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It is important to put the customer's needs ahead of ours. Have you
ever been in a store and you were just about ready to put your things
down on the counter to pay for them and the employee says, "You'll
have to go to another register, I am going on break now". A customer
will remember how attentive you were to their needs when they are
asked to make a referral!

4. Listen attentively. Put everything down when you answer the
phone! Easier said than done, isn't? How many times have you been in
your office answering email, talking on the phone, listening to your
ipod and sipping on a Starbucks? Me too. Shame on us. Customers
don't like to be ignored and by multitasking, we are not focused on the
customer's wants and needs.

Visualize the person, even if you don't know them so that you remind
yourself you are engaged in a two-way conversation. If you still have
trouble listening, start taking notes on what they are saying. Use a
headset if possible, to keep your hands free. By taking notes you can
verify with them as well as yourself, the important points of the
conversation and the action items that needed attention.

5. Outcome. If the phone call has been successful, the first 30 seconds
established a positive perception about you through voice, and tone
and focus. The last 30 seconds will be when the caller finalizes their
opinion about you. You can make that a positive experience by
thanking them for calling, reviewing the problem you were able to
solve and then most importantly, thanking them for their continued
business.

I find myself on airplanes frequently with my speaking schedule.
Recently I have noticed that no matter what airlines I am flying that
the pilot has "air time" with the passengers on each flight. The words
are all about the same. They share the weather in the city we are
headed to, the time we should be arriving, the details about the
lavatories and not to congregate in the aisles, as well as the great flight
attendants, and then they always say something like this, "We know
you have a choice when you travel and we are happy that you have
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