Business Call Etiquette for Entrepreneurs

If you’re starting your own business, you’re probably going to be dealing with a lot of clients and potential partners over the phone. While you might be no stranger to making personal calls, business calls can be more daunting.

It’s for this reason that you should spend a bit of time brushing up on the right way to take calls so that you can be as successful as possible in your new venture. This blog has some top tips that you can apply to just about any call you might receive.

Follow up on missed calls

No matter how diligent you are, you’re bound to miss a call every now and again. What you don’t want to do is assume your potential client will call back, so it’s important that you chase them up yourself.

Make sure you have voicemail turned on so callers can leave a message or any quick questions they have for you. But if a caller hasn’t left a message and you don’t recognize the number, it’s a good idea to find out who called me before ringing them back. There are lots of scammers out there that can steal your money when you call them back, so try to make sure the number you’re dialing is legitimate.

Have a greeting and introduction in mind

The first few moments of a phone call are key to making a good impression and it’s all too easy to get flustered. If you have a greeting and introduction prepared, you’ll sound more professional and immediately offer reassurance to the person calling that they’ve gotten through to the right place. Your greeting doesn’t have to be complicated, it can be something simple like ‘good morning’ followed by your name, role, or business title.

Find a quiet place to talk

While you might be able to hear the person on the other end of the phone ok, the sounds of traffic or voices can make it hard for them to understand you. It’s ok to have a quick chat in a location that’s less than ideal, but if you have a business call that’s been scheduled for a while, try to move somewhere quiet and convenient to talk. This way, both you and your client can feel more comfortable and there will be less chance of any misunderstandings.

Stay professional

When you can’t see the person you’re talking to, it can be tempting to be more casual or start using slang when you speak. But it’s important to keep a professional tone throughout your conversation. Your voice and words are the only things your caller knows about you, so they really need to make the right impression.

It might even help to get dressed in business attire before an important sales call to put yourself in the right frame of mind. With more and more calls moving over to video, there’s no guarantee that your client won’t ask to video chat anyway, so it’s always best to be prepared.

Photo by Mikhail Nilov from Pexels