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Communication Skills-II

notes 2. Controlling the call: The control over the call starts with lifting the receiver. We should
promptly lift the receiver when we receive a call. We should lift it hearing three to four
rings. A frustrating voice is not liked by anyone. We start making a call by greeting the
receiver giving our own identity, may not be the name but indeed by giving the designation
and the department we belong to. A friendly and cheerful tone shows our interest. It makes
the caller respond immediately by revealing his or her identity. Using the caller’s name in
our conversation makes us sound friendly and helpful.
For a sound control, we should have our questions for the caller ready to extract all
relevant information from the caller. We should try to avoid the caller waiting, holding or
hanging on to the receiver. This hints at our positive treatment. Nor should we hold two
conversations simultaneously. Even if these occurs, any interruption we should ignore that
and continue paying attention to the caller or the receiver.
During a telephonic conversation, we should be particular about jotting down or informing
names, phone numbers, addresses or other important details. We should also know how to
conclude the conversation with an appropriate summary at the end. For transferring calls
we should know our telephone system, the buttons to press for transferring calls. When
transferring the call, we should inform him or her identity and purpose of the caller.
3. Follow-up: The final stage of telephonic communication deals with the essential follow-up
with regard to the promises made. If we say that we would call the person back soon with
the necessary information, we should do it. If any message has been jotted down from
the caller, it should reach the person concerned. If the person concerned has to reply to
the caller we should also find out whether that person has called back or not. We should
reassure the waiting caller for some information that it will pass on to him or her soon.
self assessment

Fill in the blanks:
1. The control over the call starts with ………………… .
2. A friendly and cheerful tone shows our ………………… .

5.2 telephone etiquettes

While making or receiving calls, you should keep the following things in mind:

l Keep a pen and pad near your phone: A call can come any time. Quite often, people do not
have a pen and paper when answering a call. It is discourtesy to ask the caller to hold the
line till you find pen and paper. Therefore, always keep a pen and pad handy right next to
your phone.

l Greet and identify: Greet the caller and identify yourself as well as your organisation.
Greeting and identifying are essential in telephone conversation. In case you are busy in a
meeting, tell the caller and return the call as soon as you are free. If someone else can better
handle the call, transfer the call to the concerned person.
l Concentrate on the call: While on telephone, concentrate on the conversation and all keep
distractions out. Closing eyes while speaking on the phone, standing up and gesturing just
as in face-to-face conversation are some techniques used to keep out distractions.
l Listen carefully: Patient and empathetic listening is essential for effective telephone
conversation. Wherever necessary, seek clarifications from the caller. In case of unavoidable
interruptions, apologies, request the caller to hold on and get back as soon as possible.

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