54 Golden Nuggets: The Best of the Telephone Doctor

Back to Basics:Hiring the Right Voice

It’s a well-known fact: That first voice callers hear when they call a company sets the tone—makes the first impression—and welcomes callers. Few will argue that point.

Sadly, one of the most important and overlooked techniques for hiring people who are going to be answering the phones for your company is not done as often as it should be. And that is to interview them by phone first. That’s right. If you’re interviewing for someone to handle your calls, have them call you and talk with them before you bring them to the office to do the interview.

•   A good way to start is simply: “Tell me about yourself.” If the candidates have any difficulty talking about the one topic they should know the most about, ...