Yes, you will lose customers with poor phone & email manners!

Does this sound familiar: You phone a business, the receptionist or salesperson answers, and proceeds to treat you as though you are wasting her time. She is flippant, abrupt and cold. All you want to do is hang up and call someone who cares. You are irritated; it begins to show in your own voice. Before you know it, you are making a mental note that you will not do business with this company again. You know there are several other businesses that offer the same service or product. Times are tough and this company obviously does not need your money. You move on…

Been there, done that? Of course! There’s no love lost between you and the rude receptionist or salesperson. But what if that employee worked for you? What if you were losing customers and didn’t even know it? What if you actually took the time to train and monitor your company’s telephone manners? Sounds simple? It is! But, yet, too many ignore this main fact: The telephone is the gateway to your business!

So what can you do?

* Develop written procedures for exactly how the phones are to be answered and how customers are to be treated.
* Train every single staff member on the procedures.
* Perform periodic checks to be sure that the procedures are being followed.
* Immediately address poor telephone manners.
* If you don’t know what good telephone manners sound like, ask a consultant who specializes in this area.

And it is not just the telephone anymore – it’s also the email. We communicate so much through email that we often times forget that it can be so impersonal, which can lead to misunderstandings and hurt feelings. Here are few tips to improve your messages:

* Always begin your email by addressing the person by name (i.e. Dear Susan; Hi Jack; Good morning, Bill). When you send an email and leave out the salutation, it automatically appears to be impersonal.

* Use emoticons only as necessary. It can be fun to put a smiley face in your email, but place it strategically and don’t over use it. In some cases, too many emoticons may be perceived as unprofessional.

* Get to the point! Emails are not dissertations. Being too verbose in an email can give the appearance that you are lecturing, losing its vitality and importance. Many prefer email over the phone because it’s quick, so don’t lose your reader by going on and on and on…

* Spellcheck! Need I say more?

* If you have attached a document or picture to the email, be sure to note that in the body of your email. If you don’t, your reader may not notice it and miss an important part of your message.

* Always end your email with a proper closing. It can be formal, such as “Regards, Bill” or less formal for those you know well, such as “Take care, Linda.” Think about it: You wouldn’t just turn and walk away from someone after you finished a conversation, so don’t end an email without say “goodbye.”

One last tip: Be careful what you put in writing! Be sensible, factual, and professional. If you feel the need to vent in an email, go for it, and then put it in your draft email box until later. Too many people hit send before they really think it through, which has lost customers and even jobs!

These tips may sound basic and simple. That’s because they are. But before you dismiss them too quickly, ask yourself if you are really applying them!