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EDUCATION AND TRAINING SERVICES SECTIONEDUCATION AND TRAINING SERVICES SECTIONGEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

DIVISION OF FAMILY AND CHILDREN SERVICES

Staff Development******************

Communications

Developed For:Developed For:Georgia Division of Family and Children Services

Education and Training Services SectionCurriculum Developer: Denise Wells

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COMMUNICATIONS: ObjectivesMODULE 3

At the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Discuss types of communication and determine effective ways to use each.

• Describe the basic things to remember when handling telephone customers.

• Describe procedures and tips to remember for handling email correspondence.

p. 1 of 24 - COMMUNICATIONS

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COMMUNICATIONSLesson 1: Effective Communication

Effective communicationinvolves relaying messages ineither of the following ways:

• Verbal

• Nonverbal

• Writing

• Listening


Source: Microsoft Clip Art Gallery

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When communicating verbally,be mindful of the following:

• Voice tone

• Use of appropriate grammar

• Quality of projection

• The intended outcome of the message you are delivering.



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When communicating nonverbally,be mindful of the following:

• Eye contact

• Body language

• What others are seeing

• The intended message you are trying to deliver



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When communicating in a writtenformat, take care to:

• Be accurate

• Be concise

• Be clear

• Be aware of judgments that will be formed based on what you have written



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When listening while otherscommunicate, take care to:

• Establish and maintain eye contact

• Concentrate on the words that are being spoken

• Pay attention the words the speaker is stressing.



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COMMUNICATIONSLesson 2: Telephone Tips


The next set of lessons are designed to:

• Define what makes a telephone contact impressive

• Define the image to project over the telephone

• Give examples of how to handle an irate caller.

• Utilize tips for using voicemail and email at work


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Tips for handling phones:

• Smile your voice gets brighter

• Sit straight up

• Greet caller with enthusiasm

• Do not chew gum, eat or drink


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• Be friendly and concise

• Listen and pay attention

• Use simple language

• Eliminate background noise


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• Talk slower than usual – rate of speech should be one that is easy to understand

• Control your voice pitch – tone and volume should be normal

• Control your voice clarity – speak clearly to be heard well


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COMMUNICATIONS Lesson 2: Telephone Tips

When answering calls, be sure to:

• Answer calls by 2nd or 3rd ring

• Identify yourself and the office or division you represent

• Use an appropriate greeting:

Good afternoon this is _______ in _______. How may I assist you?


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When answering calls, be sure to:

• Listen and be helpful• If transferring the call, be sure to let the caller know

who they are being transferred to• Always ask permission before placing a caller on

HOLD• Always ask permission before placing a caller on

SPEAKER


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When placing a call:

• Identify yourself

• Do not ask, “Who am I speaking with?”

• Use your full name when requesting to speak with someone

• State the purpose of your call


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When placing a call:

• Leave a complete and concise message that includes your name, phone number, time of call and nature of call

• Speak clearly and slowly when leaving a message


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COMMUNICATIONSLesson 3: Difficult Calls

When a caller is angry or upset:

• Listen carefully• Acknowledge the problem, but do not necessarily

agree• Refer call to your supervisor when possible• Write down a detailed and accurate account of

the call and the problem• Act quickly to resolve the issue


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COMMUNICATIONSLesson 3: Difficult Calls

When a caller is angry, DO NOT:

• Argue – remain calm & professional

• Blame others for the problem

• Interrupt the caller

• Apologize – unless it is clearly your department’s mistake

• Make promises


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COMMUNICATIONSLesson 4: Office Awareness

When communicating with internal and externalclients, do not give out:

• Whereabouts of the person who is out of the office

• Who a person is already talking to

• Who a person is meeting with

• Who is in a person’s office

• Why someone no longer works with the organization


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COMMUNICATIONSLesson 5: Voicemail Tips

Tips for voicemail:

• Keep outgoing message updated

• Listen to your own greeting to see how you sound to others

• Forward calls when unavailable

• Check messages often and return calls within 24 hours


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COMMUNICATIONSLesson 6: Taking Messages

When taking messages, be sure to include:

• Who the message is for

• Who the message is from – spell name if necessary

• Leave brief, pertinent information

• Whether the call is urgent

• Phone number(s)


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COMMUNICATIONSLesson 7: Email Etiquette

Email communication requires handling with care. When crafting emails, be sure to do the following:

• Use correct grammar and sentence structure

• Refrain from using the following:• Excessive use of emoticons () – one is okay, but limit use• Casual text message lingo (i.e. u in place of the word you)• All CAPITAL LETTERS. This means you’re screaming

• Use “reply” to answer an email rather than beginning a new message so that the entire communication can always be considered.


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When composing an email, be sure to:

• Make message clear and concise

• Fill in the “subject line”

• Double check the address

• Proofread message prior to pressing send

• Be polite and use phrases like “please” and “thank you”


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Because email is a nonverbal in form, it requires thatrules for this type of communication be used. Remember those reading your emails do not have thebenefit of hearing your tone of voice nor seeing yourbody language.

Often a well intended email has unintentionallydelivered the wrong message to it’s recipient. To besure you are sending the right message, read it aloudprior to pressing send.


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To see a short video presentation explaining things tothink about when composing an email, click HERE


http://www.bnet.com/videos/why-email-starts-fights/241106

http://www.bnet.com/videos/why-email-starts-fights/241106

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COMMUNICATION: END

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