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

Better Bossing: Tips from the Front Line #1

Here are some of my bossing methods that work and have worked for many years:

1) Be nice, but firm -being a nice boss will help motivate people and keep things going as a great team. But, don't be too nice and let people take advantage of you. Let them know why it is important to arrive on time and adhere to the right processes. There is a delicate balance here, but it works wonders when the balance is right.

People who work for you must respect you, then like you. Years ago I worked for a fellow who was a great boss in that he was fair but firm. I could not see myself hanging out with him after hours, but I always did what he asked because he wasn't wishy-washy about anything and he'd recognize any hard work done by giving whatever rewards he was able to - no good work went unnoticed.

On the other hand, there was a new hire who showed up late on his first day and I watched as my boss said: "You're late, you're fired!". The poor guy just stood there in shock, then asked why. The boss said: "You live less than five minutes away and you still could not show up on time for your first day. You're fired." I stood there with my coding gun and worked away while watching the guy just stand there and slowly walk out of the place.

2) Laugh off a silly mistake - when somebody messes up for the first time and it's not a major catastrophe, chuckle with them and show them the right way to do it. Anything that has the potential to BE a major catastrophe should have a very comprehensive training system involved.

The person who made the mistake will feel better and not feel like they are stupid (even though they may call themselves that). If they keep making the same mistake over and over, there must be changes made in order to restore the desired level of productivity. You may have to train them for something else or suggest that they should look for employment somewhere else. Be sure to have a closed door meeting with them to explain everything in detail.

3) Talk about 'changes' face to face - explain to the person who is directly involved in a process why something must change. Explain it in a reasonable voice and let them know why it is so important for them to comply. Don't yell at them or tell them they are an idiot.

I learned this when I was a young supervisor and always got things done the way I wanted them - on behalf of the company, of course. I kept doing it for years and I still do it and it rarely fails. If it does fail, the person responsible must be replaced.

I took this technique with me when I was working with musicians on stages. If something wasn't right (ie: too loud, usually), I would walk right up to the front of the stage and mention that something wasn't quite working. With my goal in mind, I would offer suggestions and let them know it was for the benefit of the audience - so that they could enjoy a great sounding show.

I got positive results over 95% of the time when I was working with rock musicians full time. Now, bear in mind that I was working with some of the biggest egos around and even an 80% success rate would have been astounding. But, many sound people are not so nice because they become jaded over time, having to deal with the same issues over and over, night after night.

The best practice, no matter how jaded or egocentric you think you are, is to put yourself in the shoes of others and explain things the way that you would like to be told. It simply works! If you want positive results, treat people like people, not numbers.

- Buck Moore