Why Everyone Should Have A Telephone Voice.

As a youngster I used to roll on the floor in hysterics when my Mum answered the telephone, her usual London accent with replaced with what I used to call her 'Pathe News' voice. H's made an apperance in her pronounciation and R's used to roll on forever, her usual 'Ello' became 'Hellow' and 'Darlin' never got a look in.

When I asked her why she spoke like that when she answered the phone she said it was because she didn't know who was calling. This was of course in the days before Caller Display or mobile phones so there was no way to know who was ringing. If it was anyone other than a friend or family she adopted her telephone voice not only so she sounded slightly posh but also so that she was properly understood.

I got to thinking about Mum and her Hyacynth Bucket voice recently while making calls to job applicants, I was amazed at how many people answered the phone with 'Alright' 'Ello' and 'Who's that?', considering I'm currently looking for Telesales staff I felt right from the get go that I was NOT speaking to a new member of our team. Mum was right (again)it is important how you sound on the phone, especially if you are unsure who is calling.

Next time your phone rings and you are not sure who is calling try to remember that you've sent off 101 CV's and that it may be a prospective employer calling to discuss your CV.