Working From Home And The Telephone

When you run your business from home, you need to have a telephone policy in place. People will develop an impression of you and your business from any telephone conversations they have with you.

The first thing you need to decide is whether to have a special line for your business. If you choose not to you will need to make sure everyone answers the phone appropriately. The correct way to answer the phone is with your business name or the name of the person answering. For example you might say, “Good morning, this is John, how can I help you?”

This gives the caller a chance to state their reason for calling. If your son was to answer the call he would then say, “Please hold the line, (caller’s name), while I get Mr. Jones.”

Be sure to ask your family to get the name, company, and if possible a brief reason for the call. I like to get a contact number if possible. That way if the call is lost I can call them back. It is also handy to get a phone number for any other follow up calls. Do not insist on a number however as some people are reluctant to give their number.

When speaking on the phone do not let interruptions from the family disturb your call. It looks very unprofessional to be talking to the children in the background, while trying to talk to a client.

A quiet room is the best solution if you have a cordless phone.

It is also a good idea to have a notepad and pen handy for taking notes, especially names and phone numbers. Remember it is courteous to remember a client’s name. I find it useful to write their name down immediately so I have it right in front of me. Always try to get a contact number to follow up on the call. It always looks better if you can return their call with follow up information as soon as possible.

If you have a separate business line, you would make sure that anyone answering the phone used the company name with his or her own in the greeting. Always get the name of the caller and a return number if they cannot be immediately attended to.

An answering machine is also a good idea. Clients need to be able to contact you at all times and if you are not available, a machine can be the next best alternative. You must check your messages regularly and make sure to follow through with them.

A courteous friendly phone manner can make a good impression on a client. You can appear professional, even when working from home.