Telephone Tactics

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<p>The goal of using the phone should be to build relationships with your customers in order to&nbsp;bring them into your store.&nbsp; One of the top two ways that customers&nbsp;assess the value of your company&#39;s service is determined by their interaction with you on the phone.&nbsp; Learning proper telephone techniques can truly set you apart from the competition and increase your customer retention and sales.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Answering the Phone</strong><br /> The telephone should be answered&nbsp;in the&nbsp;following way: &ldquo;Thank you for calling (your store name), this is (your name).&rdquo;&nbsp; This allows you to show appreciation to your caller and let them know who they are speaking with.&nbsp; Smile when you answer the phone&mdash;this simple act will make your voice sound warmer, more excited and more energetic.</p> <p><strong>Putting&nbsp;Callers on Hold</strong><br /> Always ask permission before putting&nbsp;callers on hold.&nbsp; Keep in mind&nbsp;this basic idea:&nbsp;waiting on hold is a negative state&nbsp;that seems twice as long to&nbsp;your callers&nbsp;than it does to you.</p> <p><strong>Remember the Three &ldquo;P&#39;s&quot;</strong><br /> During&nbsp;the phone conversation you can choose to speak about <strong>Products, Prices </strong>or<strong> People</strong>&mdash;and<strong> </strong>the People game is the winning game.&nbsp; Get the caller&#39;s&nbsp;name, find out who they are and what they are trying to do.&nbsp; Ask if they&#39;ve ever been to your store.&nbsp; Take time to learn about the person, and you will set yourself apart.&nbsp; Take time to talk about product and price, and you will have a short conversation that&#39;s less fruitful for both of you.&nbsp; Remember, <strong>it&rsquo;s all about PEOPLE.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>