“Nature has given men one tongue and two ears, that we may hear twice as much as we speak” ~ Epictetus

Human beings are inherently going to speak over, under, around , and even through others. It’s the sad truth that we must face and deal with in the business setting. Like myself, I’m sure many of you have felt that others were completely ignoring you and therefore insulting you as you tried to make a point. The truth of the matter is that phone-related etiquette can become quite a problem in the business world for yourself and others if not attended to.

Millions of dollars are lost in telephone conversations simply because we do not pay attention to the words we use, the tone we set, and the actions we make. I hope this article on speaker phone etiquette will help you improve your business communications.

Asking Permission To Be Put On Speaker Phone
To put it bluntly, that title pretty much sums up this entire paragraph. If you’re looking to lose a customer and an important account, then gather your associates in the board room and make a call with the speaker phone on. No one wants to pick up the phone and hear heavy breathing, static noise, and a light wind instead of a another person’s voice.

This person will wonder what in the world they did to deserve such a rude phone call. Don’t get me wrong. The speaker phone is a terrific invention and should be used by everyone. However, the speaker phone feature is very impersonal. Calling someone on speaker phone is also unsuspecting. Speaker phone conversations make you feel like you’re at the bottom of a well shouting at the top of your lungs.

Proper speaker phone etiquette requires the person who desires to use the feature to use the handset when making the call. The person should then greet and notify the person on the other end by asking them, “Would it be alright with you if I put you on speakerphone?” The majority of people will not care and accept your request. In addition, when you’re going to pick up the headset let the person on the other end know. Nothing should be a suprise when it comes to proper speaker phone etiquette.

When Someone Does It To You
You could either pretend you don’t mind and watch the clock tick by impatiently or you could play the old man and say “I’m sorry but I really just cannot hear you very well.” Then encourage the person on the other end to pick up the handset ever so cautiously.

Written By: Caffeine Marketing