In the wake of the communication revolution with text messaging, e-mailing, and a jubilee of other forms of “talking” with people at our finger tips, many of us, including yours truly, seem to forget about the importance of communicating over the phone and actually talking to someone. And due to recent events and classified information received here at the Career HQ (aka CSO), I will kindly reveal to you the tricks of the trade when making on the dreaded phone call to potential employers or Midd Alums.
If you’re contacting someone for the first time over the phone, whether it is an actual conversation or just a message, remember, it is your first impression so you want it to be a good one. I know that phone calls can be a bit nerve racking, your heart starts to race, palms start to sweat, you don’t know what you want to say, and you just want it to be over, quick. Whoaaa, pump the brakes, its fine, you can get through it, we are here to help, fact.
So before I direct you to a sweet article outlining proper phone etiquette, I wanted to give you my two cents on the do’s and don’ts.
Do’s:
- SPEAK CLEARLY AND SLOWLY!
- Identify yourself and why you are calling
- Get to the point!
- Know what you are going to say ahead of time
- If you are leaving a message, make it brief, and always give your FULL name and how they can contact you. This means, leave your number, say it slow, spell your last name, and when in doubt, do it again!
- Tell them the best time to reach you (if you are leaving a message)
- Be professional
- Thank them for their time! They are helping you.
Don’ts:
- Don’t mumble
- Don’t speak to fast
- Don’t forget to say who you are, why you are calling and how they can contact you!
- Don’t be boring
- Don’t be rude
- Don’t use slang or naughty words
Pretty self explanatory, but it’s always nice to get a friendly reminder.
So, as promised here is a nice website that goes into a bit more detail about business phone etiquette:
Wasn’t that so fantastical? Absolutely. And as always, if you have any questions, contact CSO or pop your head in for Drop-ins (Mon.-Fri. 2-5 PM). Over and out.