Lillian Eichler further clarifies proper business phone etiquette for receiving and making calls in her book "Today's Etiquette", published in 1941 by DoubleDay Doran, in this way: "The busy executive who has his secretary put in calls for him should be on hand to receive the calls as soon as they are made- and not keep other busy people waiting. One should speak clearly and concisely on the telephone...on lifting off the receiver one should say 'Mr. Jones speaking' or 'Advertising Department.' It is extremely important to be pleasant, friendly, and cheerful on the telephone. People who are irritable and impatient do not realize what a bad impression they are making on the person at the other end."
In order to practice business phone etiquette, one must keep in mind to always appear cheerful, willing to help as well as be accurate in all that you say and concise enough so you do not take up any more time of the other person then what is needed.
A great tip to remember, when you are having a bad day, is to always put a big smile on your face before picking up the phone, even if you don't feel like it. Though it might feel ridiculous and seem false, a person's facial expressions do transfer to their voice. Everyone has had one of those experiences with a customer service rep or other member of a company where you can actually "hear" them rolling their eyes or scowling. Also, be conscious of other irritation or lack of interest "giveaways" such as sighing or yawning. These actions may appear involuntarily but with enough practice and making sure to get into the right state of mind before speaking with someone, they can be easily controlled with a small amount of effort on your part.
Also, write down a list of what needs to be accomplished, any questions you may have and any important points that needs to be conveyed during a certain business call before it happens. Try to have any additional information, such as files, in front of you in case they ask for it. If, for some reason, you do not have immediate access to something requested, it is better to schedule a call back then to keep someone on hold for a lengthy period of time. If you have someone else that can look the information up, such as a secretary or an assistant and there are other things that need to be discussed, explain to the caller that you are "having someone finding that out for you right now" and ask if they would like to move on to other areas while they are waiting.
When it comes to proper business phone etiquette the trick is to be professional without seeming indifferent. A fine line sometimes, yes, but like anything else, it will become second nature to someone who consistently practices it.
