5 Great Tips for Better Networking

Networking is one of the most important things a business professional can do. The more people you know the better, especially in your field of work. It is guaranteed to help you find new job opportunities faster.

Here are a couple tips that may help you get better results when you do it.

1. Go. The biggest step is actually going to the event. It may be on a Saturday when you would rather be at the beach but just think of it as a work commitment. That way you will not overlook it and not show up.

2. Technology is your friend. Find out who is hosting the event and why. They may have a Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter account that you can follow. If the event you're going to has electronic registration, they most likely will have a list of the people attending. Take a minute to glance over it and see if you recognize any familiar names.

3. Listen. A good way to get a conversation going with someone you don't know is to listen to the person you are speaking to as it will naturally lead you into having something else to ask them. When you are interested in what people are saying they will notice and appreciate your interest.

4. Have your business card. I know I just said that everyone has technology and LinkedIn but for a professional event your still want to have your card on hand so you don't come off ill-prepared or seem unemployed.

5. Follow-up promptly on any new opportunities. If you happen to meet someone that can lead you to a new client or business venture, you should always try to send them a message by email or LinkedIn within 24 hours. It will set you apart from others and they will see that you are really interested.

Hope you find this list helpful. Don't forget to visit our website at www.datavo.com

5 Great Tips for Networking

Networking is key to survival. It will help you find a job faster, find quality recruits for your business and stay up to date with business trends and changes sooner. But, networking is not always fun and most people would rather stay home and clean their gutters than attend a professional networking event.

Here are a few tips that we came up with here at Datavo to help make the event less stressful.

1. Go. If you go, you  will never gain anything. If you put it on your schedule, make the effort and get to the event. Think of it as a work commitment (which, it actually is.)

2. Be Informed. Take a second to research who is throwing the event and why. This will give you some insight on what you might expect at the event and leave less chance for surprises.

3. Make Sure You Have Business Cards. Most people these days are on LinkedIn. Some people feel that  this can supersede the paper tradition of the business card. Except, that’s not the truth. At a professional event, you always want to take business cards. Otherwise, it could look like you are unemployed or ill-prepared.

4. Listen More Than You Talk. The more you listen to someone the more you become interested in what they are saying and it should lead you to more questions about the subject. People appreciate when you pay attention to them when they are speaking.

5. Follow-Up Swiftly with Potential Possibilities. If you meet someone that you think may be a lead to a potential job or client or just hit it off with someone you want as part of your professional network don't just chalk it up to chance. Send them a note through LinkedIn, Facebook or email. It will set you apart from the crowd.

If you have any tips, feel free to leave them in the comments.

5 Steps for Being a Better Customer Service Representative

The lifeblood of a company is its customers. Without them you would not and could not stay in business. By making sure that you are satisfying your customers needs and keeping them happy, they will not only help you to grow but most likely recommend you to friends and associates. The best way to get new customers is by word of mouth from a trusted source. What this means is that the customer service department is one of the most important positions in the company, especially in a call center as they represent the outward voice of the company to the customer.

Datavo has come up with 5 easy steps to provide better customer service:

1. Make sure to always keep your cool when a customer is upset. They are usually not specifically mad at you but the situation that happened, so do not take things personally. To them at that moment, you are the company not an individual.

2. Let the customer vent. Most likely once they have gotten their anger out they can be reasoned with, especially if your come across as empathetic to their needs.

3. Keep a friendly tone of voice. People can tell when you are upset or happy by the inflection in your voice. If a customer feels you are angry or annoyed it can escalate a situation that would have never happened if the same sentence was say with a smile.

4. Always take the high ground. Never argue with the customer. Always try to diffuse the situation instead of escalating it. For example, if a customer is so irate you cannot help them, you can say "I am so sorry that you are upset, sir/ma'am. I am not able to help you when I cannot understand you. It maybe best if we end this conversation now. When you calm down, give me a call back and I will be more than happy to help you with your issue."

5. Be empathetic and show your human side. Gently let them know you understand their frustration but you need to calm down so that you are able to better understand what their problem is.

We are all human and situations can escalate quickly when we feel like someone is attacking us. Using patience and understanding is much more difficult than just firing back a retaliation. But it is essential that a call center representative do just that. Doing these things will help to resolve your customers problems efficiently and effectively while at the same time promoting your company's reputation.

11 Ways to Avoid the Flu at Work

Here at Datavo, we've been watching the news and flu season is in full effect with one of the worse outbreaks in recent history. Some states have called in a state of emergency due to number of people affected by the virus.

Here are some ways that you can avoid getting the flu at work.

• Get a flu vaccination.

• Always cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing.

• Wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water is not available especially after sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose.

• Keep your hands away from your face especially your nose, eyes and mouth as this is how germs spread easily.

• Make sure to keep commonly touched surfaces sanitized, such as doorknobs, telephones, keyboards, etc.

• Do not use your coworkers phones, offices, desks or other work tools unless necessary. If you must make sure to clean it first.

• If you are sick with flu-like symptoms do not go to work, stay home. Symptoms include cough, sore throat, fever, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, chills, and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting. 

• Make sure to maintain a healthy lifestyle through exercise, diet and rest.

• Do not share drinks or personal items.

• Stay hydrated. Make sure to drink plenty of water. 

• Take vitamins, especially vitamin C or zinc.

11 Flagrant Sales Mistakes to Avoid

Most people are in sales, whether it’s really part of their job title or description  Even if you don’t sell services or products, marketing yourself and ideas is a must.

Avoiding these kinds of errors will help you increase sales as well as open additional doorways.

1. Not Knowing Your Product

You must learn the product your are selling inside and out. People will not want to purchase anything you are selling if you are not able to answer the questions they have about it. 

2. Not Listening and Assuming

Make sure you are listening to the customer when they are talking, so that you will understand their wants and be able to supply the product that will fit their needs. Your sales will come much easier by just taking a minute and understanding what the customer is saying.

3. Forgetting to Turn Off Your Mobile Devices

It is best practice to give your potential customers your undivided attention. Your phone going off constantly will cause a distraction and make the customer feel like you are not their main concern.

4. Having a Bad Attitude

No one wants to buy anything for a Debbie Downer or a person that acts like you are hasseling them when you make a request. 

5. Having Poor Communications Skills

Make sure when you are speaking to a potential client you use eye contact, don't mumble or use one word answers. It puts people off.

6. Poor Personal Presentation

Image and first impressions are important to a lot of people especially in the sales world. Make sure your clothes are clean and ironed, your hair is combed, and you smell nice.

7. Breaking Commitments/ Not Following Up

If you promise to do something for a potential client such as calling them back at a certain time, make sure you do it. 

8. Not Being Present

Make sure that you are fully alert and your mind is not elsewhere.

9. Focusing on Price

Having competitive pricing is important in the long run. But using only this as a ploy means nothing if your competitor undercuts you. 

10. Not Closing the Sale

It is very important to have a good rapport and personable relationship with potential clients. You must not let this stop you from why you came to them in the first place. Make sure you are clear that they have agreed to proceed.

11. Not Asking for a Referral

Word of mouth is the best advertising, its free and it comes with from a trusted source. Make sure to ask each of your clients for at least three people that could also benefit from what you have to offer them.

Datavo loves to hear what you think, feel free to leave any sales mistakes you know of in the comments.

7 Essential Tips for Giving Constructive Criticism

Criticism is one of the things that people tend to give freely without your request. It usually comes as overbearing with the feeling that the person thinks they can perform the task better than you. Some criticism can be helpful while most is hurtful and annoying to the person on the receiving end. Learning to provide constructive criticism is an art that takes patience and remembering to remain positive while providing your opinion. 

Here are seven essential tips to help you out:

1. Be Honest and Unbiased

When you give criticism it is a reflection of your feelings and not the person being criticized. If you hold some resentment or anger toward the person, you most certainly should not be the person to try to offer them advice as it may come off rude and make the person miss your point because they were offended.

2. Begin and Finish with a Compliment

To make sure that the person does not feel attacked, find a good attribute the person has and lead with that. Once you have given the criticism, ending your conversation this way will again make the person take in what you said and not feel like a failure or that you are mad.

3. Keep Your Voice Tone Light

The tone of your voice communicates just as much as the actual words that come from your mouth. Keeping edge and anger out of your voice makes people take in what you say faster and easier.

4. Be Specific

Since criticism gives people a negative feeling, you need to be specific and explain exactly what your problem with an issue is. Using generalizations is not helpful and make it seem like you are only complaining instead being helpful.

5. Provide a Solution

If you follow step four and are specific with your criticism, add a solution at the end of how the person can make improvements the next time. This shows the recipient that it is not your intent to demean them, as you are providing positive helpful feedback.

6. Do Not Attack

Giving feedback is not about attacking or insulting a person on a personal level. It is about explaining how you think they can be better at a certain task. Being sarcastic or throwing insults is not helpful and has no place in constructive criticism.

7. Move Forward

Once you have given the criticism, move on and let it go. Do not dwell on the situation as it is a waste of time and will only cause negative feelings.

Criticism can be a good thing if given in the correct way. It is very had to hear at times but can make you grow as a person.

Datavo loves your feedback, feel free to leave any tips you may have for constructive criticism in the comments. 

6 Google Chrome Apps to Help Your Productivity

Google Chrome is one of those things that amazes people once they find out how much functionality it really has.

My favorite part about it is the apps. There are so many available in the web store and most are free. No matter what you need to do, most likely you can find an app that can help you with it. Today, I want to review six of the ones that will help most with your productivity during the day.

1. Hootsuite - This app allows you to control all of your social media in one simple dashboard. It also allows you to track traffic, schedule messages and monitor conversations using the app.

2. Awesome Screenshot - With this app you can grab a still from any page you are searching in your browser. It is easy to use and is more transferable than notes or copy & paste. (I used this app for the screenshots in this blog)

3. Large Document - This app allows you to share large documents over 10mb that would usually bounce back to you due to size. It is much simpler than any of the external sharing sites such as Dropbox or YouSendIt. It actually converts your file to a url so there is not login info required.

4. Stay Focused - If you are an Internet browsing addict this app is for you. It allows you to set times for certain websites so that you do not spend too much time browsing. You can put a cap on the sites you select so you can limit the amount of time you waste during the day.

5. Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer - This allows you to view any PDF or PowerPoint file by just clicking on the link. No need to download large files or launch any other applications to view them.

6. Google Calendar Checker - This apps shows a countdown until your next engagement on our calendar. It is easy to use and you can link any of your calendars together so that you are never late or miss a meeting.

Feel free to leave any apps that you may know of in the comments.

5 Tasks for Business Owners to Do Before Going on Vacation

When you think about going on vacation, for most it means relaxing and sightseeing. For most small business owners it can mean stressing that things are being done instead of having fun or taking their laptop and working while lounging on the beach or by the pool. There are some small business owners that don't go on vacation at all.

Datavo knows that stress can cause a vacation to be ruined so we came up with a short list of items you should take care of before you leave so that you can have a relaxing and refreshing time.

• Make a list of your tasks. At least a two weeks prior to your vacation go through all of your responsibilities. Determine which tasks must be delegated and which can await your return. Do things such as paying bills or invoicing customers early so that you are not worried while you are away. Make sure to update your list the day before you leave and mark off all completed tasks. 

• Make a schedule for checking in. To stop yourself from working all day and your staff from calling you with issues every second, set up specific times you are available and which circumstances you need to be contacted for. It may also help to only give one of your staff members your contact number and make them the designated point person while you are out.

• Be specific and clear with your employees. Keep your employees in the loop. Have a meeting with them at least a week prior to your departure and let them know what you expect from them while you are gone. Go over any projects or assignments and assign who will be in charge of your responsibilities while you are gone. The day before you leave have another short meeting reviewing everything and confirm that your staff has everything it needs. 

• Use your phone system's features. Most phone systems have features that allow you to optimize your customer service. Make sure you set your voicemail greeting to out of the office and set up any forwarding features so that your calls can route to you properly. 

• Let your customers know you are leaving and who they can contact. Start letting your customers know that you will be going out of town a few weeks prior to your departure date. Set up an automated email response for any received emails that lets people know you're out of the office, what day you will return and who they can contact in the interim.

Now that you have all of that taken care of try to enjoy your vacation. Have faith that your employees will take care of everything and keep you in the loop if anything arises that needs your immediate attention.  Taking a vacation should leave you refreshed and revitalized, making you more productive in the long run. 

10 Tips for Better Organizing Your Workspace

Is your desk or office cluttered? Do you have a hard time finding things when you need them? Here at Datavo, we know how important it is to keep your work space organized so that you can maximize your efficiency and become a more productive employee. 

Organizing your office does not have to be a daunting task, it can be done efficiently and in little time. Once your space is organized it can be maintained with minimal upkeep. To get started, just follow these simple tips. 

1. De-clutter. Go through everything in your office and get rid of anything that you do not use. This goes for equipment, furniture, supplies, files, decorations, etc. 

2. Put everything in its place. Go around your office and collect things that are out of place and put them where they go.

3. Keep things you need close. Make sure that things you use frequently are easily accessible and within arms reach. Things that you use less can be put away or in storage.

4. Clear & organize your desk. Remove everything from your desk, only keep items that you must use everyday. Use desktop organizers such as paper trays and paper clip holders to keep things in place.

5. Organize your drawers. Keep like items together. Sticky pads with notepads, stamps with envelopes, etc. Make a separate drawer for your own personal items. 

6. Seperate your inboxes. If you work directly with many people, create a tray, folder or inbox for each.

7. Don't accumulate piles. Once you are fully organized you will hopefully stop having piles of paper sitting around. Go through your existing ones and either file them away or toss them.

8. Read, Sort, Shread. Read all mail the same day it is received; decide whether you will need to act on it, file it, delegate or shread it.

9. Clean your desk. Before you leave each day, do quick clean up of you desk. Put everything back in its place so that you have a clean start each and every day. 

10. File at least once a week. When you let your filing pile up it can become daunting. By setting a specific  time aside each week, it will ensure you stay on top of it. 

Feel free to leave any tips in the comments you think we may have left out. 

10 Tips for Great Customer Service

Your Customer Service department is the front line for your company. They are the image that your customers see and hear. Datavo put together a list of 10 tips that every customer service department can use to be better and keep their customers loyal.

1. Smile and Posture. Always make sure to sit up and smile when taking any calls.

2. Stay Confident. The person that is the most certainty leads the conversation. Make sure you give off the feeling that everything will be okay and you are in control.

3. Be Authentic. If you have a script that you read, make sure to not sound like you are reading. Make sure you are listening and responding properly.

4. Listen and Repeat. Make sure to confirm what the customer has told you so that you are sure you clearly understand their needs. This will also make the customer more confident in your ability to handle their problem.

5. Be Gracious. Always thank your customers for calling, especially if they have a complaint. You may be able to fix the problem and gain their loyalty.

6. Stay Honest. If you do not know something, don't lie. Tell them you are not sure but you will be following up on it and will have an answer for them shortly. Make sure to follow through and provide them with the answer. 

7. Train Properly. Make sure all of your employees that have customer interactions have basic communication skills.

8. Put in Extra Effort. Customers will appreciate and be loyal to you if they feel you have gone above and beyond what the expected.

9. Own the Call. When it is possible try not to transfer the customer to anyone else, people don't like having to repeat what they have just went over with you. 

10. Apologize, Fix It and Move On. Make sure to always apologize when something goes wrong then fix it. Customers tend to remain loyal and be forgiving when you are able to fix their problems quickly.

Feel free to leave any tips in the comments that we may have left out. 

20 Great Motivational Quotes to Start Your Day

Do you find yourself needing motivation? Datavo has collected a few motivational quotes to get the fire inside you burning so that you can be great. 

Leonardo da Vinci

• “Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else.” - Leonardo da Vinci

• "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." - T.S. Eliot

• “It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.” - Mark Twain

• "I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.' " - Muhammad Ali

• “A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.” - Richard Branson

• “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” - André Gide

• “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” - Winston Churchill

Albert Einstein

• “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” - Albert Einstein

• “We should not teach children the sciences; but give them a taste for them.” - Jean Jacques Rousseau 

• “It matters not the number of years in your life. It is the life in your years.” - Abraham Lincoln 

• “Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself.” - Cicero

• “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” - Michael Jordan 

• “No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess” - Newton 

• “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” - Albert Einstein 

Nelson Mandela

• “One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.” - E. M. Forster 

• “When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat.” - Nelson Mandela

• “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison

• “When you innovate, you’ve got to be prepared for everyone telling you you’re nuts.” -Larry Ellison 

• “All that counts in life is intention.” - Andrea Bocell

• “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” - Emerson

Feel free to leave any quotes you think we left out in the comments.

10 Ways to Think Like a Successful Business Owner

Everyone wants to be successful in business but not everyone knows how. A lot of it comes from the way that you handle situations when they arise. 

With Datavo's ten tips, you will be able to deal with issues as they come along and focus on the positives. Five of our tips focus on what you need to do internally, while the other five focus on your outward success.

Changing your thinking on the follow five things within yourself will start you on the road to success. 

• Always Admit Your Mistakes. Things happen, people make mistakes, have bad days, and don't always make the best decisions. Being able to acknowledge when you have done something wrong  without becoming defensive or offensive, makes it easier to fix the issue and move on.

• Perfection Doesn't Exist. Try not to focus on being perfect. Things rarely are and by focusing on  doing the best work you possibly can, instead of the minuscule details, your strive for success and happiness will be found much sooner.

• Don't Hold Grudges. Things or people at work can sometimes make you upset. Staying mad at yourself or someone else does not fix the problem and can create an uncomfortable work environment. If you have an issue fix it and move forward. Try to forgive and forget.

• Stay Positive. Positivity breeds creativity and success. Negativity can suck the air out of everything. If you try to always look at situations as the glass half full it will make your road to success a lot less bumpy.

• Don't Jump to Conclusions. Don't decide that something has failed or been successful without the proper back up. Make sure you analyze and research your facts before thinking in conclusive terms. 

You also have to change your thinking on how you deal with others in the outside world. Following these five steps will help you get there.

• Always Admit Your Mistakes. As with yourself, you need to be able to admit when you have made a mistake to others so that you can move forward. Don't try to blame your mistakes on others it will make people dislike and distrust you.

• Be Loyal. Always show loyalty to your customers, even if you think they may be looking for a different service. If you show them you are dedicated and want to go the extra mile you most likely will be able to change their minds and retain their loyalty.

• Think Long Term. Make sure to approach all of your clients or customers with an attitude that you want to supply your particular service to them always. You want to have clients for life.

• Make Definitive Decisions. People in charge have to make decisions to keep their work force confident in them and the business moving successfully. If you make a mistake, own it and move on. But first you have to be willing to take the leap to move forward in your success.

• Improve and Move Forward. Nothing is perfect (like we mentioned above). You can always do something to make something better or run smoother. Take suggestions from employees and keep an open mind. With this approach to business your success will hit the roof. 

Feel free to tell us how you have been successful in the comments. 

Top 5 Tips for Successful Sales Agents

Your sales success can be the result of superb marketing or excellent selling finesse. With the majority of things in business, the more information you know the higher you can reach on the sales ladder. Datavo has put together a list of five tips to help you along your way.

1. Listen. Always let your prospective clients state their needs before you attempt to sale them anything. By finding out that their needs you are better situated to understand and meet the requirements they are requesting. Also, people like to feel like they are being heard so it will help you gain their trust and approval.

2. Set the Stage for Good Rapport. First impressions can be a deal breaker and is not always based on only words. People judge you by your appearance, manners, demeanor, and even your sense of humor. Make sure you always come across as warm and accessible. People are more willing to purchase something from someone that they like.

3. Be Adaptable. Each of your buyer has a different set of priorities and reason for their purchases, so you should always be prepared to adapt your sales pitch according to the immediate needs of your current client. Some people are purchasing a necessity, some opportunity, and others just because. Being able to decipher what type of buyer you have on your hands and adapting your script to fit them will ultimately lead you to more sales.

4. Be Convincing. A good sales agent does not take NO for an answer. Using the following moves to sway your customers can inevitably lead to more closed sales. Always have a product that is relevant and of good quality. Make sure you are pitching your product at the right time and for the right price. Always be easy to deal with. Believe in the product you sell so that you come off as sincere and convincing.

5. Do Not Buy Your Sales. Customers always want to feel like they are getting the best deal possible so it it necessary to sometimes give them a bit of leeway to help negotiations such as free voicemail, extra features etc. Try to only do this when necessary, as cutting prices is not a good long time strategy and does not help. You must always remember that you are in this field to make money and neither you or the business will survive for very long without making a realistic profit.

Please feel free to add any tips to the comments that I may have left off.

9 Tips to Effective Time Management

TIME MANAGEMENT... can be a scary word for some people. It's a skill that no one teaches you in a class but something you really need to learn.

Are you habitually late or extremely punctual? Are you able to effectively complete your work on time? Do you manage your time efficiently? Can your boss count on you to meet your deadlines?

Datavo knows a lot of you answered no to some of these questions, so I put a short list of tips together to help you manage your time a little easier.

1. Keep a calendar. Using a calendar is the most essential step to time management. I like to use Google Calendar as it allows integration with my mobile phone and other devices so that I can always access my calendar on the go.

2. Create a daily agenda. Your day will run smoother if it is planned. You can do this at the end of each work day or in the morning before you start any of your tasks. Make a list and try to stick to it. 

3. Always complete your most important tasks first.  Prioritize your tasks on your agenda by importance because things come up and you can't always get everything done. If you will feel less anxious at the end of the day if you know you got your priorities taken care of.

4. Place a time limit for each daily task.  Next to each task on your list right a time limit for how long it will take or what time of the day you would like to be finished. This will keep your day running smoother and keep you from dragging your feet as you complete your work. 

5. Meet your deadlines.  Always make sure you know and meet all of your deadlines. Make sure to add them to your calendar and so you are always aware of when they are due. 

6. Keep focused.  Multi-tasking is only good for some people. Most people get things done faster by focusing on one thing at a time. Keeping to the task at hand will make you more efficient. Try to block out any distractions such as your phone ringing, emails, and text messages so that you can concentrate. 

7. Set a schedule to check your email.  It can be time consuming to check your email every time you receive one. Don't take more than a day to answer anything, but you don't drop everything you're doing immediately. 

8. Leave a few minutes in between tasks.  Don't schedule your tasks too closely together. Make sure to leave 5-10 minutes between each task just in case you run over. This will help you start your next task without being rushed.

9. Clear off your desk and make your work area clean.  Having a work space that is cluttered and unorganized can clutter you mind and make you work at a slower pace. Also it makes things difficult to find which will also add more time to your day.

If you have any other tips that may help people, feel free to leave them in the comments section!

10 Tips for Proper Business Telephone Etiquette

First impressions are said to be what people remember you by. This can be said about phone calls as well. Since callers are not able to see you face to face, they use your telephone speaking voice to form certain judgments and opinions about you. Not only do they hear what you are saying they judge the tone of how you are saying it too. To ensure people always have a great impression of you, Datavo has put together some tips to make your telephone speaking voice a winner.

1. Greet Clients Professionally - Always make sure to answer all calls professionally with a short greeting. Make sure to practice the greeting before answering the phone so that you make sure you sound clear and professional.

2. Answer Phone By Fourth Ring - Whether you are in the office or out, make sure you or your voicemail picks up by the fourth ring. It is very unprofessional for you line to just ring and ring.

3. Speak Clearly - Remember people are not able to see you and watch you lips as you talk when on the phone. Make sure that you enunciate properly while keeping a positive professional tone.

4. Be Prepared - Always have paper and pen ready to write down any information you need to remember about the call. Also, write down the person the name of the person whom you are speaking so that you can remember it and use it during the conversation. It makes the caller feel like you are listening.

5. No Eating or Drinking - Eating and drinking while on the phone with someone sounds very unprofessional. Only eat and drink when not making any calls, preferably on your break.

6. Stay Focused - Always pay attention to what you client is telling you. Don't let outside distractions get in your way. If someone approaches you while you are on the phone politely wave them away until you are finished with your current call.

7. Always Ask a Customer Before Placing Them on Hold - With phone systems these days once a caller gets to you they could have been on hold for a number of minutes and may not appreciate being placed on hold again. Once they are placed on hold try not to leave them for more than 30 seconds so they do not become upset and hang up.

8. Address All Callers Formally - When in doubt, always address people formally. Never call an unfamiliar person by their first name. Use Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss when your know their last name. If you do not know their last name Sir or Ma'am are sufficient.

9. Listen - Listen to what the caller is saying to you. Whether you are taking a message or fixing a problem. This will help you to understand their problem and find the best solution to what needs to done. A good habit to learn also, is to repeat the information back to the caller when taking a message down.

10. Remain Patient and Helpful - Always remain patient and helpful, even when dealing with irate customers. You want people to feel like you are emphatic to their issues and are willing to help them. If you are not able to calm the person down make sure to forward them to the proper person who can. Never respond back in a negative or angry way.