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Understanding e-mail etiquette is just part of the equation. In order to conduct yourself professionally in your communications, you also need to develop strong business telephone etiquette. We’ve developed this quick guide to help enhance your professional etiquette by discussing how to speak, how to listen and how to be courteous in your telephone conversations.

The telephone has become one of the most important business and general communication tools. Schools and classrooms across the country continue to focus on written methods while consistently overlooking the importance of verbal communications. As with email, the telephone is often the first meaningful contact that we have with new people, and as such, provides an excellent chance to establish a positive first impression.

Telephone Etiquette
Whether using the telephone to search for career openings or simply to communicate with friends and family, there are several common etiquette rules to consider. Most are simply out of courtesy and respect; others will help you project a sense of professionalism and understanding.

• Speaking: Speak slowly and calmly into the microphone. In order to be understood, speak clearly and do not chew gum or eat while on the phone. To make your voice sound brighter, smile while you talk. Lastly, do not use complicated language or slang unless absolutely warranted by the topic of the conversation. Be friendly, but keep the conversation concise and get to the topic quickly.
• Listening: Always turn off all background noise and distractions from the television or the computer. Listen carefully to what is being said, and try to mentally imagine the other person in order to improve your concentration.
• Courtesy: Do not call anyone before 8am or after 10pm unless it is either an emergency or you have their prior permission. When calling across time zones, be conscious of the difference in time and use an area code or time zone map if necessary. Always ask permission before placing someone on speaker phone. Maintain a calm attitude throughout the conversation, even if the other person has not. End all calls with a polite comment such as “Good Bye” or “Thank You.”

Voicemail Etiquette
In our increasingly busy and complicated lives, it is nearly impossible to answer every phone call received. Voicemail has largely solved this problem in both personal and professional capacities, and as with general telephone etiquette there are several simple rules to remember when communicating through voicemail in a professional manner.

Outgoing Messages: Now that you’ve sent out a few professional email messages with your cover letters, resumes and cellular phone number it is imperative to set up the voicemail system on your phone incase one of them responds while you are unavailable to immediately respond to the call. A professional outgoing voicemail message should be recorded clearly and include several important pieces of information.

1. Your full name and phone number.
2. That you are unavailable to answer the phone at the moment.
3. How to leave an appropriate message. If you have an alternate phone number, a fax number or an email address, include those here as necessary.
4. When you will return the call. Generally, all calls should be returned within 24 hours whenever possible. If you are planning on going out of town on vacation and will not be able to answer calls, update your outgoing message to reflect this. Don’t forget to change it again when you return.

Incoming messages: Establishing a professional outgoing message is important, but the majority of your experience with using voicemail will generally center on leaving effective messages. Many of the previous rules of telephone and outgoing message etiquette also apply here, in addition to a few additional rules.

1. Speak slowly and clearly. Leave your name and phone number at both the beginning and the end of the message. If necessary, include your email address or fax number.
2. Be concise. Do not ramble and limit comments to one or two topics. Keep messages short in order to maintain listener focus and concentration.
3. If you require that a specific action be taken, state it clearly. Do not simply leave a message telling the person to call you back.
4. Avoid playing tag by suggesting that the receiver leave a voicemail with any comments, concerns or questions should you not be able to answer their call.
5. Do not include the date and time when recording your message, most voicemail systems automatically record them.
6. If necessary, write out a script in advance.

Email and voicemail have given us the opportunity to respond to questions and inquiries at our convenience. A mastery of both common means of communication is essential for success in the professional world. As with all skills, effective voicemail communication must be practiced and prepared for. By being cognizant of these simple rules and applying them to future conversations, you will appear more professional, intelligent, prepared and confident and may just find yourself in a great career because of it.

Have any tips or suggestions? Questions? Join the conversation in the comments below!

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