High-Achieving Women's Blogazine

Proper telephone etiquette is more important than ever in today’s business environment. Proper phone techniques can make or break business deals or  personal relationships.  When talking with people face to face, there are natural and logical times to end a conversation.  On the telephone, however, we don’t have the visual cues that play a major role in how to end a conversation which is why we struggle for a smooth exit over the phone.

So here is what you can do to have a smooth transition.  You want the other party to feel that the conversation has come to a natural conclusion.  Plan ahead and make time for this transition.  It’s important to never hesitate.  Hesitation creates awkwardness and discomfort for both parties. Don’t forget to be professional, pleasant and friendly as you conclude a conversation. 

A great way to end the conversation is to summarize the call and focus on the conclusion by going over key points or steps that must be taken.  Reiterate each person’s responsibilities and always let the other person hang up first.

Also don’t forget to end the call on a positive note by thanking the other person for their time and express an interest in speaking with them again (if appropriate). If not, just let them know you appreciated speaking them and then end the call. A gracious good bye leaves the door open for further communication and in this day of mergers, acquisitions, partnership and joint ventures you never know with who you will be doing business with in the future, so burning any bridges (or telephone lines) would be unwise. Remember, in this global marketplace, some of the most powerful business relationships have been between people who have never seen each other, but because of a positive phone conversation, they have built a lasting professional or business relationship.