Telephone Techniques Open Course

Telephone Skills Course Programme

The course content may include many of the exercises listed below, and any additional material that the trainers feel is relevant to the delegates on the day.

Delegate Input

We begin with a discussion around handling, taking and making telephone calls. We'll ask you to identify the key challenges you face and the things you find difficult so the day can be shaped to your needs.

Notes and Reminders Booklet

Here, we'll give you an Impact Factory Notes & Reminders Booklet so you can jot down the phrases, process or tips you feel you can use in your telephone conversations.

Are You Still There?

How do you know if someone's listening or interested on the phone… how do they know if you are?

I Can Hear You're Smiling

Here we'll explore things you might be doing while on a call that affects communication. Eating a sandwich, looking at a computer screen… think they don’t know?… well, let's take a look.

Where Are You?

Where you are and what's around you can have a big impact on how you come across on the phone. Using drawings and post-its we'll take a look at how your environment can increase or impinge on the impact you make on a call.

Sounds Like You Got Out The Wrong Side Of The Bed

You're annoyed you missed an important parcel and won’t have time to pick it up for weeks… then you get to work, take a call and guess what you sound like. In this exercise we'll take a look at how what's going on for you can bleed into how you come across on the phone and the implications that has on you and your business.

You Sound Nice

And on the other end of the scale…

If people like you, they'll want to talk to you. But how do you build the rapport in the first place we’ll take a look at short cuts to building and developing rapport on the phone.

20 Rings and You're Out

Your company may have a phone culture - the way the way phones are answered, answering within three rings, the standard greeting… that sort of thing. In this section of the day we'll look at the effect of having a company script, or no script and how to make it work for you.

In this exercise we'll explore what you want to (or have to) keep… what is a question mark and what can you change about your company phone culture to make the strongest impact on your caller?

Owning the Call, and Resolving It First Time

When things are tough, most people’s first instinct is to just get it over and done with: the sooner I can get out of this call, the better!

We'll look at how to ‘elect’ yourself responsible in order to shift the dynamic between you and the customer. Callers may be looking for solutions, but we also know that many people just need a place to off-load their difficulties and their own frustrations.

In this section we might look at

Taking responsibility

Avoiding escalation

Exceeding expectations (under-promising and over-delivering)

Managing the Angry Caller

This important section of work is about conflict and anger management skills. Remember, blaming you is what an angry caller thinks their 'job' is. It may not be your fault but you are the public 'face' of your company. Here, we'll look at a couple of tools to defuse an angry caller.

Restarting Afresh

It would be nice if you could get to start a difficult call again, but sometimes that just can't happen. Sometimes all you can do is make a new choice to get a different effect.

In this process we'll look at some simple techniques to help restart a conversation that's gone off track.

Taking Care of Yourself

Whether you’re a secretary, a receptionist, call centre staff or business person, if you've had a tough call it can be difficult to take the next one.

So here, we'll look at some of the feelings that build up with a difficult call, and how to let them go so you can take the next call afresh.

Over to You

In reference to their prep for the course, we'll ask delegates to consider a difficult telephone call situation they've been in.

We'll explore how else the situation could have played out and what delegates could do to get the outcome they want.

We'll also offer tools and techniques for all delegates to try as we explore their scenarios.

This session may include the following elements:

Owning and controlling the call

Warm transfer of calls

The can do approach

Message taking

Turning a call around

Being clear and concise

Handling difficult calls

The value of questions

Reflecting back

Interrupting gracefully

What Else Can I Say?

In this last exercise of the day, we'll invite you to share the phrases or tips you’ve written in your booklet that you’ve found useful.

It Doesn't End Here

After our workshops delegates often want to know even more!

We offer lots of exciting stuff.

You will take away a USB stick with all the handouts from the day (hard copies if you prefer!)

A customised area for you on our website that supports this programme.

Free access to our comprehensive on line library which includes:

Thought provoking documents

Practical hints and tips

Helpful handouts

Phone, email or text, we are happy to answer any questions, hear your news and offer support.