Telephonic skills

What are phone skills?

Phone skills include effective communication, interpersonal skills and the ability to incorporate
appropriate phone etiquette. Successful phone conversations (such as converting leads to
paying customers) can depend on how well you apply your conversational techniques, how
clearly you speak and how you approach engaging people you speak with. Because phone
conversations can be a part of nearly any business operation, it can be important to develop
these skills to showcase your expertise on your resume, during interviews and in the workplace.

Examples of phone skills

The following skill sets can typically be aspects of effective phone skills:
● Communication skills
● Interpersonal skills
● Organizational skills
● Technical skills
● Attention to detail
● Customer service skills

Communication skills

One of the most important aspects of demonstrating effective phone skills is the ability to
communicate effectively and efficiently. Whether you work in customer service or a leadership
role, effectively communicating by phone can encompass active listening, eliciting conversation
with callers to help solve problems and finding ways to understand the needs of others.

Interpersonal skills

Along with the ability to communicate effectively, phone skills can also depend on your
interpersonal skills. Being able to read a caller's tone of voice, interpret their emotions and adapt
your tone and conversational style to the discussion can be a crucial part of effective phone
skills.

Organizational skills
Making and receiving calls in the workplace may also depend on organizational skills. Taking
notes, relaying messages and gathering and sorting customer information can be a big part of
what it means to be successful in demonstrating your ability to handle large call volumes.

Technical skills

Oftentimes, organizations like call centers and customer service centers may integrate computer
software that automates calling features such as sorting current phone numbers, organizing
cold leads from warm leads and recording calls. Phone skills can include these types of
technical skills, as well as your ability to learn how to navigate call automation software.

Attention to detail

Speaking with customers on the phone can also mean applying attention to detail. The ability to
manage multiple phone calls and keep inbound and outbound phone logs organized is essential
for any job that requires phone skills. Managing call lists, removing derelict phone numbers and
documenting call information can depend on your attention to detail.

Customer service skills

No matter who you speak with during a phone call, you can expect to rely on your customer
service skills. Using a friendly tone, asking the caller questions that help to identify problems or
specific needs and maintaining professional conduct are aspects of quality customer service
that can impact how effectively you connect with people over the phone.

How to improve phone skills

Developing effective phone skills can mean improving different aspects of your communication
skills, conversation techniques and your tone and clarity when speaking. The following steps
outline some approaches you can take to help you improve these skills:
1. Practice with a script.
2. Record your voice.
3. Focus on your tone.
4. Work on clarity.
5. Learn how to use calling software.

1. Practice with a script

One step toward improving your skills is to practice with a script to develop the way you make
and receive calls and initiate conversations. For instance, you might create a script to help you
master your greetings and to prepare important discussion points. You can practice with your
script until you become extremely familiar with it, and then you can add or replace different
phrases or pieces of your script as you further develop your conversational techniques.

2. Make practice calls

Next, you can use your script to make practice calls. You might have a friend or family member
help by calling you so you can practice how you answer calls and greet people on the phone.
You can also practice making and receiving calls by having a friend act as a customer in a
variety of scenarios. For instance, they can play the role of an upset customer so you can
practice how you might handle a similar situation at work.

3. Record your voice

As you practice how you answer calls and greet people on the phone, you might consider
recording yourself to evaluate how you sound during a phone conversation. As you play your
recordings back, listen to your tone, clarity and how you enunciate your words. If the sound of
your voice is unclear or if your voice takes on a monotonous quality, you can take steps to
improve these areas.

4. Develop your tone and clarity

Using your practice recordings, you can take approaches to better develop your tone and the
clarity of your speech. Speaking slowly, enunciating your words and smiling can all affect the
tone of your voice. For instance, smiling during phone conversations affects your speech by
making your tone sound friendly and engaging, while frowning can reflect in your tone and can
make your voice sound unenthusiastic or unapproachable.

5. Learn how to use calling software

If you work in a call center you might consider becoming more familiar with the type of calling
automation software that is used for making and receiving calls. For instance, you might
determine which elements of the software you can improve your efficiency in, like navigating
between large call lists or entering customer information into a database. Proficiency in the
technical aspects of inbound and outbound calling can help you improve your success when
you speak with customers on the phone.

Phone skills in the workplace

You can also use the following tips to help you apply your skills in the workplace:
● Have a coworker observe your calls to help you identify areas for improvement,
determine your greatest strengths during phone calls and to evaluate how you sound.
● You might consider performing weekly or daily self-evaluations using call recordings to
help you identify your most effective techniques as well as the techniques and phone
skills you can further develop.
● Request feedback from both your supervisors and customers you speak with on the
phone to evaluate how successful you are at engaging callers, initiating conversation
and listening actively to the person on the other end.

How to highlight phone skills

It is important to showcase your phone skills when applying to jobs on your resume, in a cover
letter and during job interviews. The following information illustrates how you might highlight
these skills.

On a resume

Use the job description to format your resume and be sure to only include your phone skills that
are relevant to the job. For instance, if you are applying for a customer service role, you might
highlight how your phone skills led to an increase in the conversion rate between leads to sales.
Likewise, you might highlight your abilities to quickly and efficiently direct calls to the appropriate
department. Showing how your skills helped you accomplish an objective or complete tasks can
make your resume stand out to employers.

In a cover letter

Much like your resume, highlighting your skills in a cover letter can mean showing employers
how your skills and expertise can be a benefit to the company you apply to. Match your phone
skills with what the company may need and explain in your letter how you can be the best fit for
fulfilling those needs.

In an interview
During an interview, you might highlight your phone skills by providing specific examples of
accomplishments or meeting specific objectives. For instance, if your friendly tone and effective
listening skills helped you achieve more sales, highlight this in your answers to the interviewer's
questions.