ANSWERING THE PHONE

Phone answering skills are critical for the success of any business. The telephone is your primary point of contact with your clients.

The way you answer the phone will form your clients’ first impression of the caliber of business that you are.

The following phone answering tips will ensure that your clients know that they are dealing with a winning business!

1. Answer all incoming phone calls before the third ring.
2. When you answer the phone, be warm and enthusiastic. Your voice at the end of the telephone line is sometimes the only impression of LegalSuite that the client will get.
3. When answering the phone, courteously introduce yourself and your company. Say, for instance, "LegalSuite Software, Good Morning, Stacey speaking. How may I help you?" No one should ever have to ask if they've reached such and such a business.
4. Enunciate clearly, keep your voice volume moderate, and speak slowly and clearly when answering the phone, so your caller can understand you easily.
5. Control your language when answering the phone. Don't use slang or jargon. Instead of saying, "OK", or "No problem", for instance, say "Certainly", "Very well", or "All right". If you're a person who uses fillers when you speak, such as "uh huh", "um", or phrases such as "like" or "you know", train yourself carefully not to use these when you speak on the phone.
6. Be positive on the phone, even on a "down" day. For example, rather than saying, "I don't know", say, "Let me find out about that for you."
7. Take telephone messages completely and accurately. If there's something you don't understand or can't spell, such as a person's surname, ask the caller to repeat it or spell it for you. Then make sure the message gets to the intended recipient.
8. Answer all your calls within one business day. Don’t go home, or on lunch before returning all your calls for the day.
9. Always ask the caller if it's all right to put her on hold when answering the phone, and don't leave people on hold. Provide callers on hold with progress reports every 30 to 45 seconds. Offer them choices if possible, such as "That line is still busy. Will you continue to hold or should I have Stacey call you back?"

Source:http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/management/qt/telephonetips.htm?nl=1