4 Responses

1. mail address?
   If you provide me with your mail address, I can send you some stuff.

   lisabirch@securetrustbank.com

2. Telephone Techniques
   Here’s the outline of a chapter from a book on Business Communication which I wrote some time ago. Unfortunately it is not my copyright, but I’d be very happy to help develop some new material, including samples and exercises.

   THE TELEPHONE
   General intro
   MAKING CALLS
   Taking control of your phone
   Preparation
   Tactics and techniques
   TAKING CALLS
   10 points to remember
   TELEPHONE EFFICIENCY
   Value for money
   Cost of calls
   Time-saving
   Controlling personal calls
   TELEPHONE MESSAGES
   TELEMARKETING
   The benefits of using the phone
   Limitations and problems with the telephone
   OFT guidelines
   Incoming sales calls
   Outgoing sales calls
   Sales research and the phone
   Telesales scripts

3. Make Telesales Work – Stephen Kaye
   This is a good book with a number of good points. Got it through Amazon – cheap and easy to read.

4. Telephone Techniques
   I have also mailed this to an earlier questioner…..so here are my comments for you!

   Listening Exercises: Really important. Most people believe they are listening, but the reality is that they’ve probably on heard a small fraction of what was said. The art of listening is not what is said, but what is not said. Recommended book LISTEN UP, ISBN 0-312-24265-4.

   Read an interesting paragraph from newspaper/magazine. Read it again. Then ask formal questions about the content. Keep the article to about 2 minutes duration.

   Bad telephone techniques: I think the process of identifying what is a bad telephone call/conversation is so important. It’s a way of immediately identifying what good habits should be employed, and therefore ensures everyone is immediately looking down-the-road towards improvement.

   Role play: this is important too, because it allows everyone to hear bad techniques. If recorded and played back it can be a great tool for future classes. You’ll have some good and bad examples for use later.

   Vocal clarity: It’s important too, that the voice is clear. Good vocal techniques are important, clarity of vowels, correct pronunciation of words, good breathing, good use of appropriate language – there are loads of books on this.

   Body language: affects the way you speak…..lean forward you are becoming more dominant; lean back – resigned; spinning your chair – bored? All these physical activities, will while on the phone, affect your voice and how you sound….your vocal body language.

   Hope some of the additional points here are useful.