Bee Wise

At a Glance
The phone is used extensively as compared to other communication tool in a business scenario. Business phone etiquette can make a significant impact on others perception on you in the business world. The way you sound, the way you act, and the way you treat people are all components of business phone etiquette; as much as they are of conversations, meetings, e-mails and other formal / informal mode of interaction. To ensure you use this critical communication tool effectively, you have to understand how to apply good phone etiquette. There a lot of phone Etiquette that can be followed. In this article we will like to show you how to use the rules to influence others and present yourself in the best possible image.
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Feb-2013

Tip of the week

Know the Recipient

Communication word that everything.

is a means
Content

When you communicate, you express yourself and you create a meaningful connection with someone or even to yourself. It is the expression of ideas, the creation of new ideas, and explosion of creativity and unleashing of emotions.

The broad business phone etiquette categories that will be covered in the article are as follows:
Know Your Contact Communicating Using the C.A.G.E Decision Making Model Cellular Phone Etiquette Tips Etiquette for Texting Etiquette for Speaker Phone

Tone

Effective Use Of Gadget

Know Your Contact

We all call people. More often than not we will either be calling the other person for the first time (new contact) or it will be in continuation to the previous conversation we have had (Known contact). Based on this fact the essence of the conversation will be different. To further this, a few nuances for you:

New Contact (First Time)

Gather background information of the new contact through a mutual contact or by writing an e-mail to seek information Introduce yourself formally (Name, designation and the company you represent. You should also give the background information of your company State the reason for calling Check whether it is a good time for calling? Explain the reason for your call State your points logically and concisely Summarize the call with the help of identified action items

Known Contact
Gather all the documents required for the call to avoid asking the contact to wait Introduce yourself by informing the contact your name and the company name you represent to help them refresh their memory State the reason for calling Inform Approximately how much time will you require for the call State your points logically and concisely Summarize the call with the help of identified action items

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February 2013
Audience (contd) The more you understand about your audience, the better. What do you need to know about your audience before attempting to communicate? It's important to have a good understanding of both its mode of operation and its communication needs. You need be aware of the following elements: Demographics It helps to understand the demographics of your audience. Is it a group of recent college graduates or baby boomers? Are you addressing your peers or management? A younger crowd may prefer a bulleted list rather than a lengthy explanation. Executives may want a formal presentation. Medium or method How is your audience accustomed to receiving information? Do they prefer e-mail, phone messages, and teleconferences? Will they prefer to receive a phone and then a mail to support your conversation?

Communicating Using the C.A.G.E Decision Making Model:

Communication is a skill a person masters over a period of time and an important thing to do is to have a reference. Here we are introducing you to a communication Decision Making Model C.A.G.E Communication etiquette means making decisions about what is appropriate for various situations. The CAGE communication decision-making model can help you analyze what's appropriate for various situations of communication. For Instance: What would you do if you were asked to convey information to senior executives at a sister company in which the culture was radically different? The CAGE model includes three elements: culture, audience, and goal, all of which result in etiquette. You also can think of this model as: culture + audience + goal = etiquette (C + A + G = E). You can use this model to guide your communication etiquette decisions when you're in unfamiliar territory (while talking to our regional colleagues). How do you decide the best way to make that presentation in the uncharted waters at your sister company? Try considering the elements of the CAGE model, as described here.

Style Does your audience typically prefer its information in a form that's formal and compact or a bit casual? Do the people with whom you're communicating need detailed information in a lengthy memo or a chart to which they can refer? Goal The final element of the CAGE model involves determining the goal of your communication. Your goal may be to convey information, provide training, facilitate a discussion, argue a point, or something else. Without a clear understanding of your goal, you can wander off track, which could confuse your audience. By having a clear goal as you address the aim of writing the mail, you'll have a better idea of the appropriate communication etiquette to use. Unfortunately, there isnt an etiquette script for every situation. However, the CAGE decision-making model can help you evaluate a specific circumstance and plan your message accordingly, especially while talking to our customers or colleagues. Most of our calls are for either to provide / take a service, Provide / Seek Information or to have a casual conversation (To maintain relationship / keep in touch with).

Culture The first element of the CAGE model involves evaluating the culture of the organization in which your communication is taking place. What is the culture of the company? Is it formal or informal? Does the company observe a structured hierarchy? What are the company's priorities? Considering culture is an important first step when deciding how to convey your message in an appropriate manner and avoiding communication blunders. For Instance: While you call your colleague in New York, how will you greet your colleague (Hi / Hello / Good Morning) as compared to your colleague from South Africa. Audience The second element of the CAGE model involves evaluating your audience. You can't communicate well unless you understand the needs and expectations of the person or people who will receive your message. At your sister company, what are the communication needs? How are they accustomed to receiving information? Do they prefer brief e-mails or detailed documentation?

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Bee Wise

February 2013

Communicating Using the C.A.G.E Decision Making Model

Based on the purpose of the call your behavior should change /differ as mentioned in the table below: All the word / statement in bold-italics refer to the C.A.G.E model discusses earlier

Provide Service / Information

Seek Service / Information

Casual Conversation

\Provide end-to-end information which State in points all the information / Maintain a friendly tone throughout the will answer all the queries of the other help you require - Goal call. person - Audience Pre-empt the possible questions that Practice active listening while receiving Use open-ended question which will can be asked, so that you can prepare information from the other person. help the conversation to flow - Goal yourself to answer them. Audience Before you end the call, ensure he/she Ask questions if any further clarification Stay away from questions that are too has understood all that was discussed. is required. - Goal personal. - Culture Goal Before ending the call ask questions like: Do you want me to clarify Summarize the call with anything? / Is there anything else I can information received. - Goal assist you with? Goal

all

the Use humour to make the conversation fun - Culture

Cellular Phone Etiquette Tips

The use of mobile/cell phones has increased drastically during the last decade, making it the most important means of communication. Below mentioned are some etiquette tips: 1. Silence is golden: Ringtones seems to be all the rage right now. Most people like to have the ringtone from a popular song. While this may be "cool", it is not very cool when this song goes off in a business meeting, the movie theater, or even in a temple / church. Cell phones have a silent, or vibrate mode. This is a great way to still be aware of incoming calls/texts without disrupting other people. 2. Choosing the right caller-tune: Caller tunes have is the popular thing. A lot of business professionals choose callertunes which are snazzy which does not create the appropriate impression. Since caller-tunes mark the beginning of the phone call it is advised to have caller-tune which sounds professional (eg: the TATA AIG caller-tune) or you may chose to not have a caller-tune 3. Let the phone do the work: There is this magical mystery that occurs when people are on their cell phone. In cases where the person on their cell phone is having a hard time hearing the other person, they feel the need to yell back in order to be heard. You don't need to do this. Most cell phones have a modulator that picks up soft voices to make them sound louder. In fact, you could even talk in a quiet, subdued voice and the other person would be able to hear you. You don't need to be loud...let the phone do it. That is appropriate cellular phone etiquette. 4. Respect the person that you are with: Now-a-days it is popular to see people out on social events or on a meeting use their cell phones at will to either text or to take calls. This makes the person you are with feel unimportant and neglected If you are with someone, especially in an important meeting, keep the phone away. Spend the time to make your colleagues feel important.

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Etiquette for Texting

February 2013
Etiquette for Speaker Phone
The popularity of using speaker phone to connect to colleagues who are geographically spread out has gained popularity. Thus, to harness the power of this technology we need to understand some basic etiquette to be followed. 1) Announce to everyone who is participating on the call. 2) Make sure to not get distracted doing something else at the same time 3) On a business call when people are not familiar with each others voices, it is important to let them know who is speaking Eg: This is Ram speaking. I would to like inform you all the decision that the board members have taken this afternoon is 4) When you are not talking remember to put your phone on mute avoid disturbance on the call.

Texting etiquette is a need that is growing and growing. Text messaging has become more popular and it continues to grow in popularity. With that growth, a new area of etiquette has emerged and that is texting manners. Texting in front of others: When you are in a business avoid using your phone either to talk or text a message as it is considered to be rude. If it is urgent for you to send a message, inform the other person that it is important for you to text and it will take 2 minutes. Do not use slang language: There is no reason to make the person receiving your text to spend an hour deciphering what the message means? The more you use slangs and abbreviations, the more difficult it will be to communicate with people. Thus, avoid using slang and abbreviations with communicating with your colleagues. Watch your tone: With any kind of written communication, the person receiving the message could misinterpret the tone of.

Tip for a Business Call in Public Place

Name Convention: While sending a text message remember to mention your name either in the beginning or at the end of the text message. This will avoid any kind of ambiguity in case the receiver does not have your number stored. Business Cards: While saving numbers on your phone remember to save the number as First name and last name, if required you can also save the company name. This will facilitate you to be professional while sending business cards to others.

Tip for Tone Modulation

Keep business private Many personal and business conversations contain information that should remain confidential or private. Don't Shout If the background noise is disturbing, go to a quieter place. If the problem is a bad connection, talking louder will not help so just end the call and try again from a place where the reception is better. Before using a mobile phone in a public location to discuss private business or issues, make sure that there will be enough distance to keep the content private. Some stories, some issues and some conflicts should be saved for times and locations that will allow for confidentiality.

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