RISING WOMEN EXPERTS...

Do you have any practical tips on proper business etiquette for phone, fax or email dialect I can share with my staff?    By RWM Experts

Glad you brought this subject up...because we all know that the way you communicate via phone, fax and email is a direct reflection of the professionalism behind your business. Following are a few “habits” you and your staff can adopt that will impress your business affiliates and build your credibility and professionalism:

- Always send a cover letter with a fax. Use this cover letter to formally address the recipient and review the content of the fax. This will ensure the fax gets to where it needs to be and is addressed promptly; especially if the recipient is buried under their own “day to day” at the other end.

- Make it a priority to respond to a direct email message within 24 hours. A simple response stating that you will get back to that person at a later date is better than ignoring the email all together. If you are planning to be away from your email for an extended period of time, take advantage of your “auto responder” option.

- When a sales person calls, take and/or return the call. These inquiries just may be the ticket to setting you above the competition. A good sales person will not contact you unless they feel they have an opportunity to share with you that can benefit your business. Keep an open mind - you never know, they just may have the next “golden key” to elevating your sales or saving you money. And remember, sales people are potential clients too, and as we all know, if you treat a client poorly, they will tell 10 of their friends!

- When returning calls, always leave your name, your company name and your number even if you think the recipient has it. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to figure out who called, or digging around to find someone’s number.

- When making calls, refrain from leaving long-winded voice mail messages - we have all experienced how irritating this is. Your call will probably be returned a lot sooner if you simply leave your name and number and a short message like “we need to connect about ______, call me!”

- If an email, fax or phone message is directed to you, never have a staff member take care of it for you. This will alleviate a lot of wasted “back and forth” effort.

- Final rule of thumb: treat others as you would want to be treated, be courteous and never assume that you are the only person the other party is dealing with that day.

To have your questions answered by an expert, please email us at experts@risingwomen.com