Business negotiations by phone rules. Rules for business communication on the phone - telephone conversations

Irina Davydova

Reading time: 5 minutes

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Successful negotiations directly affect the number of successful transactions and satisfied customers in offline and online business. After all, have you met such masters of telephone etiquette in business communication, who in a few seconds can win over a person and influence his decision, regardless of the distance?

Of course, such techniques should be constantly learned, but basic business rules telephone conversation everyone who uses the phone for business needs to know.

Important business phone etiquette for outbound calls

• If you think you got the wrong number, don't ask stupid questions like "what's your number?" or “Is this such and such…?”. It is better to check the number yourself and call back.
• Don't forget to introduce yourself . For example, in response to a greeting on the other end of the wire, you must respond in the form of “welcome words, your company name, position and last name. And only then move on to the purpose of the conversation.
• As for the purpose of the conversation, then it is advisable to plan it clearly in advance . You can use a graphical, textual or schematic conversation plan. You should see your tasks and during the conversation mark their completion, resolution or problems that have arisen, which is also important.
• Don't drag out the conversation. The average time should be no more than 3 minutes. If you can't meet this gap, you may have poorly thought out the conversation plan or the problem requires a personal meeting.
• Never make calls in the early morning, at lunchtime, or at the end of the work day.
• If your telephone business conversation is interrupted due to disconnection, you should call back because they called first.
• If your call was not previously scheduled, and you are calling with an unexpected question, then according to the rules of a business telephone conversation you need to ask if the partner has time to answer, and indicate the approximate time for the resolution of your issue. For example - "Hello, I'm such and such, I'm calling about such and such a question, it will take about ... minutes, do you have free time? If not, arrange another call or meeting.
• After the conversation, do not forget to thank for the call or new information. Such simple feature A business phone call ends the conversation and suggests further collaboration.

Telephone etiquette rules for incoming calls

• Reply to phone call no later than 3 beeps - so says the etiquette of a business telephone conversation.
• All materials must be at hand , and in front of you should lie overall plan conversation with predictable deviations. This will help to avoid unnecessary stress in the workplace and increase your competence in the eyes of customers and superiors.
• Avoid parallel communication . If you receive multiple calls, take them one at a time. Believe me, you will save your time and show interest in the other person's offer.
• If the interlocutor expresses a negative opinion about your company, product or work - try to understand and take some responsibility for yourself. This will increase the trust on the part of the partner and possibly return your client.
• Use an auto-responder for non-business hours or with a large flow of calls. Write in the message useful information for all clients, as well as the possibility of a callback at a convenient working time.

The main mistakes of a telephone business conversation - how to avoid them?

• Incorrect diction or careless pronunciation makes understanding between two people difficult. Business telephone etiquette involves competent, legible and unhurried speech.
• extraneous noise may be unpleasant to the interlocutor, who finds it difficult to imagine not only you, but also environment. In this case, he may think about the lack of confidentiality of information, inattention to his problem, or negative feedback about your company from competitors. It is not necessary to portray "ebricious activity" - rather attentive and respectful attitude for partner questions.
• Excessive emotionality speaks of your unprofessionalism, and your mood may be misunderstood on the other end of the line. It is enough to answer with a slight enthusiasm in your voice, preferably with a smile. Be sure to let us know that you are listening carefully using "I understand, yes, great, I agree." If you do not understand, ask again “Did I understand you correctly?”, repeating the words of the client. The basic rule of telephone etiquette is calmness and a sincere desire to help in the answering voice.

The art of business communication is an important aspect of negotiation and has not lost its relevance for many years. The intensity of business communications through the telephone is increasing year by year. And with the development of mobile communications, it becomes one of the main ways of communication. To master the skills of telephone conversations, it is important to know the subtleties and rules of business communication.

Peculiarities

phone in modern world plays an important role, because with its help we communicate with relatives, friends, colleagues, management and business partners.

So, during a conversation with a certain circle of people, a person uses an appropriate method of communication and, for example, will never conduct a dialogue with his boss, as with a close friend. In this situation, a more formal type of communication is used.

business etiquette should also be used by employees who conduct sociological surveys of the population, receive calls from customers or conduct telephone conversations. Often it is successful telephone conversations that become the key to good business relationships. And even the image of the company may depend entirely on the ability of employees to conduct competent dialogues on the phone.

Temporary regulation business conversation for an informative conversation, as a rule, it is one minute. If the purpose of the call is to solve the problem, then the time period can be increased to three minutes.

Nowadays, most calls are made through mobile devices. Using this communication tool, you must follow some rules.

• Always turn off your phone or set it to vibrate on business meeting with a client, at the cinema, at a seminar.
• A mobile device is more sensitive to sound than a landline phone. Therefore, in a situation where, while in a public place, it is necessary to conduct a personal conversation without outside interference, you can simply speak quietly, and the interlocutor will definitely hear you.

• Don't put too loud a ringer on your phone. He can scare those around him.
• Try to be brief. In the presence of third parties, the conversation should not last longer than 30 seconds, otherwise there is a risk of looking impolite in front of a person. In case there is good reasons for a telephone conversation, such as an illness of a relative or a major transaction, then you should notify those present of the situation.
• Avoid phone conversations during a business lunch. If there is an urgent need to answer the call, then you should leave the table and talk in a less crowded place.

Etiquette

Ethical standards in telephone communication are important for the effective operation of the company. The culture of telephone conversations is a special kind of business communication. Knowing the rules of etiquette will help strengthen business ties and increase the profitability of the organization.

• It is necessary to greet the person with whom the telephone conversation is to be. The most suitable for this are phrases related to the time of day (" Good morning”, “Good afternoon” or “Good evening”).
• During a business telephone conversation, it is important to monitor your own intonation. In order not to alienate the interlocutor, you need to speak politely and calmly, avoiding unnecessary emotions.

• After the greeting, it is recommended to introduce yourself and give your name, position and organization.
• If you call a person, you should always clarify whether it is convenient for him to talk at the moment.
• Standards ethical standards you need to pick up the phone after the second or third ring.
• During the conversation, do not smoke, eat or drink.
• If the caller is interested in another employee of the organization, then the conversation must be forwarded to him or the waiting function must be turned on.
• In a situation where you have the wrong number, you need to apologize to the interlocutor without asking unnecessary questions and immediately say goodbye.
• Never call early in the morning, during lunch break or before the end of the working day.
• The secretary or assistant can make or answer calls instead of the manager.

• You can call a partner or client to a personal number only if he himself gave you his contacts. But on weekends and holidays such calls are prohibited.
• There are times when the conversation is interrupted due to poor communication. In this situation, the person who called first should call back.
• Don't drag out the conversation. A long conversation can bore the interlocutor and cause resentment. If the communication is delayed, and the goal of the conversation is not achieved, then you can call the client back the next day or arrange a personal meeting.
• After the end of the conversation, it is recommended to thank the interlocutor and politely say goodbye to him, after asking if he had any questions. This simple action will complete the conversation and encourage further cooperation.

How to prepare?

You should carefully prepare for a telephone conversation and perform a number of specific actions. Let's take a closer look at the main points.

• It is worth calling the interlocutor only after a clear plan of conversation has been drawn up. In order to eliminate minor details, you can make graphic or schematic sketches.
• Write down important questions that you will need to remember to ask during the negotiation process.
• Prepare documents that may be needed in the process of communication (correspondence, reports, contracts).

• Find out in advance from the interlocutor a convenient time frame for making a call.
• To record the information received, prepare a notebook or diary.
• Find out the general list of persons who will participate in the conversation in order to address them by name and patronymic.
• Before dialing, try to tune in a positive way, then your emotional state, of course, should cause the location of the interlocutor.
• When making a telephone conversation, consider the security of communications in the office, because valuable information can fall into the hands of competitors.

There are also points that should be excluded and not allowed in the upcoming telephone conversation.

• No need to discuss business matters with an unfamiliar or random person. Better to make an appointment in person.
• It is not recommended to demand a decision from a person who does not have the authority to do so or who believes otherwise. By phone, he can give consent, although he will be opposed to this decision.
• You should not voice requests if you are not sure that the interlocutor agrees with you and wants to help.

You don't have to be silent for a long time handset, otherwise the caller will get the impression that they are not listening.

How to speak correctly?

The role of the telephone in business communication is twofold. Very often, it distracts from urgent tasks performed during the day, but at the same time speeds up the solution of many tasks. That is why it is necessary to learn the principles of telephone conversations, which contribute to its more efficient use.

It is very important to master the technique of business communication for employees whose specific work is telephone conversations with potential customers. Many companies try to establish contact with the caller from the first words in order to make him a real client.

The first impression during telephone communication directly depends on the timbre of the voice and competent speech, because the interlocutor in the first minute presents a virtual image of the one with whom he is talking.

Firms compete using different ways attracting customers. Important milestone in the promotion of services - sales by phone, and therefore, managers must correctly and tactfully conduct dialogues with customers, otherwise profitable contracts will go to competitors.

The following tips will help you achieve success in business communication by phone.

• It is recommended that you make calls to a person who has provided you with some useful service. Words of gratitude are very important for future cooperation.
• Always smile when conducting a conversation. Your smile and optimism will certainly be felt by the subscriber.
• During the negotiation, try to anticipate the train of thought of the interlocutor.
• Never use profanity or colloquial language. It goes against the culture of communication.
• Use expressions and terms that the caller will understand.
• Do not cover the handset with your hand while talking in parallel with someone. Thus, disrespect is shown to the interlocutor.
• Explain your position confidently and precisely, for accuracy is the courtesy of kings.

Listen carefully to the caller so as not to lose your train of thought. If you ask to duplicate information, then the interlocutor may not like it, and your reputation will be at risk.

In our progressive age, the dominant position is occupied by communicative interaction. Most complex issues and tasks can be resolved through telephone conversations. Through communication through this tool communication, people are able to conclude the most profitable agreement or, in the “wrong scenario”, completely lose an important client. That is why every literate man must master the basics of telephone etiquette. What is business communication by phone and how to conduct it correctly is the topic of our today's article.

Any of us should learn how to negotiate correctly, since the person conducting the conversation does not have the opportunity to see the opponent and his actions. To persuade a potential client in your direction in such a way that he does not have the desire to hang up the phone in the first minutes of a conversation will require a lot of effort. The reputation of a person and the organization he represents depends on the ability to conduct telephone conversations.

Preparing for an upcoming conversation

Before a serious phone call, you should carefully prepare for it as follows:

1. Prepare yourself morally.
2. Formulate, and it is better to write down the goal, plan and main issues of the upcoming conversation on paper, which will always lie in front of you during the negotiations.
3. Be sure to prepare all the materials that may be useful during telephone conversations.
4. It is necessary to move away from negativity and personal problems even before the conversation begins, since the voice can give out an aggressive attitude, which the client often takes personally.
5. The time for negotiations must be chosen so that it is convenient for both you and the interlocutor. If you are planning to call a business partner, try to arrange a convenient time with him in advance.

Phone business basics

When making a call, first of all, you should stop and tell the purpose for which you are calling. In this case, it is necessary to choose a friendly tone. A telephone conversation should take place without long pauses, it should be energetic and concise.

You can not exert psychological pressure in the process of negotiating, because in this case it is unlikely that you will be able to win the favor of a potential client in this way. Try not to ask the wrong questions. In the event that a telephone call is international or long-distance, it is necessary to ensure that it lasts no more than six minutes. All business proposals and requirements must be supported by arguments. Questions should be answered truthfully and briefly. It is better to outline the conversation plan in advance on paper.

At the end of the conversation, be sure to say again all the agreements that you came to during the conversation. Since you initiated the call, the end of the conversation should also come from you, except for situations where the interlocutor is more senior.

When at the end of negotiations you promise to call back, try not to delay it and make a second call within 24 hours. Be sure to keep in mind that you cannot dial partners to your home number.

In a situation where, having called, you do not find your partner at the workplace, specify a convenient time to call him back and do not ask where he is now. From the point of view of business ethics, this is incorrect.

Observe the following rules of business etiquette:

• Try to pick up the phone after the third ring at most.
• When answering from the workplace, you need to greet the person, say the name of the company, and then introduce yourself.
• If the caller does not introduce himself, politely ask him to give his name. For example, the following phrases would be appropriate here: “I would like to know who I am talking to”, “Could you introduce yourself?” or “Excuse me, how should I address you?”.
• Answering the interlocutor's questions should be as quick as possible to find phone numbers that may be useful during negotiations.
• If you get a call at lunchtime, ask someone else to answer so you don't answer with your mouth full.
• The caller will have to end the conversation, if the initiative comes from you, the act will look unethical.

What mistakes are made during a telephone conversation

Numerous studies that have been conducted among business people have indicated that about 56% of calls are made without greeting phrases. Explaining the reason for not saying greetings, the businessmen said that it goes without saying, and that it’s not convenient for them to say hello many times during the day. It is important to remember here that in verbal communication there is nothing that goes without saying, and therefore every phrase must be voiced.

In no case should you interrupt the interlocutor in the middle of the conversation - give him the opportunity to express his thought to the end. It is necessary to pronounce words clearly, as well as to monitor the tone of speech and its volume. There should be a pause between questions to give the interlocutor the right to answer.

Negative emotions should not be given free rein, as this may offend a business partner.

• Do not pick up the phone for a very long time.
• At the beginning of the conversation, you can not pronounce the words: “speak”, “yes”, “hello”. Unless it's your old friend.
• Have multiple conversations at the same time.
• Leave your phone unattended even for a few minutes.
• Use paper scraps for notes that are easy to lose later.
• Hand over the phone to colleagues many times.

If you speak with an accent, try to pronounce phrases as clearly as possible. In no case do not clamp the handset with your hand to comment on the conversation with colleagues, since the interlocutor can hear everything. Thus, you will find yourself in an awkward situation.

In the case when the interlocutor voices a complaint to you, you cannot tell him that this mistake is not yours, or this issue is not within your competence. Such a response can negatively affect the reputation of the organization and will not help in solving problems. If there is your fault, be sure to apologize and try to solve the problem as quickly as possible.

There are some phrases to avoid:

• "I don't know".
• "We can't solve it."
• "You must".
• "I'll be back in a second."

It is better to replace these answers with neutral ones, which will be more loyal and will not spoil the reputation of the company. When you are not able to give an exact answer, it is better to say that you will try to clarify the information and call back. Use these phrases:

• "I'll check the information and get back to you right away."
• "We will try to resolve the issue."

By following the culture of business communication on the phone, you will be able to establish yourself with better side and confirm the positive image of the company you work for.

In addition to the question itself, the person in trouble has a deep need for understanding and expects you to correctly diagnose their problem. The doctor and lawyer need to be told the whole truth, and most people know this. There are sayings on the topic: “Tell the lawyer everything as it really was, he himself will then confuse everything for you.”

Often a person has a need to pour out his soul if he has some personal experiences - and you can ruin even a positive impression of you in the bud if you interrupt or show a lack of interest in him personally, but only show interest in his business and his money.

If you interrupt the interlocutor, do not answer his questions or ask counter questions, do not ask his opinion, do not clarify the details, but simply describe in a monologue how this is happening for you, this greatly reduces the effectiveness of the conversation.

Rule number one: if a person has a heartbeat, his speech flows like a river - let him talk, use active listening techniques - "Uh-huh", "Yeah", "Yes-yes", and clarifying questions, because perhaps he tells you everything and you can diagnose his problem.

An example of a dialogue using several of the described techniques, formulated on the basis of real questions that people usually ask lawyers:

— (company name), good afternoon.

— Hello, I would like to know the prices for your services.

- Yes, sure. My name is Nikolay, I am the head of the client department. May I know your name?

— Artem Dmitrievich.

- Nice to meet you, Artem Dmitrievich. We have a fairly wide range of services. So that I can answer your question, please briefly describe what happened to you?

In this case, we, firstly, greeted the potential client who called, we identified ourselves by name and position, and learned the name of the interlocutor. Further, we turned to the interlocutor by name, which is also very important when communicating with strangers.

We quite exhaustively, as far as possible in this situation, to his question about the cost of our services and seized the initiative, justifying this by the fact that we need to learn more about his problem in order to answer the question more specifically. Further he says:

- I got into an accident, the culprit in the traffic police has some connections, I'm afraid that they won't compensate me for the broken car and they will also force me to pay out of my own pocket.

- When and where did this happen, in which traffic police is the case considered?

- Moskovsky prospect, house 48, a week ago. Case in the traffic police of the Moscow region.

Next, we ask more clarifying questions: are there any documents, certificates, a diagram of the incident, a cost estimate for assessing damage. The answer follows: “Yes, there is a certificate, there is this, there is this ...” It turns out that we have enough initial data to understand whether this is our client or not ours. In this case, this is our client, therefore, having decided on this, we must then transfer him to the next stage so that he comes to us for an initial consultation.

- In this case, I propose to discuss all the details in a personal meeting. When would it be convenient for you to come to us for a consultation?

- I don’t see the point in the meeting, just tell me the approximate cost by phone, I’m only interested in numbers.

Thus, our first attempt to make an appointment ended in failure. What do we do in this case? In response to his objection, to the remark about the unwillingness to come to you, you can say that not all people have an idea of ​​​​how the work of a lawyer is built. This metaphor can help a lot:

- Lawyers are like doctors: in order to make a diagnosis, the doctor needs your tests. Do you agree with this? We need to see your documents. Analyzes for a doctor, and your documents for a lawyer

Usually all people say: yes, absolutely. This is well illustrated by the example of the work of doctors. Then you make a posting to the future and describe to the interlocutor point by point what exactly will happen during the consultation.

– During the consultation, we will study your documents, ask you a few clarifying questions, determine exactly how we can help you, and describe the sequence of actions to solve your problem.

With this technique, we set the program, which we talked about a little earlier when we analyzed the structure. That is, you set a program, what exactly will happen after he agrees to come and arrives. Thus, you give the person a map that he will need to follow, you have already drawn it for him.

- At the end of the consultation, you will have a clear picture in your head of what and how to do in order to achieve the desired results.

Here you are arguing in favor of his personal visit to you, indicating his personal benefits that he will receive from this consultation. Even a free consultation needs to be sold because potential clients tend to see it as your clever ploy to swindle them out of their money. In response to this stereotype, you should insert a similar phrase into your script for a telephone conversation: a description of the benefits that the interlocutor will use your free or inexpensive service.

- Tell me, will it be convenient for you to drive up to us today or tomorrow?

The second attempt, the second time you cast the bait. Perhaps not all of your clients will be so stubborn, but still you must meet such resistance and tactfully handle any objections from even the most intractable clients.

- How much do your services cost?

How to correctly present the price is the topic of a separate chapter. Here is one possible answer:

- I can tell you that we do not have the best low rates around the city, and the reason for this is that we do our job well and achieve results. And quality costs money, you probably understand that yourself. The price for services starts from ... - (and name the lowest bar). More details can be said after studying your documents.

In the end, you answered the question, giving an idea of ​​​​the level of cost, but reasonably justified why you cannot give a specific answer that would put the client before the choice of whether to contact him for your services or not. Obviously, he has a certain budget in his head, how much he is willing to spend on these services.

Let me remind you that the main goal of receiving incoming calls is not exhaustive answers to all the client’s questions and not to put him before a choice, to buy or not to buy, not to sell him a contract right away by phone, because this is much more difficult than it can be done at a consultation. You should set yourself the goal of receiving a call - this is not selling a big service, but selling a small, simple next step - an office consultation.

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There is an opinion that telephone conversations save time. However, calculations have shown that telephone conversations for managers during the working day take from 3 to 4.5 hours, and for employees - 2-2.5 hours. Shortcomings of telephone conversations are revealed. Their duration increases due to emotional coloring. This leads to speech fuzziness and inefficiency of phrases. From here, 2/3 of the time is spent on communicating business information, and 1/3 of the time is spent on pauses between words and phrases, on expressing one's emotions about certain information.

Quickly communicate certain concise information to a business partner remote from you or receive such information from him;

Quickly find out the opinion of this or that official on the issue of interest to you;

Get consent for specific actions in higher organizations;

Clarify whether the previous meeting arrangement with someone is still in force.

It is important to choose the right time for a telephone conversation. In doing so, it must be taken into account that:

According to your information, it is convenient for the subscriber;

The subscriber must be at his workplace, taking into account the daily routine of the enterprise;

It is at this time that your subscriber's phone is least loaded; it should be borne in mind that the busiest telephone contacts in institutions occur in December and January, on Mondays and in the morning.

Business communication on the phone includes a number of stages: mutual introduction, bringing the interlocutor up to date, discussion of the situation, final word. Introducing yourself to the interlocutor, tell your last name, first name and patronymic, place of work and position that you hold. This will immediately set him up for a business howl conversation. Having introduced yourself, it is advisable to ask the interlocutor if you disturbed him with your call, if he can pay attention to you. Only in the case of a positive answer, you can continue the conversation.

Phone business rules

1. When performing urgent, urgent work:

a) do not pick up the phone at all;

b) take it off immediately and politely say: “Please call me then. I'm busy with urgent business."

3. When picking up the handset from a ringing telephone, replace neutral feedback such as "Yes", "Hello", "I'm listening" are more informative: "Ivanov", "Personnel Department", "Plant". This eliminates errors and confusion, and therefore saves time. In addition, pairing the testimonial with the introduction sets the business tone for the entire conversation.

4. When calling someone who is absent from given time It is recommended that an employee not be limited to a simple statement of the fact “he is not there”, but give an answer something like this:

“He is not. It will be then. Maybe give him something?" And if you are really asked about it, do not rely on memory, immediately record the request and put the note on the table of a colleague.

5. Write down the desired phones with obligatory indication last name, first name and patronymic, institution or the specific case in which you are connected with this person. In doing so, adhere to the following rules:

♦ do not delay the interlocutor and make an initial entry on the calendar, and then transfer it to where it should be;

♦ any phone number that you know you use more than two or three times should be entered in notebook;

♦ audit it every six months and cross out numbers that are no longer required;

♦ Change your notebook every year and don't throw away the old ones.

6. For responsible telephone conversations (international, long-distance, higher management, etc.), you should first sketch out a list of questions so that you don’t miss important points in excitement or haste.

7. The ethics of telephone communication dictates that you always identify yourself before starting a conversation, even if you expect to be recognized by your voice.

8. All conversations should be conducted in a friendly tone. Even if the answer is accurate and complete, but given in a rude, tactless form, this damages the authority of both the employee and the organization he represents, negatively affects the essence of the matter.

9. The recording of telephone messages is accelerated and becomes error-free if a voice recorder is connected to the phone.

If you call a person with whom you have already met, but he may not remember you only by your last name, be sure to remind him briefly about your last meeting. This will facilitate psychological contact and save the interlocutor from having to think that he has a bad memory.

During a telephone conversation:

It should be borne in mind that the words sound more expressive after the mini

pauses;

Numbers, names and even questions are best repeated twice;

The most unpleasant words must be pronounced in a normal voice so that the interlocutor thinks about their meaning, realizes why you used them;

After asking a question, pause to give the other person time to respond.

The article was prepared with the help of the book by Ilyin E.P. "Psychology of communication and interpersonal relations."