Business Phone Etiquettes_Feb 2013

7/29/2019 Business Phone Etiquettes_Feb 2013

1/4

The phone is used extensively as compared to other

communication tool in a business scenario. Business

phone etiquette can make a significant impact on othersperception on you in the business world. The way you

sound, the way you act, and the way you treat peopleare all components of business phone etiquette; as much

as they are of conversations, meetings, e-mails and otherformal / informal mode of interaction. To ensure you use

this critical communication tool effectively, you have tounderstand how to apply good phone etiquette.

There a lot of phone Etiquette that can be followed. Inthis article we will like to show you how to use the rules

to influence others and present yourself in the best

possible image.[

The broad business phone etiquette categoriesthat will be covered in the article are as follows:

Know Your Contact

Communicating Using the C.A.G.E Decision Making

At a Glance

Feb-2013

Tip of the week

Bee Wise

Communication is aword that meanseverything.

When youcommunicate, youexpress yourself andyou create a meaningful

connection withsomeone or even toyourself.

It is the expression ofideas, the creation ofnew ideas, andexplosion of creativityand unleashing of

Know theRecipient

Content

EffectiveUse Of

Cellular Phone Etiquette Tips

Etiquette for Texting

Etiquette for Speaker Phone

New Contact (First Time) Known Contact

Gather background information of the new contact

through a mutual contact or by writing an e-mail to

seek information

Gather all the documents required for the call to

avoid asking the contact to wait

Introduce yourself formally (Name, designation and

the company you represent. You should also give

the background information of your company

Introduce yourself by informing the contact your

name and the company name you represent

to help them refresh their memory

State the reason for calling State the reason for calling

Check whether it is a good time for calling?Inform Approximately how much time will you require

for the call

Explain the reason for your call

State your points logically and concisely State your points logically and concisely

Summarize the call with the help of identified

action items

Summarize the call with the help of identified action

items

Know Your Contact

We all call people. More often than not we will either be calling the other person for the first time (new contact) or it will

be in continuation to the previous conversation we have had (Known contact). Based on this fact the essence of the

conversation will be different. To further this, a few nuances for you:

. a ge


2/4

Communication is a skill a person masters over a

period of time and an important thing to do is to have

a reference. Here we are introducing you to a

communication Decision Making Model C.A.G.E

Communication etiquette means making decisions

about what is appropriate for various situations. The

CAGE communication decision-making model can help

you analyze what's appropriate for various situations

of communication.

For Instance: What would you do if you were askedto convey information to senior executives at asister company in which the culture was radicallydifferent?

The CAGE model includes three elements: culture,

audience, and goal, all of which result in etiquette.

You also can think of this model as: culture + audience

+ goal = etiquette (C + A + G = E).

You can use this model to guide your communication

'

Communicating Using the C.A.G.E Decision Making Model:

February 2013

Audience (contd)

The more you understand about your audience, the better.

What do you need to know about your audience before

attempting to communicate? It's important to have a good

understanding of both its mode of operation and its

communication needs. You need be aware of the following

elements:

Demographics It helps to understand the demographics of

your audience. Is it a group of recent college graduates orbaby boomers? Are you addressing your peers or management?

A younger crowd may prefer a bulleted list rather than a

lengthy explanation. Executives may want a formal

presentation.

Medium or method How is your audience accustomed toreceiving information? Do they prefer e-mail, phone messages,

and teleconferences? Will they prefer to receive a phone and

then a mail to support your conversation?

Bee Wise

e que e ec s ons w en you re n un am ar err ory

(while talking to our regional colleagues). How do you

decide the best way to make that presentation in theuncharted waters at your sister company? Try

considering the elements of the CAGE model, as

described here.

Culture

The first element of the CAGE model involves

evaluating the culture of the organization in which

your communication is taking place. What is the

culture of the company? Is it formal or informal? Does

the company observe a structured hierarchy? What are

the company's priorities? Considering culture is an

important first step when deciding how to convey your

message in an appropriate manner and avoidingcommunication blunders.

For Instance: While you call your colleague in NewYork, how will you greet your colleague (Hi / Hello /Good Morning) as compared to your colleague fromSouth Africa.

Audience

The second element of the CAGE model involves

evaluating your audience. You can't communicate well

unless you understand the needs and expectations of

the person or people who will receive your message.

At your sister company, what are the communicationneeds? How are they accustomed to receiving

information? Do they prefer brief e-mails or detailed

documentation?

Style Does your audience typically prefer its information in a

form that's formal and compact or a bit casual? Do the peoplewith whom you're communicating need detailed information in

a lengthy memo or a chart to which they can refer?

Goal

The final element of the CAGE model involves determining the

goal of your communication. Your goal may be to convey

information, provide training, facilitate a discussion, argue a

point, or something else. Without a clear understanding of

your goal, you can wander off track, which could confuse your

audience. By having a clear goal as you address the aim of

writing the mail, you'll have a better idea of the appropriate

communication etiquette to use.

Unfortunately, there isnt an etiquette script for every

situation. However, the CAGE decision-making model can help

you evaluate a specific circumstance and plan your message

accordingly, especially while talking to our customers or

colleagues. Most of our calls are for either to provide / take a

service, Provide / Seek Information or to have a casual

conversation (To maintain relationship / keep in touch with).

Page 2 of 4


3/4

Based on the purpose of the call your behavior should change /differ as mentioned in the table below:

All the word / statement in bold-italics refer to the C.A.G.E model discusses earlier

Provide Service / Information Seek Service / Information Casual Conversation

\Provide end-to-end information which

will answer all the queries of the other

person - Audience

State in points all the information /

help you require - Goal

Maintain a friendly tone throughout the

call.

Pre-empt the possible questions thatcan be asked, so that you can prepare

yourself to answer them. Audience

Practice active listening while receiving

information from the other person.

Use open-ended question which will

help the conversation to flow - Goal

Before you end the call, ensure he/she

has understood all that was discussed.

Goal

Ask questions if any further clarification

is required. - Goal

Stay away from questions that are too

personal. - Culture

Before ending the call ask questions

Bee Wise

Communicating Using the C.A.G.E Decision Making Model

February 2013

Cellular Phone Etiquette Tips

The use of mobile/cell phones has increased drastically during the last decade, making it the most important means of

communication. Below mentioned are some etiquette tips:

1. Silence is golden: Ringtones seems to be all the rage right now. Most people like to have the ringtone from a popularsong. While this may be "cool", it is not very cool when this song goes off in a business meeting, the movie theater, or

even in a temple / church.

Cell phones have a silent, or vibrate mode. This is a great way to still be aware of incoming calls/texts without

disrupting other people.

2. Choosing the right caller-tune: Caller tunes have is the popular thing. A lot of business professionals choose caller-tunes which are snazzy which does not create the appropriate impression. Since caller-tunes mark the beginning of the

phone call it is advised to have caller-tune which sounds professional (eg: the TATA AIG caller-tune) or you may chose to

not have a caller-tune

3. Let the phone do the work: There is this magical mystery that occurs when people are on their cell phone. In caseswhere the person on their cell phone is having a hard time hearing the other person, they feel the need to yell back in

order to be heard. You don't need to do this. Most cell phones have a modulator that picks up soft voices to make them

sound louder. In fact, you could even talk in a quiet, subdued voice and the other person would be able to hear you. You

don't need to be loud...let the phone do it. That is appropriate cellular phone etiquette.

4. Respect the person that you are with: Now-a-days it is popular to see people out on social events or on a meeting

use their cell phones at will to either text or to take calls. This makes the person you are with feel unimportant andneglected

If you are with someone, especially in an important meeting, keep the phone away. Spend the time to make your

colleagues feel important.

anything? / Is there anything else I can

assist you with? Goal

information received. - Goal fun - Culture

Page 3 of 4


4/4

The popularity of using speaker phone to connect to

colleagues who are geographically spread out has gained

popularity. Thus, to harness the power of this technology

we need to understand some basic etiquette to be

followed.

1) Announce to everyone who is participating on the call.

2) Make sure to not get distracted doing something else at

the same time

3) On a business call when people are not familiar with

each others voices, it is important to let them knowwho is speaking

Eg: This is Ram speaking. I would to like inform youall the decision that the board members have takenthis afternoon is

4) When you are not talking remember to put your phone

on mute avoid disturbance on the call.

Bee Wise

Texting etiquette is a need that is growing and growing. Text

messaging has become more popular and it continues to

grow in popularity. With that growth, a new area of

etiquette has emerged and that is texting manners.

Texting in front of others: When you are in a businessavoid using your phone either to talk or text a message as it

is considered to be rude. If it is urgent for you to send a

message, inform the other person that it is important for

you to text and it will take 2 minutes.

Do not use slang language: There is no reason to make theperson receiving your text to spend an hour deciphering

what the message means? The more you use slangs and

abbreviations, the more difficult it will be to communicate

with people. Thus, avoid using slang and abbreviations with

communicating with your colleagues.

Watch your tone: With any kind of written communication,the person receiving the message could misinterpret the

tone of.

Etiquette for Texting Etiquette for Speaker Phone

February 2013

Tip for a Business Call in Public Place

Don't Shout

If the background noise is disturbing, go to a quieterplace. If the problem is a bad connection, talking louder

will not help so just end the call and try again from a

place where the reception is better.

Page 4 of 4

Name Convention: While sending a text message remember

to mention your name either in the beginning or at the endof the text message. This will avoid any kind of ambiguity in

case the receiver does not have your number stored.

Business Cards: While saving numbers on your phoneremember to save the number as First name and last

name, if required you can also save the company name. This

will facilitate you to be professional while sending business

cards to others.

Keep business private

Many personal and business conversations contain

information that should remain confidential or private.

Before using a mobile phone in a public location to discuss

private business or issues, make sure that there will be

enough distance to keep the content private. Some stories,some issues and some conflicts should be saved for times

and locations that will allow for confidentiality.

Tip for Tone Modulation

Documents

Business Phone Etiquettes_Feb 2013