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Telephone Etiquette: 8 etiquette tips to

follow when making a phone call

1. Always identify yourself at the beginning of all


calls.
When placing a call, always state your name along with the name of
the person you are calling. Example: Hello, my name is John Doe
from XYZ Corporation. May I please speak with Ms. Jane Smith?

2. Be sensitive to the tone of your voice.


Do not sound overly anxious, aggressive or pushy. It is important
your tone conveys authority and confidence. Do not lean back in
your chair when speaking on the telephone.
Tip: Sit up in your chair or stand during the conversation.

3. Think through exactly what you plan to say and


discuss BEFORE you place a call.
Tip: Jot down the items you want to discuss and questions you want
answered. In other words, anticipate and expect you will be placed
into a voicemail system; plan your message to be as direct and
specific as possible, asking the person to respond to specific
alternatives or questions. Do not say, Hello, its Syndi, call me
back. At least state the subject about which you want the person to
call you back about.

4. Do not allow interruptions to occur during


conversations.
Do not carry on side conversations with other people around you.
The person on the telephone takes precedence over someone who
happens to walk in your office or passes by while you are on the
phone.

5. Especially when leaving messages, speak clearly


and slowly.
Do not use broken phrases, slang or idioms. Always, always leave
your return telephone number as part of your message, including
the area code . . . and S-L-O-W-L-Y, including REPEATING your
telephone number at the end of your message.

6. Build the habit of always turning off your cell


phone ringer when entering a meeting, restaurant,
theater, training class, or other place.
Where the purpose of your visit would be interrupted or hearing
your cell phone ring would disturb others.

7. Always speak into the telephone receiver with an


even and low tone of voice.
Especially when speaking on a cell phone out in public, be sure to
monitor how loud you may be.

8. Do not allow yourself to be distracted by other


activities while speaking on the telephone.
Such as rustling papers, chewing and eating, working on the
computer, or speaking with someone else.
Tip: Always treat every caller with the utmost courtesy and respect
by giving him/her your undivided attention.

Example Phone callHello this is Jennifer Jones calling, I am a student from SCSC. Im
enquiring about ________ as part of a school project at Surf Coast
Secondary College. I realize that I really dont know much about
, other than what I read in books. Would it be possible that I may
have an opportunity to talk with someone who might be willing to
help me with information and enquiries about
.

Structuring an Email: How do I write a


professional email?

Know Your Purpose


Clear emails always have a clear purpose.
Whenever you sit down to write an email, take a few seconds to ask
yourself: "Why am I sending this? What do I need from the
recipient?"
If you can't answer these questions, then you shouldn't be sending
an email. Writing emails without knowing what you need wastes
your time and the recipient's time and means you'll struggle to
express yourself clearly and concisely.
This is also a good time to ask yourself: "Is this email really
necessary?" Again, only sending emails that are absolutely
necessary shows respect for the person you're emailing.

Use the "One Thing" Rule


Emails are not the same as business meetings. With business
meetings, the more agenda items you work through, the more
productive the meeting.
With emails, the opposite is true. The less you include in your
emails, the better.
That's why it's a good idea to practice the "one thing" rule. Make
each email you send about one thing only. If you need to
communicate about another project, write another email.

Practice Empathy
Empathy is the ability to see the world through the eyes of other
people. When you do this, you understand their thoughts and
feelings.

When you write emails, think about your words from the reader's
point of view. With everything you write, ask yourself:
How would I interpret this sentence, as someone reading it?
How would this make me feel if I received it?
This is a simple tweak to the way you write. Yet thinking of other
people will transform the way they respond to you.
Here's an empathetic way of looking at the world to help you get
started. Most people:
Are busy. They don't have time to guess what you want, and
they'd like to be able to read and respond to your email
quickly.
Appreciate a compliment. If you can say something positive about
them or their work, do so. Your words won't be wasted.
Like to be thanked. If the recipient has helped you in any way,
remember to say thank you. You should do this even when it's
their job to help you.
In a moment, we'll look at how you can embed compliments and a
thanks into the structure of every email you send.

Keep Introductions Brief

When you're emailing someone for the first time, you need to let the
recipient know who you are. You can usually do this in one sentence.
For example: "It was great to meet you at [X event]."
One-way of keeping introductions brief is to write them like you're
meeting face-to-face. You wouldn't go off into a five-minute
monologue when meeting someone in person. So don't do it in
email.
Not sure whether an introduction is needed? Maybe you've
contacted the recipient before, but you're not sure if she'll
remember you. You can leave your credentials in your email
signature. This is ideal because:
It keeps the main email body as short as possible.
It avoids misunderstandings. Re-introducing yourself to someone
who already knows you comes across as rude. If she's not sure
whether she knows you, then you can just let her check out
your signature.
Talking of signatures, make sure you've set one up. It's a shorthand
way of sharing information that you should include in every email.
But putting this information in your signature, you keep the body of
your emails short.
Your signature should include:
Your name.
Your job title.

A link to your website.


Optionally, you can include links to your social media accounts, and
a one-sentence elevator pitch on how you help people.

Limit Yourself to Five Sentences

In every email you write, you should use enough sentences to say
what you need and no more. A helpful practice here is limiting
yourself to five sentences.
Entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki explains:
Less than five sentences is often abrupt and rude, more than five
sentences wastes time.
There will be times when it's impossible to keep an email to five
sentences. But in most cases, five sentences are sufficient.
Embrace the five sentences discipline, and you'll find yourself
writing emails more quickly. You'll also get more replies.
Not sure writing an email in five sentences is possible? Then read
on...

Stick to a Standard Structure

What's the key to keeping your emails short? Using a standard


structure. This is a template that you follow for every email you
write.
As well as keeping your emails short, following a standard structure
also helps you to write fast.
Over time, you'll develop a structure that works for you. Here's a
simple structure to get you started:
greeting
a compliment or pleasantry
the reason for your email
a call to action
a closing message
signature
Let's look at each of these in depth.
Greeting. This is the first line of the email. "Hi, [First Name]" is a
typical greeting.
Compliment or Pleasantry. When you're emailing someone for the
first time, then a compliment makes an excellent opener. A wellwritten compliment can also serve as an introduction. For example:
"I enjoyed your presentation about [topic] on [date]."
"I found your blog post on [topic] really helpful."
"It was good to meet you at [event]."
If you're writing to someone you know, then use a pleasantry
instead. A pleasantry is typically a variation on "I hope you're well."
Alternatively, you can say thank you for something they've helped
you with or for information they sent in a previous email.

As Vinay Patankar of the Abstract Living blog explains:


You should ALWAYS follow with a pleasantry after your greeting.
EVERYTIME without fail. Ingrain this into your fingers so that you
naturally spit it out with each email you write. There is no reason
ever why your email shouldnt have a pleasantry... You will never
have anything to lose by adding in a pleasantry, you will make
people more inclined to read the rest of your email, you will soften
criticism, and will hit the positive emotions of a few. Most will simply
ignore it, but for two seconds of your time, it's definitely worth it.
The reason for your email. In this section you say, "I'm emailing to
ask about..." or "I wondered if you could help with..." You'll
sometimes need two sentences to explain your reasons for writing.
A call to action. After you've explained your reason for emailing,
don't assume the recipient will know what to do. Provide specific
instructions. For example:
"Could you send me those files by Thursday?"
"Could you write that up in the next two weeks?"
"Please write to James about this, and let me know when you've
done so."
Structuring your request as a question encourages the recipient to
reply. Alternatively, you can use the line "let me know when you've
done that" or "let me know if that's okay with you."
Closing. Before you sign off your email, be sure to include a closing
line. This has the dual purpose of re-iterating your call to action, and
of making the recipient feel good.
Examples of good closing lines include:
"Thank you for all your help with this."
"Does that sound good?"
"I'm looking forward to hearing what you think."
"Let me know if you have any questions."
Sign-of. This could be "Best Wishes," "Kind Regards," "All the Best,"
or "Thanks." You should always follow your sign-off with your name.

Use Short Words, Sentences, and Paragraphs

Back in 1946, George Orwell advised writers to:


Never use a long word where a short one will do.
This advice is even more relevant today, especially when writing
emails.
Short words show respect for your reader. By using short words,
you've done the hard work of making your message easy to
understand.
The same is true of short sentences and paragraphs. Avoid writing
big blocks of text if you want your email to be clear and easily
understood. This leads to another of George Orwell's rules for

writing, which can help you keep your sentences as short as


possible:
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Once you've followed your standard email structure, trim every
sentence down to be as short as it can be.

Use the Active Voice


George Orwell again:
Never use the passive where you can use the active.
In writing, there are two kinds of voices, active and passive.
Here's a sentence in the active voice:
I throw the ball.
And here's the same sentence in the passive voice:
The ball is thrown [by me].
The active voice is easier to read. It also encourages action and
responsibility. That's because in the active voice, sentences focus
on the person taking action. In the passive voice, sentences focus
on the object that's being acted upon. In the passive voice, it can
appear that things happen by themselves. In the active voice, things
only happen when people take action.

Proofread Your Email


The French philosopher Blaise Pascal once said:
If I had more time, I would have written you a shorter letter.
In other words, writing short emails can be harder work than writing
long emails.
Part of the hard work of writing short emails is careful proofreading.
Read your email aloud to yourself, checking for spelling and
grammar mistakes. Ask yourself:
Is my request clear?
Could there be any misunderstandings?
How would this sound if I were the recipient?
Delete any unnecessary words, sentences, and paragraphs as you
proofread.

Remember, You're Not Fifteen Anymore

If you want to show your personality in your email, let this shine
subtly through your writing style. Don't use emoticons, chat
abbreviations (such as LOL), or colorful fonts and backgrounds.
While these might have been integral to your emails during your
teenage years, they are rarely appropriate in a professional context.
The only time it is appropriate to use emoticons or chat
abbreviations are when you're mirroring the email language of the
person you're writing to.

Write Like You Speak

Email is a less formal way of communicating than writing a letter or


even making a phone call. Writing as you speak makes you come
across as personable and friendly. It also helps you to keep your
emails short. After all, few of us speak in extended paragraphs.
Additionally, make sure your emails reflect who you are in the real
world. If you wouldn't say something to a person's face, don't say it
in an email. And remember to mind your manners. "Please" and
"Thank you" go a long way.

Basic Dos and Donts: 11 Things to


Remember Across All Social Media
Platforms

Comments follow you.


Much like comments on a website, comments, responses,
likes, dislikes, rants, pictures and hashtags are, for better or
worse, forever. Because social media feels like a place where
people can just be themselves and say things off the cuff,
people often say things they wouldnt typically say in public.
But unless all your accounts are private, what youre saying is
most definitely in public. Deleting tweets and updates doesnt
always solve the problem. When in doubt, if you dont want
something coming back to you, dont say it online. (Prefacing
something with No offense, but . . . or Dont get mad, but I
HAVE to say this . . . doesnt absolve anyone of anything.)
Cursing as well as spelling, grammatical and factual accuracy
fall into this category, too.

Pay attention to the purpose.


Is your or someone elses handle related to their personal
name or their business? It makes a difference. If you find your
favorite internet personality has a private personal Twitter
feed and a public business feed, which is the right one to
contact about work? Yep, the last one. More often than not,
people think its effective to contact anyone anywhere they
can find them. But people name and identify sources of

contact for specific reasons. So rather than pitching endlessly


at your favorite TV stars personal account, try using their
contact me page on the business site instead. Bottom line?
Dont bombard someone with pitches on social media outlets
unless thats their only form of contact (and even then,
contact 12 times and wait for them to respond). Most people
have websites with submission or contact forms. Use those
rather than constant tweets and updates.

Beware the overshare.


Nothing seems to freak out online readers (and people in
general) more than a picture/comment/post that crosses the
line youve established with your audience. If youre someone
who typically talks about design and suddenly youre updating
with details about your frequent trips to an adult bookstore
(yes, I actually saw this happen), people might be a little
surprised or uncomfortable. Does that mean theres
something wrong with your life choices? No. Does it mean you
might need a separate personal account for things discussed
outside the realm of your business? Yep.

Not everything is personal.


Sometimes its not about you, Facebook or any perceived
slight. Sometimes someone missed your request or just isnt
signing on as much. Either way, if you truly feel someone you
know well in real life has slighted you, send them an actual
email to ask. If theyre a real friend, theyll explain, and
hopefully a needless Facebook war can be avoided. *Facebook
specific: If youre sending someone a friend request without
any note attached and you dont really know them, you may
not get a response. When in doubt, explain who you are and
whom you have in common, etc.

Beware the overshare, Part 2.


Whether youre tweeting, updating or pinning things, most
people dont want to be flooded by updates from someone.
Especially if that upload rate differs from your typical post
rate. I made this mistake when I finally got into Pinterest (I
stupidly didnt realize uploading a million old things at night
would flood everyones feeds. Sorry guys, I learned and
stopped.), and it tends to be one of the most common reasons
(outside of political commentary) that inspires an angry
UNFOLLOW! comment. So, if you plan on tweeting 40 times
a day, let people know. Clearly people can always unfollow
you on various accounts, but its always polite to give people a
heads up that says, Today Ill be updating more than normal
because of (XYZ).

Consider the tone.

Humble-bragging, outright bragging, constant complaining


and endless rhetorical questions never go over well with
readers. If you find your tone slipping into these territories, it
may be time to consider whether this is the right outlet for
you. If Twitter has become your only place to vent, people may
start to associate you and your business with that tone of
voice. When it doubt, try to represent an accurate and realistic
range of tones. No one expects you to be happy all the time,
but no one wants you to be fake either. Keep it real and try to
keep it balanced if you can. Also consider that people cant
always tell your tone online. If youre being sarcastic and
people cant tell, it might be time to be more direct.

Skip the call-outs.


As fun as it can be to discover internet gossip (Im pretty sure
there are enough sites devoted to that), its more fun to avoid
the hurt feelings, damaged reputation and upset readers that
come with calling people out, vaguely or directly. Sometimes it
cant be avoided (Ive seen some legitimate copying issues
addressed successfully on social media platforms after a lack
of email response), but most of the time, calling someone out
just makes you seem like a jerk. Just skip it. Talk to that person
privately or just let it go. Readers really dont want to hear
most peoples dirty laundry.

Think before tagging.


Most people want to put their best foot forward online. That
foot rarely includes eyes rolled back in their head or shots of
their jeans slipping too low. If youve got a shot of someone
you want to upload, and youre not trying to embarrass them,
reach out to see if they mind you tagging them. Most people
appreciate the chance to avoid having their reputation
damaged or looking foolish. It should also be noted that
personal photos (partying/drinking, vacation in a bikini) are
probably best left out of business-related feeds.

Ignoring trumps engaging (most of the time).


No matter what you write about (people, furniture, kids, pets),
someone out there will hate you for it. And those people seem
to love attacking on social media outlets the most. Its easy to
trip and fall into a Twitter war or a Facebook comment battle,
but when in doubt, let it go. Unless someones causing real
damage to your reputation, stay out of it or respond with a
simple factual response.

Act the way youd want to be treated.


If you care about people crediting you, credit other people. If
you care about being polite and responding to people on
Twitter, respond politely to them. If you want to have people

leave insightful comments (and not just promotions) on


Facebook, do the same for them. You get the point be the
example youd like others to follow. If you put positive,
responsible energy out on all of your accounts, youre more
likely to get it back.

Dont demand reciprocation.


Constant plugs for follows, likes, friending, etc. can feel
calculated and anything by genuine online. Bottom line?
Follow, friend, like or pin something because you really want
to, not because you expect something in return.

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