Have you ever called a business or service and been greeted with a bland, monotone “Hello?” That initial greeting probably didn’t leave you with a great impression, even if you didn’t consciously realize it at the time. The importance of the initial greeting over the phone, particularly to a new client calling your establishment for the first time, cannot be stressed enough!
Why Begin With a Great Greeting?
A rock-solid initial greeting does many things. First and foremost, it gives your caller a great first impression right away. This means that they’re more likely to view your business as reputable and competent, ultimately choosing your services over your competitors’. The initial greeting is quite literally the first step in converting a new client caller into a booked appointment!
Another thing that a pleasant, friendly, and appropriate greeting does is help to instill that same attitude in the caller. If a new client calls your business and is greeted with a friendly, helpful voice on the other end of the phone, they’re much more likely to feel that way themselves. That means that they’re well on their way to becoming a paying client!
What Should the Greeting Look Like?
A good greeting formula for most businesses looks something like this:
- A salutation
- Your business’s name
- The name of the person picking up the phone
- An offer to help
So, a good greeting would sound like: “Good afternoon, you’ve reached ABC Business. This is Amy speaking, what can I help you with today?”
A greeting like this confirms to the caller that they’ve contacted the correct establishment, and it also begins associating the business with a real person (Amy) right away. Then it smoothly transitions into an offer of assistance.
It’s best to avoid greeting questions like “How are you today?” Most often, this is returned with a simple “Good, how are you?” From there, the conversation goes nowhere and must be awkwardly restarted.
As a general rule of thumb, keep initial phone greetings brief; the four parts above will almost always suffice. Prattle on with a long greeting, and you’re likely to lose your caller’s interest in just a few short moments. From there, there’s little hope of turning that call into an appointment on the books!
Is Tone of Voice Important?
Yes. No one wants to talk with someone who seems uninterested or downtrodden. Use an upbeat tone of voice; come across friendly right away, or you risk losing that caller to a competitor.
It’s said that first impressions are the only ones that count. In your business, this couldn’t be more true - create a great initial client call and have your front desk staff stick to it, and you’ll see those new client callers turn into more and more booked appointments.
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