It’s a strange time to be a telephone user. While some people are sticking to the tried and true landline, at least 20% of all U.S. households use cell phones exclusively. While some people prefer to be communicated with via text and only text, others feel that texting is impersonal and draws out an interaction that could have been completed in a mere 30 second phone call. With telephoning habits so fragmented right now, it’s easy for freelancers and small business owners to forget the professional telephone habits that will help them grow their business.
When interacting with clients on the phone, it’s important to remember the golden rule of customer service – give them what they want. Though you may be a text messaging maven, your more traditional clients could prefer the classic phone call. Be prepared to interact with your clients in the manner of their choosing, otherwise clients may become frustrated when trying to communicate with you.
I, personally, am a Crackberry addict. This means I use my phone for business, pleasure, chats with mom, email and web browsing. And that presents a significant problem when I get a phone call from an unknown number. Do I answer professionally with a cheery “This is Company X, how may I help you?” Or do I merely say hello because it could be a telemarketer, the vet’s office or an old friend calling to catch up? No matter what I do, if I make the wrong decision and there’s a client or potential client on the other end of the line, I could end up looking very unprofessional.
The same goes with my voicemail message. Though, as a business owner on the go, I try to never let a business call go to voicemail, the inevitable is bound to happen sometime. If I had a silly or personal voicemail message, what would my clients think of me? All too often, freelancers forget that customers are judging them not just on their good work, but on their professional credibility. If a customer calls you and a ringback tone of “Baby Got Back” plays while they wait for you to pick up, chances are they are going to think a little less of you professionally, even though they might not indicate that to you during the call.
Here are a few tips for ensuring that your telephone interactions are professional, even when you’re a single phone user like me:
- Use a Scripted Greeting – If someone from an unknown number calls, always go professional. Prepare a script like “Hello. This is Company X. How may I help you?” and stick to it. Though you may feel a little silly when it turns out to be your great aunt Marge on the other end of the line, it’s better to be safe than to have a potential client hang up because she doesn’t think you’re serious about your business.
- Record a Professional Voicemail Message – For credibility’s sake, it’s better to use a professional voicemail message and risk questions from old friends than it is to use a silly voicemail message and risk losing business from potential clients.
- Consider an Answering Service or Assistant – If you begin to become overwhelmed by phone calls then congratulations! That means your business is really taking off. But if you’re a one-person-show that could also mean that you are becoming overwhelmed performing just one facet of your business – customer service. Consider outsourcing your phone calls to an answering service or assistant. They can prioritize your calls, and even handle small customer service issues.
- Check out Google Voice – Though Google Voice is still in beta, it promises to revolutionize the way small business owners use the telephone. Google Voice allows users to manage many phone lines from one account, screen calls, and send and receive voicemail and texts via email. Perhaps most interestingly for the one-phone freelancer, Google Voice allows you to set up customized voicemail greetings for different contacts. No more will your mother have to sit through your office hours and fax number, and no longer will clients wonder if they dialed the right number. Google Voice is invitation only at the moment, but appears to be opening up to an increasing number of new users. If you don’t know any Google Voice users, you can probably ask politely on one of your social media accounts and snag an invite. If that doesn’t work, simply head over to Google Voice and get on the waiting list.
What do you think?
Have you had to change your telephone habits to accommodate your freelancing or small business?
Tell us about how you've reconciled using your phone for business and for pleasure.