone conversations., after all, it is enough to make one call to create a general impression about the company. If this impression turns out to be negative, it will be impossible to correct the situation. Therefore, it is important to know what constitutes competent business communication on the phone.

What it is?

Business communication is the fulfillment of professional tasks or the establishment of business relationships. Business communication by phone is a specific process for which you should carefully prepare.

Before making a phone call, there are some basic things to be clear about.

• Is this call really necessary?
• Is it important to know the partner's answer?
• Is it possible to meet in person?

Having found out that a telephone conversation is inevitable, you need to tune in to it in advance and remember the rules, the observance of which will help you conduct telephone conversations at a high professional level.

Features and standards

The rules of telephone communication are quite simple and include the following steps:

• greetings;
• performance;
• clarification of the availability of free time for the interlocutor;
• description of the essence of the problem in a short form;
• questions and answers to them;
• end of conversation.

The culture of telephone conversations is one of the important components of business communication. The specificity of telephone communication is determined by the factor of remote communication and the use of only one information channel in the work - auditory. Therefore, compliance with ethical standards governing telephone communication is an important factor determining the effectiveness of the enterprise and the development of relationships with partners.

Business telephone etiquette for outgoing calls includes several rules.

• Before dialing, you need to check that the phone number is correct. If you make a mistake, don't ask too many questions. It is necessary to apologize to the subscriber, and after the end of the call, clarify the number again and call back.
• Presentation is a must. After a greeting from the interlocutor, you need to answer using greeting words, the name of the enterprise, the position and surname of the employee making the call.
• It is recommended that you first draw up a plan that reveals the goal (in the form of a graph / diagram or in text form). It is necessary to have a description of the tasks before your eyes so that you can record their implementation during a telephone conversation. Also, do not forget to note the problems that have formed on the way to achieving a particular goal.

• 3-5 minutes is the average time allotted for a business conversation. If the specified interval was not enough, a reasonable solution would be to schedule a personal meeting.
• You should not disturb people with calls early in the morning, during a lunch break, or after the end of the working day.
• In the case of a spontaneous call that was not agreed with the partner in advance, a prerequisite is to clarify the availability of free time for the interlocutor and indicate the approximate time required to resolve the issue of the caller. If the interlocutor is busy at the time of the call, you can specify another time or make an appointment.
• Concluding the conversation, it is necessary to thank the interlocutor for the time spent or the information received.

When a telephone conversation is interrupted, the person who initiated the call should call back.

Telephone etiquette for incoming calls also includes several important points.

• Calls must be answered no later than the third ring.
• When making a response, it is required to name the name or organization. In a large company, it is customary to name not the company, but the department.
• A call made by mistake should be answered politely, clarifying the situation.
• The materials used for work should be in sight, and the conversation plan should be in front of your eyes.
• Multiple simultaneous connections should be avoided. Calls should be taken in turn.
• When answering a call made to criticize a product / service or the work of the enterprise as a whole, you must try to understand the state of the interlocutor and take some responsibility on yourself.
• Outside of business hours, it is recommended to turn on the answering machine. The message should contain up-to-date information that will be useful to all customers.
• If the person being asked is not available, you should offer your assistance in passing the information to him.

It is possible to single out the general principles for the implementation of business communication by telephone.

• You need to prepare in advance for phone conversations with clients by making a plan with goals, main points, the structure of the upcoming conversation and ways to resolve problems that may arise during the conversation.
• You need to pick up the phone with your left hand (left-handers - right) after the first or second signal.
• It is necessary to take into account information related to the subject of the conversation.
• The speech of the subscriber should be smooth and restrained. It is necessary to listen carefully to the partner and not interrupt him during the conversation. It is recommended to reinforce your own participation in the conversation with small remarks.
• The duration of a telephone conversation should not exceed four to five minutes.

• In the event of a discussion, it is necessary to take the emerging emotions under control. Despite the injustice of the statements and the increased tone on the part of the partner, one should be patient and try to calmly resolve the dispute that has arisen.
• Throughout the conversation, you need to monitor intonation and tone of voice.
• It is unacceptable to interrupt the conversation while answering other phone calls. In extreme cases, it is necessary to apologize to the subscriber for having to interrupt communication, and only after that answer the second call.
• Be sure to have paper and a pen on the table so that you can write down the necessary information in time.
• The caller can end the conversation. If you need to end the conversation in the next few minutes, then end it politely. It is necessary to apologize to the interlocutor and say goodbye, first thanking for the attention paid.

After the end of a business conversation, some time should be devoted to analyzing its style and content, identifying mistakes made in the conversation.

Stages

As already noted, business communication by phone does not require a lot of time. According to the rules, such a telephone conversation can last no more than 4-5 minutes. This is the optimal period of time to resolve all issues.

In the course of business communication on a business phone, it is necessary to follow the sequence of stages that make up the structure of the call.

• Greeting with special phrases corresponding to the time of day during which the call is made.
• Message to the virtual interlocutor of the name and position of the employee making the call, as well as the name of his organization.
• Notification of the interlocutor's free time.
• Concise presentation of basic information. At this stage, it is required to indicate the essence of the problem in one or two phrases.
• Questions and answers to them. It is necessary to show interest in the questions of the interlocutor. Answers to them must be clear and provide reliable information. If the employee who answered the call is not competent in the matter at hand, you should invite someone to the phone who can give an accurate answer.
• End of conversation. A telephone conversation is terminated by its initiator. This can also be done by a senior in position, age and a woman.

The phrases that complete the conversation are words of gratitude for the call and a wish of good luck.

To improve the efficiency of a conversation on a mobile phone, you should follow the general recommendations:

• pre-prepare the necessary correspondence;
• positively tune in to the conversation;
• express thoughts clearly, while maintaining calm;
• fix meaningful words;
• avoid monotony by changing the pace of the conversation;
• pause at the right moments of the conversation;
• reproduce information to be memorized;
• do not use harsh expressions;
• when receiving a refusal, one should remain friendly and show respect for the interlocutor.

Dialogue Examples

The following examples of telephone conversations will help you understand the essence of business communication. Dialogues clearly show how to talk to a customer or business partner on the phone in order to avoid misunderstandings.

Phone conversation example #1.

• Hotel manager - Good morning! Progress Hotel, Reservation Department, Olga, I'm listening to you.
• Guest - Hello! This is Maria Ivanova, a representative of the Skazka company. I would like to make changes to my booking.
• A - Yes, of course. What would you like to change?
• D - Is it possible to change the dates of arrival and departure?
• A - Yes, of course.
• D - The period of residence will not be from September 1 to September 7, but from September 3 to 10.
• A - Okay, the reservation has been changed. We are waiting for you in our hotel on September 3.
• G - Thank you very much. Goodbye!
• A - All the best to you. Goodbye!

Phone conversation example #2.

• Secretary - Hello. Holiday company.
• Partner - Good afternoon. This is Petrova Elena, a representative of the creative team "Flight of Fantasy". May I speak to your director?
• S - Unfortunately, he is not in the office right now - he is at a meeting. May I help you? Can you give him something?
• P - Yes, tell me, please, when will he be there?
• S - He will return only by three o'clock in the afternoon.
• P - Thank you, I'll call you back then. Goodbye!
• S - Goodbye!

Ethics not only controls the business relations of partners in business and establishes connections with competitors, but is also a means of properly organizing a telephone conversation. Compliance with the rules of business communication by telephone, which involves a thorough study of each item, ensures an effective result and long-term partnerships.

Telephone conversations can be considered as a specific case of a business conversation. From this, two conclusions should be drawn. Firstly, the rules for preparing and conducting a business conversation largely retain their importance in telephone conversations. Secondly, a telephone conversation has a number of distinctive features compared to a face-to-face conversation 1 .

Modern business life is unimaginable without a telephone. Thanks to the telephone, the efficiency of solving many questions and problems is greatly increased, there is no need to send letters, telegrams or travel to another institution, city to clarify the circumstances of any case. You can do a lot over the phone: negotiate, give orders, make a request, etc. Very often, the first step towards concluding a business contract is a telephone conversation.

Humanity has been using the telephone for over a century. It would seem that there is enough time to learn how to use this technical tool wisely. But the ability to speak on the phone is not inherited. Not everyone masters the art of communication with the help of this apparatus. It’s good if there are sensible mentors or successful role models from whom you can learn how to talk on the phone correctly. Relevant courses, various methodological manuals on this topic are widely distributed in various countries of the world.

A telephone conversation has one important advantage over a letter: it Bespechivat continuous two-way exchange of information regardless of distance. But you also need to carefully prepare for a business telephone conversation. Poor preparation, inability to single out the main thing in it, concisely, concisely and competently express one's thoughts lead to significant losses of working time (up to 20-30%). So says the American manager A. Mackenzie. Among the 15 main reasons for the loss of working time by a businessman, a manager, he put telephone conversations in first place. Psychologists note that the duration of telephone conversations depends on their emotional coloring. Excessive emotionality creates the prerequisites for speech fuzziness, inefficiency of phrases, which increases the time of a telephone conversation.

It is also known that during a telephone conversation there is such a phenomenon as satiety with communication. It can be a source of tension between the parties. So while talking must be measured. Otherwise, the meaning of communication may be lost and conflict may arise. Signs of satiety with communication: the emergence and intensification of unreasonable dissatisfaction with a partner, irritability, resentment, etc. You should get out of contact with a partner in time in order to maintain a business relationship. In addition, long phone calls can give you a reputation for being boring or idle. Such a reputation will undermine interest in you and your business proposals. To restore the good name of the company and its reputation, you will have to spend much more effort than when establishing the first business contact.

The art of telephone conversationsis to briefly report everything that follows and get an answer. A Japanese firm will not keep an employee for a long time who does not resolve a business issue over the phone in three minutes.

The similarity of the ethical rules of a business conversation and a telephone conversation lies in the possibility of transferring the main stages of preparation and conduct from face-to-face to a telephone conversation. So, for example, depending on the significance of a telephone conversation, attention should be paid to the individual stages of its modeling:

Determining the purpose of the conversation;
- its information preparation;
- development of formulations of concepts and judgments;
- determination of the sequence and content of the argumentation;
- analysis of the possible reaction of the interlocutor to certain statements.

As part of the time schedule for a telephone conversation (usually short) should also be given to understanding the chronological principle of the conversation, i.e. identification of the initial, main and final stages. The general norms of behavior in a conversation should be considered unchanged:

Demonstration of interest in the subject of conversation;

Goodwill towards the interlocutor (even if a phone call distracted you from important and urgent matters, you should indicate to the interlocutor that you are busy in a correct and polite manner);

Lack of influence on the nature of the conversation your general mood.

A telephone conversation has specific features. These features are determined by the fact that the interlocutors do not see each other and often a telephone conversation occurs unexpectedly for one of the parties, disrupting the previous course of events: a face-to-face conversation of one of the subscribers, his performance of some important or urgent work, etc. This possibility should always be considered when we call someone. This should leave a certain imprint on our behavior.

Considering the fact that the interlocutors do not see each other, the rule according to which you need to introduce yourself should be considered mandatory - concisely, but succinctly. It is bad form to believe that you should be recognized by your voice, thus you put your interlocutor in an awkward position, forcing you to ask again who exactly is calling him.

The basis for a successful business telephone conversation:
- competence,
- tact,
- benevolence,
- mastery of conversational techniques,
- the desire to quickly and effectively solve the problem or provide assistance in solving it.

It is important that a business, business telephone conversation be conducted at calm polite tone and evoked positive emotions. Another English philosopher of the 17th century. F. Bacon noted that it is more important to conduct a conversation in a friendly tone than to use good words and arrange them in the correct order. During a business telephone conversation, it is necessary to create an atmosphere of mutual trust.

The effectiveness of business telephone communication depends on the emotional state of a person, on his mood.

According to psychologists, positive emotions tone up the activity of the brain, contribute to clear rational thinking. Negative emotions lead to a violation of the logical connections in words, argumentation, create conditions for an incorrect assessment of the partner, his proposals. Skillful manifestation of expression is also essential. It testifies to the conviction of a person in what he says, in his interest in solving the problems under consideration. During a conversation, you need to be able to interest the interlocutor in your business. Here will help you correct use of methods of suggestion and persuasion. How to do it, by what means? Voice, tone, timbre, intonation A lot is said to the attentive listener. According to psychologists, tone, intonation can carry up to 40% of information. You just need to pay attention to such "little things" during a telephone conversation. Try to speak evenly, restrain your emotions, do not try to interrupt the interlocutor's speech.

If your interlocutor shows a tendency to argue, expresses unfair reproaches in a sharp form, self-conceit sounds in his tone, then be patient and do not answer him in the same way. If possible, turn the conversation to a calm tone, partially admit that he is right, try to understand the motives of his behavior. Try to be brief and clear in your arguments. Your arguments must be correct in substance and correctly stated in form. In a conversation, try to avoid expressions like: “going”, “good”, “frets”, “bye”, etc. In a telephone conversation, it is also better not to use specific, professional expressions that may be incomprehensible to the interlocutor.

It must be remembered that the telephone exacerbates the shortcomings of speech, fast or slow pronunciation of words makes it difficult to understand. Pay special attention to the pronunciation of numbers, proper names, consonants. If in a conversation there are names of cities, towns, proper names, surnames, etc., which are poorly perceived by ear, they must be pronounced in syllables or even spelled out.

The etiquette of a business telephone conversation has in its stock a number of replicas to correct communication. For example:

How can you hear me?
- Would you please repeat that..?
- Sorry, I can't hear very well.
- Sorry, I didn't hear what you said, etc.

Before calling anyone, remember:

Prolonged exposure to phone calls has a negative effect on the nervous system (therefore, try to pick up the handset yourself as soon as you hear a call);
- unnecessary telephone conversations disrupt the working rhythm, interfere with the solution of complex issues that require in-depth analysis, discussion in calm conditions, i.e. interfere with the work of those who are nearby.

A call to a home phone to a business partner, a colleague for a business conversation can only be justified by a serious reason, no matter who you call - a boss or a subordinate. A well-mannered person will not call after 22:00 unless there is an urgent need for this or prior consent to this call has been obtained.

As the analysis shows, in a telephone conversation 30-40% is occupied by repetitions of words, phrases, unnecessary pauses and extra words. Therefore, you need to carefully prepare for a telephone conversation: pick up all the materials, documents in advance, have at hand the necessary phone numbers, addresses of organizations or the right people, a calendar, a pen, paper, etc.

Before you decide to dial a number, you should determine exactly the purpose of the conversation and its tactics of conducting it. Make a plan of the conversation, write down the questions you want to solve or the information (data) you want to receive, think over the order in which the questions are asked. Clearly formulate them so that your interlocutor cannot ambiguously interpret them. Try to interest the interlocutor with the first phrase. Keep in mind the dates and numbers of documents, official materials related to the conversation, try to predict the counterarguments of the interlocutor and your answers to him. If you are discussing several issues, then sequentially finish the discussion of one issue and move on to the next. Using standard phrases, try to separate one question from another. For example:

So, we agreed on this issue?!
- May I take it that we have reached an agreement on this issue?
- As I understand you (in this matter), can we count on your support?
- So, you will deliver two cars to us no later than the first quarter?

Conversation on each topic should end with a question that requires a clear answer.
When preparing for a business conversation on the phone, try to answer yourself the following questions:
1) what is the main goal you set for yourself in the upcoming telephone conversation;
2) can you do without this conversation at all;

3) whether the interlocutor is ready to discuss the proposed topic;
4) are you confident in the successful outcome of the conversation;
5) what questions you should ask;
6) what questions the interlocutor can ask you;
7) what outcome of the negotiations will suit (or not suit) you, him;
8) what methods of influence on the interlocutor you can use during the conversation;
9) how will you behave if your interlocutor:
- resolutely object, move to a raised tone;
- will not respond to your arguments;
- will show distrust of your words, information.

To prepare for a business telephone conversation, especially long-distance and international, it is better to prepare a special form in which a future conversation is recorded taking into account the predicted answers. For example like this:

Date ________________
Phone number _____________________________
Surname, name, patronymic of the subscriber ____________________

Time __________________

Organization ____________
Questions are pre-recorded.
1.
2.
3.
Predictable responses recorded in advance
1.
2.
3.
Answers are recorded as the conversation progresses.
1.
2.
3.

Conclusions: the result achieved, the information received,
further actions, etc. ________________________
___________________________________________________
Executor:

At the end of a business phone call, spend 3-5 minutes reviewing the content and style of the conversation. Analyze your impressions. Find vulnerabilities in the conversation. Try to understand the reason for your mistakes.

Telephone communication and a telephone set are complex technical means, and not always reliable. Dialing failures, poor hearing, unexpected interruption of communication - all these moments require additional courtesy and foresight from the interlocutors. So, for example, never blame another person if he has the wrong number: it is unlikely that your random interlocutor is to blame for this situation. On the other hand, be careful yourself when dialing a number. It is better to repeat the set if you are not sure that you did it correctly.

A common erroneous stereotype of behavior is the automatic increase in one's own voice in response to poor hearing. In this regard, you should make it a rule to ask the interlocutor how well he hears you, only then make a decision - whether to raise your voice. At the same time, do not forget about apologies to the people around you for causing them concern.

If the connection is suddenly interrupted, the one who started the conversation calls back; he also has the right to be the first to finish it. It is considered unethical if you deliberately indicate to the interlocutor the need to end a conversation that was not started by you. Thus, he finds himself in an awkward position, being forced to hastily correct the course of the conversation or refuse certain issues that he intended to discuss with you. If you feel that telephone conversations are going beyond an acceptable time frame, use the appropriate methods for correctly ending the conversation in this situation, for example, refer to the need to end the conversation in connection with the expectation of an urgent long-distance call.

The culture of a telephone conversation, which is related, among other things, to the efficiency of presenting this or that information, also includes some rules for communicating with third parties . So, if you call an unfamiliar organization, first of all, find out who is competent in solving your specific issue (for this you need to formulate its essence in a concise form in advance). Detailed information should be given only to the interlocutor who can help you in resolving the issue. Unaddressed transmission of unnecessary information is a fairly common mistake in telephone conversations.

On the other hand, if you get a call from an outside organization asking a question outside of your area of ​​expertise, help the caller figure out who can solve their problem. remember, that polite, friendly telephone communication is one of the important ways to create a positive image of both the organization as a whole and its individual employees.

The grossest violations of business etiquette when using a mobile phone are:

Mobile phone during receptions, cocktails, dinners in a restaurant (“I disturb others”);
- mobile phone in theaters, museums, concerts, cinema, during reports and lectures, at seminars, in reception areas, while working with clients, at meetings, conferences, when applying for a job, during business meetings and other public places (“The work or rest of those around me is indifferent”);
- a mobile phone at a funeral, in a church (“I do not respect the grief or faith of others so much that I am not ready at these moments to be distracted from work”);
- a mobile phone on airplanes, at gas stations, in a hospital (“I don’t give a damn about the safety rule, I risk not only my life, but the lives of others).

I hope that all of the above phrases and statements will not be peculiar to you. Remember the golden rule of communication!

If you use your mobile phone in public places:
- the basic rule for calls from a mobile phone is respect for others; use your mobile phone in a public place only when absolutely necessary;
- if you do not expect an emergency call, turn off your phone while at a business meeting, meeting;
- never put your mobile phone on the table during a call. This will indicate that you are ready to interrupt the conversation at any moment (an unconscious but clear signal to your partner - “You don’t interest me too much”);
- do not interrupt the conversation and do not look away to receive a call (the same applies to SMS);
- if it is absolutely necessary for you to keep the phone turned on at a business meeting, warn colleagues about this in advance;

If you need to make a phone call during a public meeting, move to a private area;
- speak as quietly as possible (your conversation may seem charming to you, and to others - annoying).

All clients are different, and they also talk differently on the phone. To quickly recognize what kind of person you are dealing with is the key to the right tactics of telephone communication. There are four types of "telephone behavior": persistent, aggressive, passive and talkative.

Demanding and persistent clients very easy to recognize. They quickly show their imperiousness, exactingness and, as a rule, immediately go to the heart of the matter. They don't waste time on pleasantries or irrelevant conversations. It's pretty easy to mistake their persistence for annoyance, especially if you don't listen carefully. When talking on the phone with people of this type, try to make your voice sound more confident and decisive, then it will be easier for you to control the conversation.

When you are on the phone with aggressive customer, follow three rules to help you carry on a conversation:

Listen and you will understand what his problem is;
- establish contact - regret, express your sympathy to the client, but only in general terms and in no case allow yourself harsh or hostile remarks addressed to him;
- offer a plan of action - this will help solve the problem.
Often clients literally seethe with negative emotions overwhelming them. Do not give in to this pressure, stay calm and cool. Finally, when you have listened to the customer's complaint and established contact with him, begin to lay out your plan of action. Be absolutely sure that your plan is feasible. State your ideas clearly and unambiguously.

WITH passive type client are usually easy to negotiate. However, it is with regard to such clients that a mistake is often made. Their behavior is taken for granted, because it is not in their habit to complain. These people, by their psychological make-up, will not demand or get angry. If they are unhappy with the service, they may simply stop contacting you.

Talkative clients take a lot of time, although among them there are often interesting and pleasant interlocutors. In order not to waste precious time, you need to be able to communicate with such people:

Watch for pauses in conversation. Use a pause in the monologue of your interlocutor to address him by name (patronymic), this will allow you to establish a dialogue;
- interrupting the talkative interlocutor, immediately ask him a question: “Can we return to the first point of our conversation?”;
- do not make long pauses between phrases, otherwise your talkative interlocutor will take advantage of this and interrupt you;
- write down key words that will help keep the thread of the conversation and dominate the conversation;

Don't let the other person drag you into a long conversation.

Learn the art of communicating on the phone and this will help you in absentia to arouse sympathy in the person with whom you communicate without eye contact.

______________________________________

1 The following sources were used in this topic: Litvin A.N. Business Etiquette. - Rostov/D, 2003; Kibanov A.Ya., Zakharov D.K., Konovalova V.G. Business Ethics: Textbook / Ed. A.Ya.Kibanova.-2nd ed., corrected. and additional - M.: INFRA-M, 2010.- 424p.; Psychology and ethics of business communication: Textbook for universities / V.Yu. Doroshenko, L.I. Zotova, V.N. Lavrinenko and others; Ed. prof. V.N. Lavrinenko. - 2nd ed., revised. and additional - M.: Culture and sport, UNITI, 1997. - 279 p.; Kamenskaya E.N. Psychology and ethics of business communication. - Rostov n / D: Phoenix, 2004. - 224p. (Series of tests and exams).

CULTURE OF BUSINESS LETTER

Another important part of business etiquette is official correspondence 1 . Of course, each business letter must be strictly individual. It is imprinted, first of all, by the addressee, the specific situation, the personality and position of the writer. The approach to solving the question of what a business letter should be involves a certain amount of creativity, but nevertheless, there are general rules for business correspondence. You can read more about this in the specialized literature. We will try to identify the most significant points of this problem.

Correspondence is communication in miniature, mastering it is both work, sometimes difficult, and art. Explanatory business correspondence helps to increase the turnover of a company, enterprise, improve the relationship between various services, improve skills, and establish strong relationships with consumers.

One of the main requirements for writing is it should not be long . If you want your letter to be read, try to keep within one and a half pages of typewritten text, and even better - on one page. Good writing as well as performance should be clear and precise . This is the second requirement for writing. try avoid polysyllabic, incomprehensible (foreign, highly specialized) words and expressions in a business letter. This is the third rule of writing a business letter. The same rule also implies writing letters in short sentences, in which the main thoughts of the author are clearly and clearly articulated.

Laconic letters, written in monosyllabic words, characterize the writers as good interlocutors who know the art of communication. Letters should not contain unnecessary adjectives, adverbs, which often makes the style unnecessarily “flowery”. This syllable is most often used in the countries of the East.

But even with such a seemingly standard approach, there is still a lot of room for creativity. First of all, think about the addressee, try to find out his interests, in turn, make efforts to interest him, so convey to him the essence of the issue so that your letter is remembered. Help you solve these and other problems ... a sense of humor. A letter written with a sense of humor tends to be easier to read and more memorable. It will help win a future client. Such a letter shows the recipient that it was prepared by a person.

Business letter- a document used for communication, transmission of information at a distance between two correspondents, who can be both legal entities and individuals.

In business correspondence, it must be remembered that the impression made by a letter on the addressee depends on such “little things” as an envelope, company letterhead, and the content of the letter. Take the time, even if it seems to you that the letter is written flawlessly, put off sending it for some more time, re-read it again. As a rule, there are inaccuracies, overly emotional expressions. Fix them and then submit. It is especially important to comply with this rule when responding to customer complaints. Do not try to unsubscribe, get rid of the client - this is an unforgivable mistake.

The dissatisfaction of the client with the work of the company spreads 100 times faster than the good fame about it.

Try to start the letter in a friendly way - this causes the recipient to have good feelings for the author. Personal touches will give your message more value. The conversational style of writing also contributes to this.

Correspondents divide correspondence into six kinds:

1. Trade agreements, transactions and other similar correspondence.

2. Response letters with gratitude.

3. Congratulations.

4. Apologies.

5. Requirements and requests.

6. Condolences.

These six types of letters are in turn divided into two categories: formal and informal.

General requirements for writing business letters are:

paper for a business letter should be of good quality, absolutely clean, neatly cut;

· it is desirable that the form of the letter was with the emblem of the organization, its full name, postal and telegraphic address, telephone, fax, e-mail address and bank details;

· service letters are printed on the front side of the sheet, without blots;

· all pages, except for the first one, are numbered with Arabic numerals;

· the width of the field on the left side of the sheet must be at least 2 cm, the paragraph begins with a red line with a five-spaced indent from the left edge of the line;

The text is printed in one and a half - two intervals;

It is desirable to avoid word wrapping;

· in the upper right corner, under the address of the sending organization, the date is put, preferably in full (for example, January 02, 2011);

the name of the organization or the surname and address of the person to whom the letter is sent is put on the left side of the sheet;

below, from the edge of the line or in the center of the sheet, a polite appeal is written; for example, "Dear Ivan Ivanovich";

A comma is required after the treatment, but an exclamation mark is often put to start the next phrase with a red line and with a capital letter;

· the letter ends with words of gratitude for cooperation and expression of hopes for its continuation;

The signature is placed on the right side of the sheet, after the final phrase of courtesy, for example, “With respect ...”, the name of the signer is printed under his handwritten signature;

· resolutions on all types of incoming correspondence should be done in pencil or on separate sheets;

The letter is folded with the text inside, and the most important business letters are not folded, for which they are sent in large thick envelopes;

· a telegraphic inquiry should be answered within 3 days, a letter - 10; if the request requires detailed consideration, then within 3 days you should inform that the letter has been taken into account, and give a final answer within 30 days.

accuracy and clarity of presentation of thoughts - short words, short phrases, short paragraphs;

maximum accessibility of the text for understanding, the use of simple phrases that accurately and unambiguously express the essence;

brevity, lack of unnecessary words and empty phrases, although a short letter is more difficult to compose a long one;

literacy - compliance with grammar and spelling, as well as the requirements of business etiquette;

correctness - a businesslike and polite style of presentation that does not exclude liveliness and figurativeness of the language, leaving a pleasant impression of a person.

In informal business correspondence, abbreviations, monosyllabic words and adjectives are often used: they create the impression of close acquaintance, warmth, mutual sympathy. Adjectives such as kind-hearted, skillful, sympathetic, amazing, beautiful, etc., bring together the author of the letter and his addressee. They convey an emotional state, show how objective or subjective the author of the letter is, maybe he prepared it, guided only by emotions.
There are many ways to prepare correspondence, but we highlight the most common questions:

What does a potential client need? What are his main concerns? What doubts are troubling him? What are his financial considerations? Did he have any problems before that still bother him? What are his goals?

And one more important point: the letter should be built according to the following scheme: attention - interest - request - action.

In international practice, a generally accepted “standard” for the design of a business letter has developed, which provides for the following: the letter should be devoted to one topic; the presentation of each new thought begins with a paragraph; there must be spaces between paragraphs; All attachments must be included in the letter.

A business letter should include the following elements:

1. Name and address of the sending company.

2. Name and address of the recipient company.

3. Date and number of the letter.

4. The subject of the letter.

5. Greeting.

6. Text of the letter.

7. The ending of the letter.

8. Painting

9. Signature.

10. Name and position of the sender.

11. Attachments.

In order to simplify the procedure for letters in international practice, it is widely used cliche. Here are some of them:

Beginning of a letter. We inform you that... In accordance with... With reference to... We are pleased to announce... We learned from your letter... We regret to learn... In addition to...
Request. We would be (extremely) grateful if you... Please let us know...
Confirmation. Acknowledging receipt of your... We have received... Confirming... We are pleased to acknowledge... In acknowledgment of our...
Connecting elements. In connection with your request... In the event of your refusal... In the event of non-payment... In connection with this... Under the circumstances... In connection with the foregoing... In accordance with the concluded agreement... We would love to have the opportunity...
End of letter. We would like to assure you... We will be grateful for the speedy execution of our order... Waiting for your confirmation... Please let us know...

To send a message to fax, necessary:

1. Prepare the documents that you will send. They must meet the requirements of a business letter and have all the necessary details.

2. Indicate your fax number so that you can be contacted.

3. Put down the fax number of your partner, the name of the city and its code, the name of the company and, of course, the last name and first name of the addressee.

1. Official papers must bear the seal and signature of the responsible person.

2. The most important requirement for faxes is brevity. It is necessary to carefully formulate sentences, to check whether the same thought is repeated twice.

3. The best fax option is when it fits on one sheet of typewritten format.

4. Do not send a fax twice in a row, it is better to call again and ask if the copy went through normally.

_________________________________________

1 The following sources were used in this topic: Kibanov A.Ya., Zakharov D.K., Konovalova V.G. Business Ethics: Textbook / Ed. A.Ya.Kibanova.-2nd ed., corrected. and additional - M.: INFRA-M, 2010.- 424p.; Psychology and ethics of business communication: Textbook for universities / V.Yu. Doroshenko, L.I. Zotova, V.N. Lavrinenko and others; Ed. prof. V.N. Lavrinenko. - 2nd ed., revised. and additional - M.: Culture and sport, UNITI, 1997. - 279 p.; Kamenskaya E.N. Psychology and ethics of business communication. - Rostov n / D: Phoenix, 2004. - 224p. (Series of tests and exams).

Control questions:

1. When and why did etiquette arise in society?

2. Define etiquette, business etiquette.

3. Tell us about the historical types of etiquette and culture of behavior.

4. What functions does etiquette perform?

5. Describe the role of etiquette and culture of behavior in business?

6. What properties, qualities characterize the upbringing of the leader?

7. List the principles of business etiquette.

8. What are the chronological principles for conducting a telephone conversation.

9. List the basics for a successful business phone call.

10. What is the art of conducting a telephone conversation.

11. What rules of communication with third-party subscribers do you know?

12. List the types of "telephone behavior."

13. What is a business letter.

14. List the general requirements for writing business letters.

15. Describe the requirements for the content of business letters.

1. What kind of leader do we need. - M.: Economics, 1993.
2. Koei S. Seven Skills of a Leader. - Minsk, 1996.
3. About business ethics and etiquette. - M.: Legal Culture Foundation, 1994.
4. Dictionary of the Russian language in 4 volumes. - M.: Russian language, 1985. - S. 338.
5. Soviet encyclopedic dictionary. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1986.
6. Tepper R. How to master the art of business writing. - M.: Audit, UNITI, 1994.
7. Shepel V.M. Imagelogy. Secrets of personal charm. - M.: Culture and sport, UNITI, 1994 (2nd ed. - 1997).
8. Yager D. Business etiquette. - M.: John Wylie & Sun, 1994.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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2. Adizes Yitzhak. Ideal leader. - M.: Alpina Business Books, 2007.

3. Andreeva I.V., Betina O.B. Business etiquette. - M.: Vector, 2006.

4. Arkhangelskaya M.D. Business etiquette, or playing by the rules. - 3rd ed. - M.: EKSMO, 2006.

5. Atvater I. I am listening to you ... M., 1988.

6. Baeva O.A. Oratory and business communication. - Minsk, 2000.

7. Batarshev A.V. Psychodiagnostics of the ability to communicate. - M.: Vlados, 1998.p

8. Berkeley-Alen M. The forgotten art of listening / Per. from English. SPb., 1989.

9. Blinov A.O., Vasilevskaya O.V. The art of personnel management: Proc. allowance for economic colleges and universities. - M.: GELAN, 2001.

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11. Borodkin F.M., Koryak N.M. Attention: conflict! Novosibirsk, 1989.

12. Borozdina GV Psychology of business communication. - M.: INFRA-M, 1998.

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19. Vvedenskaya M.A., Pavlova L.G. Culture and art of speech. modern rhetoric. - Rostov n / D .: Phoenix, 1996.

20. Volgin B.N., Polyanskaya E.B. Business phone. - M., 1987.

21. Dunkel J. Business etiquette. - Rostov n / D .: Phoenix, 1997.

22. Derkachenko V.G. Business communication of the leader. - St. Petersburg: Izd. house "Business process", 2004.

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33. Kan-Kalik V.A. Grammar of communication. M., 1995.

34. Carnegie D. How to win friends and influence people. M., 1993.

35. Kibanov A. Ya. Fundamentals of personnel management. - 2nd ed. add. and reworked. - M.: INFRA-M, 2007.

According to experts, today over 50% of all business issues are resolved by phone. This is the fastest way to communicate, which allows you to establish contacts, arrange a meeting, business conversation, negotiations, without resorting to direct communication. But how your voice sounds, how you talk on the phone, depends largely on the reputation of the company and the success of its business operations. Therefore, the ability to speak correctly and correctly on the phone is now becoming an integral part of the company's image policy.

The culture of business communication involves knowledge of: general rules of telephone conversation and basic rules telephone business etiquette.

General rules for telephone conversation:

1. Pick up the phone before the fourth ring: the first impression of you or your company is already formed and how long you have to wait for an answer;

2. When talking on the phone, you should leave all extraneous conversations for a while. Your interlocutor has every right to attention to himself;

3. During a telephone conversation, it is considered indecent to eat, drink, smoke, rustle paper, chew gum;

4. It is unacceptable to pick up the phone and answer: "Wait a minute", make the caller wait until you do your business. This is only possible as a last resort and only within one minute. If at the moment you are very busy and cannot talk, it is better to apologize and offer to call back;

5. Call back whenever they are waiting for your call;

6. If you “hit the wrong place”, you should not find out: “What is your number?”. You can clarify: “Is this number such and such ...?”, Having heard a negative answer, apologize and hang up;

7. Calling home is an invasion of privacy, so always ask if you are calling at a convenient time: “Do you have time to talk to me?”, “Are you very busy right now?” etc. If the answer is yes, you can talk at your own pleasure, but when you hear the first signs of a desire to end the conversation, you should politely say goodbye. In the service, the time of a telephone conversation is also limited;

8. Talking on the phone should be extremely polite. It is unacceptable to shout and get annoyed during a telephone conversation, this is a gross violation of the ethics of interpersonal and business communication. In response to the insult, they hang up. Swearing on the phone is illegal;

9. A conversation on the phone should be courteous, but immediately terminated if a guest or a visitor to the office comes to your house. You should apologize and, briefly stating the reason, arrange a call. At home, you can say: “I beg your pardon, guests have come to me, I will call you back tomorrow evening (morning)”; at work: "Sorry, a visitor came to me, I'll call you back in about an hour." Be sure to keep your promise.

10. If during a conversation the connection is interrupted, you should hang up; the caller dials the number again. If a company representative was talking to a customer or client, then he must dial the number;

11. The initiative to end a telephone conversation belongs to the one who called. The exception is a conversation with elders in age or social status;

12. Nothing can replace warm words of gratitude and farewell at the end of any conversation, conversation. At the same time, it should be remembered that the words of farewell should contain the possibility of future contact: “Let's call you next Tuesday”, “see you tomorrow”, etc.

Main rules business telephone etiquette:

It must be remembered that a business telephone conversation should not exceed four minutes.

you need to call

1. The rules of etiquette require, upon hearing the subscriber's answer:

Greeting and introducing during a conversation with a stranger is a mutual and mandatory procedure.

The main rule of business protocol is that a telephone conversation must be personalized. If the subscriber does not introduce himself, you should politely ask: "Excuse me, who am I talking to?", "Let me know who I'm talking to?" and so on.

2. If the call goes through the secretary and where you are calling, they do not know you, the secretary has the right to ask about the reason for the call.

3. Regardless of the circumstances, try to smile, otherwise you will not be able to win over the interlocutor.

4. Always keep a notepad and pen handy for necessary notes.

5. As you prepare for the phone call, make a list of things to discuss. Calling back with apologies for missing out on something leaves an unfavorable impression and should only be done as a last resort.

6. If you could not find the person you need, ask when it is more convenient to call back.

7. Schedule a message ahead of time if you know the information will be relayed through a third party or through an autoresponder.

8. If you are leaving a message on the answering machine, after the greeting and introduction, state the date and time of the call, followed by a short message and a goodbye.

When they call you

According to the rules of etiquette, after picking up the phone, you need to:

1. If they want to talk not with you, but with someone else: "Just a minute, I'll hand over the phone now"; the one who is called to the phone should thank: "Thank you", "Thank you, I'll come right now."

2. If the required person is not in place at that moment, then the approacher clarifies that this person is absent. Such responses should include a request to call back after a certain time: "Could you call back in an hour," etc.

3. If the phone rings, and at that time you are talking on another device, you should, by picking up the phone, apologize, if possible, end the first conversation, hang up, then start talking with the second interlocutor or apologize and ask to call back after a certain time. It is unacceptable to make the caller wait for more than one minute.

4. It is better to refrain from answering calls if you are holding a business meeting or business meeting. Priority always belongs to the live voice.

5. If you are called on an important matter when there are people in the office, it is better to answer the call from the next room or, in the absence of such an opportunity, ask to call back after a certain time, or reduce the conversation to a minimum.

In the modern business culture of communication, special attention is paid to telephone conversation. A few axioms of telephone communication, especially if you are calling for the first time.

The art of talking on a cell phone.

Mobile phones have firmly entered our lives. Probably, the necessity and advantages of this means of communication are indisputable, and mobile communications should be accepted as a fruit of civilization.

Therefore, it is possible to formulate some general rules of etiquette when using a cell phone.

Learn its features and functions, in other words, read the manual.

Remember when to turn off your phone or set it to vibrate.

Switched off: meetings, movies, sports games, worship, seminars, communication with the client.

In vibration mode: in public places where you can answer the phone without disturbing others.

If there are people around you but you need to talk, don't shout. A cell phone is indeed more sensitive to sound and voice than a regular phone. You can even speak a little quieter than usual, and your caller (and not other people in the room) will hear you.

Avoid talking on the phone at a restaurant table. If you need to answer a call, ask the caller to wait a minute, excuse yourself, leave the table, and talk to pay phones in a restaurant or on the street.

Avoid talking where you can divert people's attention.

Avoid talking on personal topics where you can be heard. Be aware of who is around you. Do not sort dirty laundry in public.

Turn down the ringer volume.

If you still did wrong, it is better to avoid unnecessary excuses. Saying "Sorry, I forgot to turn it off" is just as bad as leaving the phone to ring.

Be brief. If you get a call and you are not alone, 30 seconds is the maximum.

If you get a call in a public place or in a private meeting, this is unpleasant in three ways: 1) makes you look bad, and you come across as impolite and stupid; 2) confuses everyone; 3) you put the caller in an uncomfortable position, letting him know that "you are in a meeting" (big deal!), And he pesters with chatter.

Reality shows: answering a call during a meeting, you thereby tell your future client or customer: “I do not appreciate you and my time spent with you. You are not as important as the person who can call."

But keep in mind: there are situations when you have to answer the phone- a sick child, expectation of a big deal, an important message.

According to the rules of etiquette, before the meeting, be sure to warn those present that you are waiting for an important call, and get permission.