‘First
Impressions’
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First
impressions count. Whether it is in a social or
business contact, this fact remains universal. And
those of us who have been around for a while have
found out that it is a lot more efficient and
effective – and an awful lot less trouble – to
make the right impression in the first place. Yet,
if we are honest with ourselves, we would have to
admit that there are times when we could do better.
It is a constant battle to avoid slip-ups – and
particularly difficult if others are involved.
On
the Telephone
One area where first
impressions really count is on the telephone. The
communication is limited to audio, but, because of
this, it is very concentrated. Do you have a
telephone answering ‘standard’ for yourself (and
others if involved). A consistent way for all staff
to answer the phone gives a very positive message of
consistency to clients – especially important in
these ‘Quality Assurance’ times. If you don’t
already have one, decide on a standard method and be
sure everyone uses it – always. It doesn’t have
to be brilliantly creative – "Good morning,
Brilliant Building Design, Cathy speaking." –
works as well as most. Try to keep it below a dozen
words to be fair to all – and to give it a greater
chance of being used.
Not
just what you say...how you say it
However, this is only
half the battle. We all know that how something is
said is more important than the actual words. Part
of your telephone answering ‘standard’ should be
that the specific words are said in a bright,
welcoming, friendly manner. Now, this is difficult
to maintain on a hectic day with a hundred deadlines
when the phone won’t stop ringing. But, that is
when it’s most important for everyone to accept
that you have to make a special effort because the
client on the phone doesn’t know the situation -
and you only get one chance to make a good first
impression. |
© 2001 Kevin Ryan
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