You know that being able to answer the phone effectively can earn your business many repeat customers and create a positive buzz about your company and your customer service. But did you know that being able to make effective phone calls to others is just as important as your phone abilities on the incoming end? Your phone demeanor can net you additional business, help you develop customer loyalty and play a major role in growing your business.
Here are some ways to make effective business phone calls:

Have all your information in place
Make sure you know who you are calling and why you are calling them. You may even want to write down your goals for the call before you ever dial the phone. In addition, have any information about their business, their history with you and their needs on hand. You also should have any relevant information about yourself on hand so that you can easily provide your name, your business name and a concise summary of what services or products you provide.

Prepare questions ahead of time
Make notes of questions that you need to ask, and all the information that you will need in a response. This will save you from having to call back multiple times to get small items of information that you forgot.

Identify yourself clearly when you call
Always make sure that people know who you are and why you are calling right away. This will not only improve your chances of reaching the person you are calling, but it lets them know that you are calling on legitimate business. In the same professional tone, always thank the person for their time at the end of the call and make sure to reiterate any course of action you have decided on so that the listener knows that you listened to their needs and are responding appropriately.

Phone calls cannot be professional or effective if there are noises like music, television, pets or babies in the background. You should make professional calls at a time when noise will be minimal to nonexistent, even if it means hiring a babysitter to entertain the children in the other room while you make your calls.

In nearly every administrative position, you will be in charge of at least some of the business' incoming calls. This provides you with a unique opportunity to bring in business, and with just a little fine-tuning, you can easily make yourself indispensible to nearly any service-oriented business simply by answering the phone effectively.  In no time, you will find that your phone manner actually helps bring in more business and even is the deciding factor in winning over potential clients.

Here are some simple tips to super-charge your professional phone skills:

Infuse your voice with warmth and enthusiasm
Many professional administrators say that they literally make sure to smile when they pick up the phone because customers can "hear" the smile through the line. This is the first impression that a customer will get of your company, so it is important to sound ready, willing and able to help.

Grab all calls before the third ring
Wait longer than this, and you give an impression of being too busy to handle more business at best, and not caring at worst.

Always provide identification
This can require a little experimentation to get the right information. You should provide your business name and your name, and then offer help. However, some businesses find that they get good results from adding in their slogan as well, or supplementing their greeting with phrases like "It's a beautiful day at [your business]. This is [your name.] How can I help you?"

Use positive vocabulary
Even when you are having an awful day, simply making it a habit to answer "of course," or "certainly' instead of simply "yes," or "okay" can give your phone conversations a positive, enthusiastic tone. Excluding "fillers" like "uh" and "um" can also make you sound more enthusiastic, professional and eager to assist.

Use consistent greetings when answering the phone
Callers like to hear the same thing each time they call. It also helps with recognition so that people do not have to ask if they have reached the right place. Make sure that everyone in a business who is answering the phone is doing so in the same way so that your service sounds professional.

The phone is the first place that a potential customer will encounter your business on a personal level, and an initial conversation is often the crucial factor when people decide with whom they are going to work. Make sure that this factor is working in your favor with carefully honed phone skills.