Phone Call Etiquette for Busy Salespeople

Salespeople will get called when working - that's a fact! What becomes important is how a busy situation with customers both present and on the phone should be handled.

If the person taking the call sees that the sales person is busy, they should take a message for the salesperson. If the salesperson in question is involved in a big, complicated sale, the person who took the call should call the customer back and let them know that they haven't been forgotten about.

If the salesperson takes a call, they should have already mentioned the possibility of taking quick calls and have a pre-planned script ready for different situations. They should also practice getting off the phone quickly, then remember to follow up with the caller as soon as possible after dealing with the customer who is present.

Whenever I pick up the phone during busy times, no matter who is calling, I generally warn them about call-waiting or having to answer the door (I've even warned people about my cordless phone possibly dying in the middle of a conversation). It softens the blow when I must get off the phone in a hurry and I even tell them to expect an email or text message if I'm not able to call them back.

In my retail experience, I've heard managers tell staff that they should convince callers to come down to the store and deal with the ones who are already there. That makes sense, but nobody was shopping online at the time. Still, nothing is better than a tangible product to get somebody excited and people will still show up in person after they've decided where to shop - or should I say: "Who to give their money to"?

It's all in the way you say it!
If you get comfortable because it's been a good week, you might not care as much about a lost sale and you might sound like you don't care to a caller. Since your voice is the only thing they are exposed to, you have to be sure to always be 'on' when taking a call.

It helps to pause a second, take a deep breath then pick up the phone. If you have a great experience with a caller, they are more likely to come down in person and they'll probably want to meet you - so, you have to look like you're in control all the time as well as sound like it.

A salesperson is the director of a phone call and people call in because they need help with something.

- Buck Moore