Rules of communication with customers by phone

The impression of the company is formed in the first few minutes of a conversation with its representative. More than 95% of such conversations take place over the telephone – personal meetings are scheduled in exceptional cases. If the manager fails to reach the client or the conversation leaves an unpleasant impression, there will be no second chance – the latter will use the services of another organization. Etiquette of telephone communication includes many nuances, the main ones will be discussed in this article.
Etiquette of telephone conversations with customers
Sales managers, secretaries and other employees of the company who interact with customers over the phone are required to possess basic rules and communication skills. They include the general provisions of the etiquette of business communication and the rules of successful marketing, because the main goal of such negotiations is to induce the client to use the services of your company. Below we will look at two ways to build a conversation: when the customer makes a call to the company and when you call him.
Situation number 1. The client himself calls the company
If a customer makes a call to the company, then he is interested in purchasing the goods offered by him or he has problems with their use. In the second case, be prepared for the fact that the conversation can take place on high tones – you must initially change his course, softening the client and not giving in to provocations on his part.
Telephone calls should be conducted according to this scheme:
A greeting is an obligatory point from which any conversation should begin;
Introduce yourself to the client – a person who can be contacted by name is more credible than a nameless employee of the company. You should also find out how you can contact the caller;
Find out the purpose of the call – if the customer wants to buy something, provide the necessary information about the product or service, given the fact that he may be incompetent in your area;
If the client is dealing with a specific problem that you cannot solve on your own, tell him that you will update the information and call him back shortly after finding out whether it will be convenient for him to talk.
Say goodbye – wish a good day or thank for the call.
If you have promised to call back, be sure to do it at the stipulated time. Recording conversations will be useful – you can listen to the key points of communication with the client before making the second call and make sure that you have not forgotten anything.
Situation number 2. The call is made by the company manager
It’s more difficult to make cold calls than to answer incoming calls, because in the first case the client is interested in the conversation, and in the second you distract him from business. The algorithm for such a call is as follows:
Confirm the identity of the client – perhaps he did not fill out any application and is not even a potential client, and his number got into your database erroneously;
Find out if the subscriber can now give you a few minutes – if not, check the time when it is convenient to have a conversation;
Introduce yourself and state the essence of your proposal – try to make it brief, without spending a lot of time interlocutor;
Arrange a meeting – if the specifics of the work involves personal meetings, it is better to tell in detail about the proposed service face to face. If the client needs to think, promise him to call back at a certain time or after a certain time interval when there is no specific agreement.
Goodbye – say a few nice words to say goodbye to leave a good impression after the call.
Unfortunately, not all managers adhere to the rules of telephone communication. The slightest manifestation of disrespect on their part can permanently alienate the client and harm the company’s reputation. To prevent this from happening, elgreloo.com recommends using the call recording service offered by the verified Internet telephony provider freezvon.ru. It connects to a virtual number, which can also be ordered on the website of this communication provider and allows you to record all outgoing and incoming calls of the company. With its help, you will be able to control the professionalism of your employees, and they will have the opportunity to work on the mistakes made during the conversation.