How to Win Customer Loyalty with These 5 Phone Tips

Good telephone skills are a must for any business owner who plans on taking their company to the next level.

After all, you have to make and take calls to keep customers happy and attract new customers as well. You don’t have to be a star salesman to have excellent phone etiquette skills.

Here are some tips from the pros which even a novice can apply to improve phone communication skills in a short amount of time.

1. Listen Carefully

Listening is first because it’s the most important aspect of communication.

This means that you must listen to the person on the other end of the phone carefully with the intention to understand what they are saying.

This makes it easier to cultivate a meaningful and mutually beneficial conversation for both of you.

Make sure that you do as little talking as possible and practice active listening to let the other person know that you’re really listening to them and not just silently waiting for them to finish talking.

2. Speak Clearly

Phone communication is a world apart compared to in-person communication because you can’t read the other person’s body language.

That’s why it’s important to enunciate your words to make sure that you’re clearly legible to the other person.

If a poor connection is preventing clear understanding and communication between you and the other person, then you should let them know and make sure that they can hear you before you proceed with the conversation.

3. Ask Questions

Once you’ve allowed the caller to talk and ask questions, make sure to also ask relevant information so that you can learn about their needs and how to serve them.

This also shows the other person that you’re genuinely interested in what they have to say and are really willing to help.

When the conversation tapers off towards the end, ask if you can help them with anything else or make a personal connection by asking where they are calling from.

It helps to make a personal connection with your client in order to establish loyalty both in the short and long-term.

4. Answer Every Question

You should also be able to answer the other person’s questions effectively as this shows that you know what you’re talking about and are a business that prioritizes excellent service.

If you’re asked a question whose answer you don’t have, don’t just tell the other person that you don’t have the answer.

Let them know that you’re committed to finding it out for them and will get back to them as soon as you have it. If possible, put the caller on hold to retrieve the information if you have it at your disposal or use a phone tracker to find the person who has the answers if they’re not in the office.

This is a great show of excellent customer service, not to mention super phone etiquette as a professional. The fact that you’re willing to activate a mobile tracker means that you’re willing to go over and above the call of duty for your customer.

5. Don’t Be Too Salesy

The last thing you want is coming across as too salesy as that can actually make your customers go away.

Make sure that you maintain a human voice and demeanor when talking with your customer and most importantly, be yourself, don’t be afraid to inject some personality into the conversation.