Telephone Skills Course

How many times have you called a corporation, doctor’s office or car dealership, only to hear the receptionist on the other end of the line answer the phone with the cliché greeting, “ABC Corporation., can you hold?”

Unfortunately, my response to that question is always the same. “Sure… what choice do I have?”

This course was developed from a sincere desire to help businesses take control of this all-too-familiar tragedy by realizing one, simple fact: “To those of us who have never done business with you before, the person who answers the phone IS your company.” The truth is telephone skills in this country are nothing short of abysmal. And whether your employees are in sales, customer service or management, just about everyone can benefit from improving this often neglected form of connecting with the customer.

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

> Build rapport immediately with virtually anyone
> Develop your "Emotional Intelligence" by reading between the lines
> Diffuse irate callers
> Leave a great, lasting impression
> Use the “5 Cardinal Rules of Customer Service” to your advantage

Introduction
An audiotape of a typical business phone contact
The 11 worst telephone mistakes ever
Why are first impressions so important?

In this introductory section, participants listen to actual phone calls from a variety of businesses. The purpose of this is to identify the most common and costly mistakes made when answering the phone and set the stage for discussing as a group why first impressions are critical to business success.

Step 1: Build rapport and trust
Convey energy and enthusiasm with your voice
State your desire to help
Go the extra mile
Participants learn the verbal and non-verbal skills necessary to quickly convey trust with virtually any type of caller.

Step 2: Make the customer feel heard
Listen without interruption
Give your undivided attention
Show them they matter with a powerful secret skill
Anticipate what they need before they ask

In this section, participants will learn the attitude and skills required to set them apart from the competition by ensuring that the customer not only feels heard, but whose needs are completely understood.

Step 3: Create a memorable close
Paraphrase without sounding cliché
Make a sincere statement of interest of their needs
Ask if there is anything else you can do
Thank them for the call

In this section, participants will learn subtle yet powerful techniques for leaving the customer with a lasting, positive impression.

Summary and Conclusion