Scared of answering the telephone?
Over recent months I’ve talked about a lot of subjects. Most subjects centre around being nervous in the workplace or joining a workplace. I’ve hopefully given you confidence instead of being scared of job interviews, I also hope that I’ve helped in giving you advice about public speaking and if you’re stuck in a job rut then I’ve offered some thoughts on that too.
When newly starting a career no matter what it is you may find yourself in an admin support role. Admin support roles generally consist of post sorting, filing and telephone answering. To some people this may seem like nothing but others could be caught in a trap whereby they fear answering the phone when not knowing who is on the other end of the line.
Some thoughts running through your head when you’re the only one around the phone could be;
- Who is it?
- I don’t know them?
- It may be someone in a management position
- What if I do it wrong
- What do I do if they want to be transferred
- How do I answer the phone?
Usually these questions and concerns all happen at once and in a flurry of panic you may just crack all together and run for the nearest hill or cupboard to hide in.
When you’re young and it’s your first job it can be somewhat intimidating to enter an office environment and have the pressures that you’ve not had before. You’re looked upon as the newest and youngest member of the team, and that’s what most of us forget. The Team.
The team is there to help you out even if you think everyone is quiet and getting on with their work, you will always identify one member of staff at least that you get on with. That someone can be asked to show you the ropes if a management figure has not shown you everything already.
Things you will need to know before breaking the fear of answering the phone are;
- Is there any particular way to answer the phone? Do I say the company name or just mine?
- Do I have to take messages?
- Should I ask who is calling?
- Should I say my own name when answering the telephone.
The easiest way to remember all of this, is to have a little script near you for when you answer the phone. This will help you in the early days when you’re still unsure as to what or who may be calling and for what reason.
Remember that the only thing on the other end of the phone is a person. Smile when you answer the phone and your mood will be felt at the other end. There is nothing wrong with sounding happy on the phone and it adds a certain amount of greatness to your company image for doing so.
Stay calm and take a deep breath, remember it’s not the end of the world. It’s only a phone call after all and don’t forget to ask questions if needed.
