In business, telephone communication is essential. On the other hand, there are many people who are not good at answering the phone.

In this article, for those who feel that they are not good at answering the phone, I will explain the reasons and tips to overcome it.

I will also introduce the business etiquette that you should acquire at a minimum when working at a company, so please use it.

Reasons why you feel that you are not good at answering the phone

First of all, let’s look at why you feel that you are not good at answering the phone.

If you know the reason, you may find out how to overcome the phone calls you don’t like, so let’s check it out in order.

Conversation itself is not good

People who are not very good at talking to people often feel that they are not good at answering the phone, not just on the phone .

If you get to know the other person better, you will be able to have a conversation, but if you are meeting someone for the first time or working with someone, you will be nervous and unable to speak well.

If you are a student, you may be shy and have no problem getting along, but once you enter the workforce, you can’t say that.

Tips for overcoming

If you are not good at conversation itself, try to actively communicate with people on a regular basis.

You may be nervous at first, but you will get used to talking to people over time. You don’t have to offer the other person a heavy topic, just say something trivial and you’re good to go.

Once you’ve gotten used to talking to someone, try to keep the conversation going by playing catch. It is recommended to use interrogative forms skillfully and talk about things that the other person is likely to be interested in.

Once you get used to face-to-face communication, phone conversations will become smoother.

Also, if there is a person who is good at answering the phone around you, please refer to that person’s conversation, wording, tone and speed of voice.

It’s also effective to find common traits of people who are good at answering phones and imitate them.

Unfamiliar with operating the phone

If you have just joined a company or have never worked as an office worker, it is possible that you are not familiar with the operation of a telephone .

The phone in your office is likely to be a different business phone than your home phone. Business phones have various buttons such as hold button, transfer button, and hook button, and are equipped with a wide variety of functions.

As a result, you may not be able to operate the phone smoothly, you may not be able to concentrate on the conversation, or you may make mistakes in the intermediation.

Overcome method

First, you need to learn how to use your phone perfectly.

Let’s learn the difference between extension and outside lines, how to hold and transfer, how to use the recording function, etc. by checking with senior employees and checking the manual, little by little.

When answering the phone, it is likely that you are in the middle of doing another job, so it is important to practice repeatedly until you can operate it without problems even if you are unconscious .

It’s also a good idea to enlist the help of other employees and do role-playing.

do not have business manners

Work calls must be handled in accordance with business etiquette .

Since there are peculiar expressions that are different from private, there is a high possibility that you will not be able to respond appropriately if you pick up the phone without knowing them.

You may feel uneasy about answering the phone even though you don’t understand business etiquette.

Overcome method

First of all , it is important to acquire proper business etiquette . Please refer to the details below for specific details.

feel pressure to answer on the spot

Many people feel that they are not good at answering questions on the phone because they rush to answer questions on the spot.

Also, unless it is a group call, in most cases you are the only one listening to the other person’s voice, so you may feel pressured that you have to do something about it .

Overcome method

If answering on the spot makes your words awkward or you can’t give an appropriate answer, you can put the phone down.

Of course, in that case, tell the other party that it is difficult to answer immediately, so I will call you back after confirming .

If you feel that you can answer immediately if you ask other employees around you, repeat the other person’s question and confirm it, say, “I understand. I’ll check it, so please wait a little while.” Seek support from senior colleagues and superiors.

Just because it’s a phone call doesn’t mean you have to answer it right away.

Of course, it’s best to be able to respond quickly, but it’s NG to give vague answers or incorrect information . Taking a little more time than that and answering properly will improve the impression from the other party.

Fear of mistakes such as mishearing or missing

Unlike chat tools and e-mail, telephone communication does not leave a history that can be confirmed visually.

Therefore, it is necessary to concentrate on the content of the conversation and be careful not to misheard or miss anything .

It seems that some people are not good at answering the phone because they have to listen to the other person’s words accurately and take notes so that they do not forget the main points of the conversation, so they think about when they make a mistake.

Overcome method

It’s a good idea to repeat the content later to make sure you haven’t misheard or missed anything. Based on the notes summarizing the main points of the talk, repeat and confirm the date, time, place, and main points of the talk.

If the other person points out that you have misheard or missed something when you are repeating, you can apologize immediately and correct the content.

It is also effective to send an email summarizing the contents of the conversation to the other party after the call.

I’m worried about the eyes from the surroundings

If you have to respond to incoming calls on your company’s landline, some people may be worried about the eyes of other employees.

It’s not uncommon for people to become embarrassed and nervous when people around them see them answering the phone, so they feel bad about answering the phone.

If you focus only on the eyes of those around you, you will not be able to concentrate on the customer’s call, and you may miss important information, so you should overcome this as soon as possible.

Overcome method

It’s simple, but when you’re on the phone, focus on the person you’re talking to and don’t worry about your surroundings.

Basically, people who work in a company are doing their own work, so they often don’t care about other people.

For example, when you are answering the phone, which you are not good at, have you ever checked what kind of work the employees around you are doing and who they are talking to?

Once you get used to answering the phone to some extent, you may be able to check a little, but it will be difficult to grasp the details.

In other words, there is a high possibility that the employees around you are not paying much attention to your phone calls, just because you care about the people around you.

If you think like this, you may not care so much about the employees around you.

Business etiquette to keep to a minimum

Finally, I would like to introduce some business manners that you should be aware of when answering the phone.

If you learn business etiquette, you will have confidence in yourself, so please check the contents.

understand how to speak properly

Since telephone communication is a form of communication in which the other person’s face cannot be seen, it is necessary to be more conscious of the appropriate way of speaking than in face-to-face communication.

For example, pay attention to the volume, tone, and speed of your voice.

If your voice is too low, the other party will not be able to hear what you are saying, and if your voice is too loud, the sound will be distorted and difficult to hear, so be careful.

Call yourself Hakihaki

If you receive a work call, say clearly, “Thank you for calling. I’m XX (my name) from XX (company name).”

A clear first sentence can help avoid making a bad impression on the person calling you.

give back as needed

While the other person is talking, look at the timing and strike back.

By saying “yes,” “certainly,” “understood,” etc., you can reassure the other person that they will listen to what you have to say.

However, excessive use of ajichi is strictly prohibited. Be careful not to use too many back-and-forth responses or overshadow what the other person is saying, as this may make the other person feel rushed.

It is important to be conscious of responding at the pace of the other person’s conversation.

Keep pens and notes handy

When you receive a call, you should have a pen and notes ready, as the person on the other end may give you important information .

If you prepare a pen or memo after the ring tone sounds, it will take time, so it is recommended to keep it at hand at all times.

Hang up the phone after the other party hangs up

In business, it is polite to hang up the phone after the called party hangs up.

It is considered rude to hang up the phone immediately after the conversation is over, so please be careful.

summary

I introduced the reasons why people who feel that they are not good at answering phones and how to overcome them.

First of all, let’s firmly understand the tips and business etiquette introduced in this article.

When I work at a company, I get a lot of phone calls every day, so it’s important to overcome my weaknesses while stepping up the number of occasions.

At first, you may be nervous and unable to respond well, but please do not give up.