Turning Calls into Cash

When you are busy running your company and the phone is ringing every two seconds, it can become too easy not to give new enquiries your full attention and let them slip through your fingers.

Ronald Gee discovers the best way to turn calls into cash…

As busy chauffeurs, we use the telephone on a regular basis, but do we promote ourselves to every caller and do we turn these valuable calls into cash? I am not saying that I have all the answers to all the questions — but these pointers maybe helpful to you in the future.

We must all consider the fact that virtually everyone is a caller to a business at one time or another. As a result, most individuals have experienced the pleasure of speaking with a pleasant and competent individual and this is the best possible approach. We need to be honest and if you are unable to help the client, make the effort to find someone who can and then ring the caller back. Doing this will probably make the client ring you back on another occasion.

Conversely, most adults have experienced the frustration of attempting to communicate with someone who fails to measure up to this description. As a caller, it is reasonable to expect the person who answers the telephone to be courteous, organised and helpful. If those qualities are not part of the caller’s experience, then there is a distinct possibility that a negative opinion will be forged about both the business as well as the person answering the telephone.

Phone answering skills are critical for businesses. Even though the web and email is a big part in running our businesses, the telephone is still most business’ primary point of contact with customers. The way you answer your company’s phone will form your customer’s first impression of your business.

These simple phone answering tips will ensure that callers know they’re dealing with a winning business: Answer all calls before the third ring.
When you answer the phone, be warm and enthusiastic. Your voice at the end of the telephone line is sometimes the only impression of your company a caller will get.

When answering the phone, welcome callers courteously and identify yourself and your business. Say, for instance, “Good morning. Chauffeur Magazine. Susan speaking. How may I help you?” No one should ever have to ask if they’ve reached such and such a business.

Take telephone messages completely and accurately. If there’s something you don’t understand or can’t spell, such as a person’s surname, ask the caller to repeat it or spell it for you. Then make sure the message gets to the intended person.

Return all your calls within one business day. I can’t emphasise this one enough! Remember the early bird? The early caller can get the contract and the job is yours for the taking.

Always ask the caller if it’s all right to put her on hold when answering the phone, and don’t leave people on hold. Provide callers on hold with progress reports every 30 to 45 seconds. Offer them choices if possible, such as “That line is still busy. Will you continue to hold or should I have someone call you back?”

Don’t use a speaker phone unless absolutely necessary. Speaker phones give the caller the impression that you’re not fully concentrating on his call, and make them think that his call isn’t private. The only time to use a speaker phone is when you need more than one person to be in on the conversation at your end.

If you use an answering machine to answer calls when you can’t, make sure that you have a professional message recorded and gives callers any other pertinent information before it records their messages. Update your answering machine message as needed. For instance, if your business is going to be closed for a holiday, update your recorded answering machine message to say so and to say when your business will reopen.

Train everyone else who answers the phone to answer the same way, including other family members if you’re running a home-based business. Check on how your business’ phone is being answered by calling in and seeing if the phone is being answered in a professional manner. If they don’t pass the test, go over this telephone answering tips list with them.

If you’re running a home-based business, you need to have a second business-only telephone with its own answering machine. Not only is this more professional, but it will save you the time of wading through messages and determining which ones are business-related.

It’s always best to have a person answer the telephone. Having a machine pick up or worse, an automated ‘choose one of these numbers’ system is a real turn off that will cost you business when people don’t bother to leave messages or call back. If answering incoming calls is taking up too much time during your day, consider hiring a receptionist or a professional answering service to answer the phone for you. The cost of having someone else do it may well be more than offset by the increase in your productivity and better sales.

Remember, the telephone is supposed to be a business tool, not an intrusive tyrant that rules your working day. Handling your incoming calls accompanied by these time management tips it will help you manage your time better, improving your productivity, and put your telephone back in its proper place — helping you run your business rather than it running you.