I carry many hats working for a law firm. I am a legal assistant, billing clerk and also the receptionist. A couple of weeks ago I attended a seminar called “How to Be an Outstanding Receptionist.” Not that I wasn’t any good at my job, but in recognition of the fact that no one is perfect and we all need improvement.

Most of the seminar was a refresher course, if you will, but there were some interesting topics and point that I thought useful for any business owner, not just the girl up front. One topic in particular was dealing with clientele over the phone.

Regardless of your position in a business, there are some things everyone should know:

Screening Calls
One key element for screening incoming calls is to avoid asking questions that can have a simple yes or no answer. For example, instead of asking, “May I tell him your name please?” which can result in “no” as response from the hostile client who feels her calls aren’t getting returned, simply say “What is your name?” or “Your name please.” You still may have hostile clients, but their options are much more limited. As long as you remain assertive and in control, you shouldn’t have many problems.

Fast Talkers
They’re out there… those people who can’t seem to talk slowly enough for you to understand them, let alone take down and name and number. One way to try and get them to slow down is to subtly slow your own speech. Many people will subconsciously catch on. Another option is to simply state that what they have to say is important to you and you want to be sure and catch everything so you would appreciate if they could talk a bit more slowly.

Chatters
Every grandma wants to talk about her beautiful grandchildren, it’s just that some of them want to tell you when three other phone lines are ringing. Try talking fast so that they get the impression that you’re in a hurry. Don’t asked open ended questions such as “What happened next?” Instead ask “What can I help you with today?” or “What is the issue at hand?”

An interesting statistic that the seminar leader threw at us is that 93% of communication is tone and body language and only 7% is that actual words. So always remain positive and talk with a smile (clients can tell) and the majority of your calls will have a positive outcome.

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Choosing a business name is arguably the most important part of starting a business. Botch this one and it will haunt you for a long time.

A winning business name is more than just a catchy phrase, it should draw business in itself.

Susan Ward of About.com Canada offers these six tips for creating a winning business name:

1) Memorable – but easy to spell.
2) A strong visual element.
3) Positive connotation.
4) Must include information about what your business does.
5) Must be fairly short.
6) Choose your company/logo colors carefully.
[Read more…]

On the About Us page, I tell the story of this company name that originally started as BCT then GFX. Both of these were already taken so I went with GreatFX.

The “FX” sounds like “Effects” giving you “Great Effects”… what you can get by marketing with professional business cards.

Not everyone immediately understands this but many people have. It may be one of the more obscure names I’ve come up with, but it works for me :-)

Recommended Reading:

How To Create a Great Business Name
8 Mistakes To Avoid When Naming Your Business
How to Name Your Business

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We’ve all been there at some point in our life… flipping burgers, bagging groceries, bank teller, babysitting. Not that there is anything wrong with these jobs. Let’s face it, if people didn’t do them, then life would be much more of an inconvenience. And, though there are some that enjoy working the drive-thru at the fast food joint, many of us accept these jobs as a means of getting by, whether it be working through school or even because we have no other options and must simply earn a paycheck.

But, deep down inside, we all have a dream to do and be something else. Many of us want to work for ourselves. The ambition to be an entrepreneur is usually in the back of everyone’s mind. And though the numbers of entrepreneurs out there continue to grow, it is far too often that people have dreams and do nothing to pursue them.

You have a couple of options. The first is that you can be one of those people who has a dream his entire life, but never makes anything of it outside of an occasional hobby. Such people typically claim that life has thrown so many obstacles at them that it would be impossible to pursue their dream. And they are full of excuses, such as not having the means to get started.

Continue reading : Seeking a Dream »

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