Hello hello hello,
So, I’m sitting in my office, writing a blog post about the power of enthusiasm. Well, that one’s gonna have to wait. I received a phone call from a “blocked caller ID”. Not surprisingly, it was from someone speaking very rapidly about his investment advisory services, then stopped abruptly to ask me what my financial goals were. I calmly told him that I was working with someone, was not interested and suggested that he have a nice day. No kidding – I wish that I had recorded the call. His response “Yeah, you too a$$#*&!” and then hung up. I literally laughed out loud at how someone could go from rapid-fire “selling” to swearing at me in 35 seconds. I’ve been called bad names before, but only by people who know me well. 
I'm not shouting!
Anyway, here’s a six-pack of super easy rules to follow to practice proper phone etiquette.
Rule #1: Don’t text (or read a text) while someone is speaking to you. If you must take a call, apologize to the person you’re physically with first.
Rule #2: When reaching someone you do not know, identify yourself immediately, give a brief purpose of your call (<10 words) and ask if this is a good time to speak for a small, finite period of time, like 2-3 minutes. If the answer is NO, take NO for an answer.
Rule #3: When leaving a voicemail (I love voicemail!), speak clearly and at a moderate pace. State the date and time of your call. Always repeat phone numbers and spell out any names or email addresses. Always state the purpose of your call.
Rule #4: When playing “phone tag”, always push the rock forward by saying something like “I would like to speak with you today if possible. If we don’t connect in the next few hours, I will call you back at 4:15pm. If you fail to reach me, please tell me a good time to connect so that we avoid extended phone tag. Thanks a lot.”
Rule #5: Do not eat or drink while on the phone. You may not be able to hear yourself making eating or drinking noises, but the person on the other end of the line usually can.
Rule #6: Barring an emergency, do not speak on the cell phone while in line at the grocery store or in any public place. No matter how fascinating your life is, it’s rude.
All the best,
Ed
facebook Newsletter Twitter YouTube
By the way, I don’t charge extra for typos. They are my gift to you.
