Ah, the telephone. One of the world’s finest inventions and conjured up by a Scot!
While most of the worlds’ ears seem permanently attached to mobiles these days, those embarking on a new career in the call centres sector can sometimes feel a little anxious.
So here are our top tips on how to overcome phone call stage fright.
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Remember your training
No call centre will ever throw you in at the deep end and expect you to successfully answer queries, make sales or liaise with customers without some training.
Regardless of the nature of your call or contact centre, training programmes are designed to ensure operators are confident, well-versed and able to tackle every aspect of a call with ease.
Often scripts are used to ensure consistency and there are plenty of opportunities for practice before you have to talk to a client or customer.
Use your personality
Whether inbound or outbound, talking on the phone with clients can be slightly unnerving. But remember: you’re not a robot!
It’s okay to bring a little of your personality into your conversations. Customers respond well to positive interactions and humour.
This is a great way of building a strong customer relationship and making you feel more relaxed.
Make practice calls
This can be a great way of building confidence on the phone. Call the pizza delivery shop, the hairdresser or even just rope in a trusted friend for role playing.
We feel more relaxed in our comfy home environment – once you get used to making phone calls from here, you’ll feel better prepared to progress in the workplace.
Don’t panic!
The line is dodgy, the person on the other end is tetchy and you can’t quite figure out where this call is going.
Take a few deep breaths, recap the story so far and don’t be afraid to politely ask the customer or client to repeat themselves.
Focus on your mission
Every call centre worker has a specific task – that could be selling, answering queries, gathering information or all of the above.
Regardless of your role, focussing on the mission and a positive outcome on every call will quickly push anxieties away and let you get on with the job.
Whether you’re a telephone pro or a newcomer, we could have the perfect position for you. To check out the latest Call & Contact Centres vacancies dial into s1jobs.