Pause before you answer that phone call.

I used to teach customer service skills and one aspect of both our business and personal life we tend to forget is how we sound on the phone. Did you know your posture can impact enormously on how you sound?

There was an exercise we used to do that demonstrated this very clearly and I’d like you to give it a try.

Sit at your desk or table. Fold your arms and slouch down in your chair and say out loud “I feel great”. Do you sound convincing? No?

Now sit up straight, smile and say “I am so depressed”.

I am willing to bet neither time you sounded like you meant what you said. It is true for when you are talking on the phone. Your posture will impact on how you come across the person on the other end of the line. For example, if you need to ask the customer “how may I help you?”, your posture will convey a message of whether you really want to help or not.

Sit up straight again, smile. Say out loud “I feel great.” That is how you will sound with positive body posture and you will also feel it in yourself too.

Next time the phone rings take a few seconds to prepare yourself to answer the call. Sit up and put a smile in your voice; yes, it can be done without looking like a grinning fool. It will do wonders for how your customers will feel about you as a service giver and their own attitude will be more positive and friendly making your work life more agreeable.