Adrian Newman’s latest ‘e-Wealth Daily’ article is titled “The Lost Art of the Telephone Conversation”. [Adrian Newman’s Article]

Adrian Newman’s latest ‘e-Wealth Daily’ article:

The Lost Art of the Telephone Conversation

In this high-tech world of e-mail, texting and Twitter, it’s easy to stay in contact with thousands of people with just a few keystrokes and a SEND button. And while I think it’s great for keeping yourself “in the loop,” I feel like all of this voiceless communication might be doing more harm than good.

It wasn’t long ago (at least it doesn’t seem that long ago) that I was considered the “young guy” dealing with business associates who sometimes had 30 years on me.

Now I’m the old guy and I’m dealing with a lot of 20-somethings in some of the business ventures I’m working on and I have to be honest that a lot of them have no idea how to
talk on the telephone.

For example, recently I was setting up a business deal that involved a lot of particulars. The e-mails went back and forth between me and one of the employees of the company I
was doing the deal with.

During the back and forth with e-mail, it seemed like we got our wires crossed. So, I decided to give the employee a call. Here’s how the telephone conversation went (we’ll call the
employee Jane):

Jane: Hello?
Adrian: Hi Jane. It’s Adrian calling. How are you?
Jane: Good.
Adrian: That’s great. I’m just calling because I wanted to clarify our upcoming business deal, as I feel that there might’ve been some confusion in our e-mails. Do you have a minute or two to go over this?
Jane: What?
Adrian: Do you have a minute or two to go over the specifics so that we’re both on the same page?
Jane: I guess.
Adrian: Okay. (I proceed to go into the details and try to get some clarification. All I’m getting back from Jane is one word answers like “okay” or “uh-huh.” So I finally ask the question…) Jane, is this a bad time?
Jane: Yeah. Can you e-mail me and I’ll get back to you tomorrow?
Adrian (in a resigned tone): Sure Jane. I’ll e-mail you shortly. Thanks for your time.
Jane: (hang-up)

Now, because this is a business deal with a really good company and, other than the little hiccup in a couple of our e-mails, I’ve had a really good experience with Jane, I’m not
going to lodge a complaint.

However, it’s important not only to be a communicator with your e-mails, but also be a good communicator on the phone, especially when launching your own business.

A lot of customers want to talk to real people when they have a question. That’s why it’s so important to have good phone manners, like:

— Be courteous and friendly: No matter what kind of mood you’re in, try to keep an upbeat tone in your voice. Even if you’re having the worst day ever, fake it.

— Don’t be afraid to tell someone you’ll call them back. I’ve had people call me while I’ve been in the middle of something and I’ve got no problem telling them that I’ll call them back. In fact, it’s a lot better because I find I get more from the conversation when I’m 100% focused on it and not doing other things. And, of course, I keep that courteous tone.

— Avoid a lot of one-word answers. Some answers are simply “yes” or “no.” However, try to expand on some answers. It shows the other person that you’ve been listening and retaining information and could be the impetus of something important that you may have missed.

— Make sure you “finish” the conversation. I always like to ask something like, “Is there anything else we should go over?” or recap what we discussed. It shows the other party that I
understand everything we’ve talked about and addresses any concerns.

The online world plays such a big part in our day-to-day lives. However, it’s important to remember the etiquette and importance of verbal communication, because it is still an
essential part of the business world.

e-Wealth Daily

About e-Wealth Daily

The e-Wealth Daily Bulletin brings you daily tips, advice and breaking news related to home businesses, small businesses and internet marketing. Our team of experts gives you the information you need to take your business pursuits to the most profitable level. Founded by Adrian Newman in 2003, the e-Wealth Daily Bulletin and www.ewealthdaily.com are a division of Lombardi Publishing with online newsletters reaching over 100,000 subscribers each month.

* IMNewsWatch would like to thank e-Wealth Daily for granting permission to reprint this article.

The Lost Art of the Telephone Conversation

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