Telephone Etiquette

With email and instant messaging becoming the standard forms of office communication, many of us forgo using the telephone, and by extension, our telephone manners. But the telephone still plays an important role in business, and just like a face-to-face meeting, telephone conversations are expected to and should follow certain rules of etiquette.

When you are connected with the person, state your purpose and be sure to ask if you are calling at a convenient time. If it is someone you don't know and you need something from them, start by thanking them for taking your call. When calling people on their cell phones, it is always polite to ask if it is a convenient time before proceeding. Know what you are going to say during those first 30 seconds so that you do not appear to be wasting anyone's valuable time.

Other things to avoid include:
• speaking to someone on the phone while also speaking to someone in front of you
• eating or drinking while on the phone
• speaking on your cell phone in an inappropriate place
• discussing subject matter others do not need to overhear

When someone calls the business and an individual is on another line or tied up for a moment or two, it is polite to give the caller the option of holding or leaving a message. When returning messages, be sure to do this in a timely manner as well. Do not wait more than 24 to 48 hours to do this. Nobody likes to be kept waiting.
The message you leave as your outgoing message is another important business tool, and should include the following key things:
• your name
• the organization and/or group you are in
• the current date (this tells them you are checking your messages)
• whether you are in the office or not that day
• when to expect a call back
• whom to contact if the call is urgent

In the end, the phone is still an important part of doing business, and knowing how to employ it properly will only help you in your work environment. Just use common sense about when, where and how you use the phone, and you will surely do the appropriate thing.