Telecommunication

Telecommunication involves the exchange of information through electrical or electronic means over a
significant distance. It's a universal term which is used for a wide range of information transmitting
technologies.

In this form of communication, data is transferred using carrier waves which are a form of electrical signals.
They are then modulated into digital or analogy signals so that they can successfully transmit the
information. It is also sometimes referred to as telecom.

Telecommunication arrangement is considered to be completed when it is made up of two or more stations.

What Are Telecommunication Skills?

A person's ability to communicate effectively with his colleagues, superiors and staff is very important
regardless of the industry he belongs in. In the digital age that we live in, it’s essential for workers to know
how to successfully convey and receive messages. Not only does this communication happen in face to face
conversations, it also occurs through email, phone and various social media platforms. There are certain
skills a person must possess which are vital for the success of telecommunication.

8 Crucial Soft Skills for Telecommunications Employees.

1. Collaboration

The telecommunications industry is an interdisciplinary field. In order to thrive within the modern telecom
sector, it’s essential for employees to be able to work effectively alongside a variety of other individuals and
departments.

1. Willingness to learn.

The telecom industry is constantly evolving. Each year, new technologies arise that completely transform
the norms and best practices within the industry. For this reason, it’s crucial for telecom workers to be able
to self-educate and quickly absorb new information.

2. Communication.

Effective teamwork starts with effective communication. The strongest teams, in other words, are those that
are comprised of individuals who are able to communicate clearly, directly, and confidently with one
another. This is especially true now that the COVID-19 crisis has forced millions of employers to transition
to a distributed and widespread workforce model.

3. Creativity.

One of the consequences of the steady forward march of technology is that telecommunications employers
are constantly having to wrestle with new and unfamiliar problems. In order to be able to keep up with the
constant changes, telecom employers need professionals who can think outside of the box and occasionally
go against the grain of their industry’s traditional practices.

4. Adaptability.

2020 has been a year of constant change – and we can expect these changes to continue well into 2021, as
well. With that in mind, telecom employers will continue to value job candidates that are able to adapt to a
changing economy, workforce, and technological landscape.

5. Organization.

In any given telecommunications job, it’s easy for an employee to drown in information or work
responsibilities. In light of that, employers in 2021 are going to be on the lookout for candidates who are
able to demonstrate an ability to stay organized – even (and especially) in high-pressure situations.

6. Open-mindedness.

The telecommunications industry is a future-oriented field. More than anything else, telecom employers are
interested in building practical technological infrastructure for the world of tomorrow. Therefore, it’s
essential for telecommunications professionals to maintain an open mind about new ideas, including those
that directly challenge their existing worldview.

7. Empathy.

As history has repeatedly shown, the long-term effects of technology are not always positive. Emergent
technologies, more often than not, have unpredictable and unintended consequences. As we move forward
into an increasingly technologically sophisticated future, it will be more important than ever for
telecommunications employees to use empathy as their primary guiding light. At the same time, it’s
important that job candidates find employers whose deepest stated values align closely with their own. In
this way, it will be much more likely that we’ll be able to collectively build a telecommunications industry –
and a world – that is more inclusive and friendly for all.

The 7 P’s of Call Handling Excellence:

1. Be Prepared
2. Be Present
 3. Be Polite
4. Be Patient
5. Be Personable
6. Be Professional
7. Be Proactive

After 60+ years in business answering phones for our clients, we have come to understand that these are the
essential components to successfully represent any business when answering the phone.

Below is your guide to achieving call handling excellence by using the 7 P's:

1. Be Prepared

With all the other communication alternatives provided to consumers now, such as email, chat, and online
forms, when a person makes the decision to pick up the phone and call your company, they are looking for
an immediate response.

If customer experience is at the top of your agenda, then you need to be prepared to answer your calls by
having an educated staff and making sure that they are giving your callers a consistent call experience by
being conscientious of the number of rings on average it takes for someone to speak with a person in your
establishment.

Need help preparing for business phone calls? Use this training guide to share customer service training tips
for your receptionists.

If you are going to have a business phone line, then you need to be prepared to answer it when it rings. The
industry standard for Dexcomm is 80% of calls answered in three rings or less.

Other industries, say four rings or less, and there are even arguments for six rings or less. To put this
discussion into perspective for you, depending on your phone system, generally 24 seconds will elapse
within a 4- to 5 ring time-frame. For any caller, this can seem like a very long time.

If you know that you or your receptionist is unable to answer calls in a timely manner, consider working
with a 24/7 telephone answering service. A 24/7 phone answering service can handle calls when your
business is overrun with callers, or during afterhours and holidays. They can answer your calls in a
professional manner while you handle business in-house!

2. Be Present

There is nothing like speaking with someone on the phone that you perceive is not present during your call.
We don’t care for it during personal calls—ever had to ask someone if they were talking to you or their dog?
And, we certainly don’t like it on business calls.
What are the tell-tale signs that someone is not present during a call?

They ask why you are calling when you already stated why at the beginning of the call.

They ask you for your name multiple times during the conversation.

In general, they appear to be disengaged from the conversation. Lost in space, if you will.

A study conducted by the American Psychological Association reports that the mind and brain were not
designed for heavy-duty multitasking.

What this means for you is that if you are going to be truly present during a call, you need to disengage from
all other activities and focus on your caller. This highlights the true importance of telephone etiquette! As
we tell our agents—treat every call as your most important call, because in business, they are!

3. Be Polite

Being polite isn’t just about saying “please, excuse me, and thank you.” It is about giving your caller the
same respect and consideration that you would expect someone to give you when you are trying to conduct
business over the phone.

Many people think that answering phones is something that anyone can do. Sure, anyone can pick up a
phone and answer it, but not everyone has the personality or customer service skills to properly handle upset
customers and remain professional on the phone call.

it takes 12 positive experiences to repair the damage caused by a single unresolved negative one.

When we hire phone agents, we look for those individuals who know how tough it can be to serve the
public, but still love to do it anyway. Why? Because these individuals have an innate knack for giving
customers a consistent experience no matter the context of the call. We highly recommend that you look for
the same type of staff to monitor your phones too.

4. Be Patient

Patience requires you to be steady, even-tempered, and avoid provocation.

Impatience is said to occur when we perceive that something is blocking us from attaining a goal. One way
to combat impatience when answering your phone lines is to disconnect mentally from all other projects.

When you hear the phone ring, train your brain to switch priorities to pleasing the caller on the line. This can
help you remain focused on the task at hand. Focusing on the caller will allow you to provide your
customers with a professional phone call.

5. Be Personable
There is no doubt that a disconnect exists while conducting business over the phone. Because of this, being
personable on a call requires you to utilize your communication skills to their fullest. It is important to
remember that every voice that you hear belongs to an actual person. And, that each person can have a very
significant impact on your business, should you fail make a connection with them at some level during your
conversation.

Simple things like using the caller’s name, carefully watching the inflections in your voice, and verbally
checking back with an “mm hmm, ok,” or immediate responses to questions, are a few ways that you can
make a stronger, more personable connection with your caller.

6. Be Professional

Your communication skills play a massive role in your professionalism over the phone. Your tone of voice,
your pitch, the rate at which you speak, your articulation, your pronunciation, and your diction all matter.

We tell our phone agents to smile before answering and when speaking to callers. This may sound silly, but
it actually improves the perception of your clarity to the callers due to physiological reasons—which is why
we will recommend this to you, too.

In addition, if you imagine that a person just stepped in front of you when your phone begins to ring, this
can be a game changer for your interactions with your callers. Would you flail your arms in frustration or
make faces in front of a client? If you want to keep your customers happy, or your business alive—which we
hope that you do—you most certainly would not! You should conduct your calls with the same body
language and actions that you would with a live person.

On top of lowering your professionalism, when you act out with poor body language during a call, it can
affect the way that you project your voice. And, as it turns out, most people are pretty perceptive at reading
your emotions, even when they can’t see you.

Every person that reaches your business should be treated professionally, even if you can’t see them.

7. Be Proactive

One thing that is universal among all callers is their dislike for feelings of uncertainty after a business call
has ended. For example, while we make it a point to get to know as much as we can about our customers’
businesses—it is impossible for us to know everything about all of them.

Because of this, we understand that we will not be able to resolve every call, and we have established
protocols for taking excellent messages with pertinent information, in addition to taking added steps to
proactively assure the caller that we will be moving their call down the pipeline.

While taking an excellent message is a vital component of call handling, a message is meant to assist
internal operations. No matter how good a message is, it will do nothing for your caller’s peace of mind.
This is why at the end of each call, our callers are armed with two things; the agent's name who handled
their call, and where their message is going to go once it leaves our hands. You should never let a call end
without assuring your caller that you are proactively taking steps to help them resolve their issue. This is bad
business telephone etiquette, and will lead to a poor caller experience.

Key Points

When trying to improve your business telephone etiquette:

 It is important that you do everything in your power to avoid impeding the flow of communication.
 Always keep in mind that effective business telephone etiquette requires you to be: prepared, present,
polite, patient, personable, professional, proactive.
 Lapsing on any of the 7 p’s can have a negative impact on your caller experience, which can lead to
a negative impact on your company image, and ultimately negatively affect your bottom line.

WHAT IS TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE?

The way in which someone perceives their first interaction with an individual or an employee is extremely
important. Telephone conversations are a preferred method of business communication because it’s personal
and serves as an opportunity to create a good first impression of the organization.

Phone etiquette is a way for you to showcase your manners and properly represent yourself or your business
to others. Positive interactions create lasting impressions that are instrumental to business success.
Telephone etiquette consists of active listening skills, choice of words and tone of voice.

Here are some telephone etiquette examples that show the difference your telephone manners make:

 We often use a friendly greeting to introduce ourselves or our businesses. We convey enthusiasm
through our words
 We adopt a confident and professional tone when interviewing for jobs

IMPORTANCE OF BASIC TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE

Before we explore ways to improve our telephone manners, let’s look at the importance of proper phone
etiquette:

 It reflects professionalism and appropriate conduct

DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE

ANSWER CALLS QUICKLY

Try to answer your calls after two or three rings. Answering quickly reflects professionalism and makes
your callers feel valued. In case you miss any call(s), return them as soon as possible.

INTRODUCE YOURSELF

Whether you’re reaching out to someone or it’s the other way around, always introduce yourself first.
Introductions and greetings break the ice and the person feels more at ease.

RESONATE POSITIVITY

When you communicate with a positive tone of voice, you’re more likely to build rapport. It’s a good idea to
practice speaking in front of a mirror to fine-tune your tone.

MIRROR YOUR CALLER’S STYLE

You should match the tone and style of your caller. If they want to skip formalities and get to the point, you
get to the point as well. Make them feel comfortable by being on the same page.

LISTEN ACTIVELY

There may be times when there are too many distractions or you’re unable to focus for some reason. Use a
notebook to keep track of conversations and formulate appropriate responses using your notes.

MINIMIZE EMOTIONAL REACTIONS

It’s difficult to manage emotions, especially when someone responds rudely. Find a break in the
conversation and politely excuse yourself for a few minutes. After you’ve composed yourself, get back to
the call and make objective statements to support your argument.

ASK FOR PERMISSION

People feel in control of a conversation when you ask for their permission before taking any action. For
example, ‘may I put you on hold for a moment?’ shows respect and gives control to your caller.

BE CONFIDENT

Confidence is key to any productive interaction. If you struggle to answer anything, use phrases like ‘that’s a
great question’ and ‘I want to make sure I find the right answer for you’. Show that you’re confident in your
ability.
HOW TO MAKE GREAT BUSINESS VOICEMAIL GREETINGS

Voicemail greetings should be professional, but depending on you, the company you’re with or own, and the
situation, the structure may vary. There are a few different considerations to keep in mind when you’re
thinking about and recording your voicemail greeting.

1. Don’t be generic.
Being generic is the best way to turn people off from your business and possibly hang up with phone
without even leaving information for follow up. The phrase “Your call is very important to us…” or
something equally as generic can be a turn-off for many people. Even worse, leaving your voicemail
with the generic voicemail template we all know. Remember, this is your opportunity to make a great
first impression. Don’t tell people you’re just like everyone else.
2. Confirm they’re calling the correct place.
The first thing you should do on your voicemail message is to confirm where the caller has reached.
Let them know who they have reached by providing your name and what business you are part of. If
these things are not relevant to your situation, consider mentioning which department they have
reached instead.
3. Apologize for missing their call.
Next, apologize that you couldn’t answer the phone and reassure the caller that you will return their
call at a later date and time. This is critical because you never know what kind of state a person may
be in when giving you a call. Perhaps they have a very urgent message or were hoping they could
reach you for a quick answer. Offering some reassurance will give them peace of mind and be more
open when you do get around to returning their call.
4. Invite them to leave a message.
Many people might hang up after hearing a voicemail begin. However, it’s essential to encourage
your caller to leave you a message in your voice mailbox. Take this a step further and ask them for
specific information such as their full name and a preferred call back number. This will encourage
them to leave you a voicemail if they hope to receive a call back from you.
5. Give them a timeframe for a return call.
Again, your caller might feel slightly frustrated or inconvenienced at missing you. However, if you
provide them with a turnaround time for when they can expect a call back, this will reassure them
that they will still get the answer they’re seeking promptly. However, be sure you can meet the
timeframe you set and be aware of this if you are considering leaving this in your voicemail message
for some time. For example, saying you can return their call in an hour is likely unrealistic,
especially if you are in a meeting or not near your phone. Typically for these types of timeframes,
you will need to have someone monitoring your inbox regularly. Giving them a day or two
turnaround time is more realistic.
6. List additional contact options.
 If your caller’s message is very urgent, you should consider leaving them with a few other options
for contacting you. For example, if someone is trying to reach you and you’re in a meeting or
attending a personal matter, you can ask them to text or email you to limit the disturbance. Another
option can be to ask them to call back during certain hours when you will be available.
7. Avoid giving out too much information.
When in doubt, keep it short and simple. You don’t need to give your caller a rundown of where you
are and why you may not be available. A simple message that instructs them they will receive a call
back and how they can contact you if it is an emergency will suffice. Too much information can be a
big turnoff and cause people to not want to engage with you further. An optimal time for a voicemail
message is 25 seconds or less.