The meaning of a message is derived from body language (what we do), words (what we say), and tone of voice (how we say it). In telesales, a telesales executive is not in a face-to-face communication, hence body language does not play a dominant role in the conversation and rather, the remaining two characteristics of message delivery of words employed message delivery and the tone of voice used to deliver those selected words are of prime importance in effective conversation.
Body language is absorbed into the tone of voice, as it affects the manner in which sounds is given out by the larynx in our necks like listener can easily perceive whenever speaker is running, smiling or frowning, without any visual contact, as these actions affect the person’s the tone of voice.
The dominant role of the words selection and the tone of voice during a phone call are of prime importance for getting results in telesales.
Using Words
The language used over the telephone must have clarity and accuracy for an effective sales call and communication and involves
- Clarity – Sentences should be short and the language simple and the message content must be structured for ease of grasp.
- Accuracy – The content presented must be consistent and provide sufficient information for fulfillment of message to be conveyed by the telesales executive.
Tone of Voice
The tone of voice is a crucial part of communication over the telephone. It is made of inflection, pitch, pace and volume.
Inflection – It focuses on certain words or syllables, with the purpose of amplifying certain aspects of the message. It can also be used to express agreement or disagreement towards a certain situation. Inflection can change the meaning of words, as it has more effect on the listener than what is being said. For example, a simple affirmation such as “you are an intelligent person” can have different meanings, depending on how it is said as, it can be perceived literally or as an irony.
It helps in transmitting an effective message.
Pitch – It is a property of sound that emphasizes on frequency of the sound. It is relative and depends on a reference tone which is of a known frequency. If the frequency increases, so does the pitch.
In telephone conversations, the reference tone is also relative and it varies according to each person’s individual perception and reference. Generally speaking, sounds become irritating when pitch is too high and unperceivable when the pitch is too low. Pitch should be balanced and avoid either high or low extremes, in order for the message to get through without interference.
Pace – It is the number of words spoken in a given period. Whenever a person is talking too fast or too slow, we are referring to the person’s pace. Experts recommend the use of mirroring to match the pace of the person we are talking to. People with a fast pace get bored if we talk slowly, while persons with a slow pace don’t usually understand someone who is talking too fast.
Loudness – Loudness is a quality of sound which is measured is in correlation with the sound pressure level, and can be measured in decibels. The bigger the number of decibels is, the louder the volume. Since perception of loudness is subjective, it is hard to determine which volume is adequate for a certain listener. We can only approximate, by the way the other person is talking how loud we should talk to make ourselves heard, but not to disturb the other person.
