• Whether communicating personally or over the telephone, professional telephone etiquette come in handy when it comes to making the right first impression.
• Your tone of voice, self-confidence, and communication skills – all contribute to making your telephone conversations professional, courteous and able to make an impact.
• Proper etiquette leaves callers with a favorable impression of you, your department, and your company in general. You’ll also find that others treat you with more respect and are willing to go out of their way to aid you if you use the proper etiquette.

Some simple tips to follow while answering your professional calls are:

• When picking up the phone, it is a good custom to identify your company and yourself to the caller.
• If you don’t know the caller; ask his/her name, name of his/her company, his/her designation and the purpose of calling.
• Always embrace with a pleasant tone of voice and be attentive.
• Speak clearly with confidence to avoid misunderstanding or misinterpretation.
• Repeat the key/vital points, if necessary.
• Use appropriate non-verbal communication like proper tone/pitch for modulation of voice.
• Keep a pencil and pad near the phone and jot down the notes during phone conversations.
• Utilize active listening noises such as “yes” or “I see” or “great”.
• Don’t be rude to the caller; be considerate, calm and courteous.
• Be an active and attentive listener, don’t interrupt the conversation.
• Use the hold button when leaving a line so that the caller does not accidentally eavesdrop on conversations being held nearby.
• End the call on a positive note. Let the person know how much you enjoyed speaking with him/her.

Remember, in this comprehensive marketplace, some of the most powerful business relationships have been between people who have never seen each other. A telephonic conversation can make or break deals or relationships.