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Professional phone calls: Tips for the right behaviour on the phone

9. March 2022 Published by Raphael Doerr

Talking on the phone is not going out of fashion. Since the beginning of the pandemic talking on the phone has once again become one of the most important everyday activities for many people – both professionally and privately. Just like in a face-to-face conversation, the right communication is very important when talking on the phone. Gigaset compiled valuable tips on this several years ago, which were recently picked up again in the online edition of the popular weekly magazine ComputerWoche. To mark this occasion, we are once again summarising the most important tips for professional phone calls.

There is no second chance for a first impression! Anyone who makes a lot of professional phone calls can significantly improve the success and quality of their conversations by keeping the following rules in mind:

The basics

Do not hide your telephone number. The other party will want to know who is calling.
Keep to agreed call-back appointments.
Do not put the other person on hold unnecessarily.
Take notes during the conversation

Conduct conversations while focused

Ensure a quiet environment before taking the call.
Only pick up the call after the 2nd or 3rd ring, then both parties are more concentrated.

The greeting – the first impression counts

Introduce yourself clearly and greet your counterpart in a friendly manner.
Don’t just start talking immediately, but find some introductory words and state the reason for your call.
Ask immediately if you did not get the name of the person you are talking to, not at the end of the call

Für einen guten Gesprächsverlauf sorgen

Address the person you are talking to by name.
Make sure your pronunciation is clear and don’t interrupt your counterpart.
Concentrate and speak confidently and with self-assurance.
Speak at a comfortable volume. Speaking too loudly can be perceived as unpleasant.
Avoid extreme dialect.
Be friendly and smile, your caller will hear it.
Listen actively and with interest, your counterpart will also notice this.
Announce when you are switching to speakerphone and introduce other people participating in the call.
Be as brief as possible and do not make long pauses.
Do not use abbreviations, foreign or insider words that cannot be understood by the person you are talking to.
Do not say “I” too often – this often comes across as rude.
Don’t do anything else at the same time, because the person you are talking to will notice.
Do not clamp the receiver between your shoulder and chin, as this distorts the voice. Use a headset instead.
Avoid eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum while on the phone – this not only makes unpleasant noises but is also extremely disrespectful.

If you take these points into account, you will be able to deal with every telephone call in a relaxed manner. We wish you lots of success for future telephone calls!