One of my very first jobs after high school was as a dance and acrobatics instructor for a well-known local performing group. I had dabbled in gymnastics as a kid, but had never taken a dance class or had any formal training in either area. I responded to an ad I had seen in the local paper and thought it would be a fun job. I felt I had good qualifications; I could do a back flip, I liked dancing and I was a fast learner. I had no idea what to expect in the interview, but I was looking forward to showing off. The interview was like none other. The interviewer was a plump, middle-aged dance instructor who was wearing black tights and tap shoes. I showed up in jeans and platform shoes. She shared with me that they were looking for someone who could teach the basics. It seemed that too many of their students wanted to do back flips only and they didn’t know any of the tricks and steps that were foundational to a great performance. I couldn’t believe my luck because the reality was that I didn’t know the steps either! My interviewer asked me to follow her lead. She did a shuffle step combination and I imitated her exactly. She did the shuffle step again and this time added in two more moves which she called out in French. That did not deter me and I again imitated her moves to perfection. The dance off escalated. She added on move after move and I was the perfect echo to her tap, tap, tap. In the end, we had both worked up a sweat and she told me I got the job because I was the first one who did exactly what she had asked. I didn’t get to do my back flip that day, but I had discovered that I had a talent that really didn’t have a name. I have an innate ability to figure out how something is done, step-by-step, and I am able to teach others in an easy to understand way.
One of my first acrobatic students was able to do a back flip on command and that was all she wanted to do. She wanted a spot in an upcoming show where I would highlight her doing that very trick off a 3 foot high box. However, my job was to teach her the basics and everything that built up to doing those big tricks. Week after week we went over foot work, balance, where to look and place your hands. She did hundreds of small tricks over and over again. When I saw that she had the basics mastered, I asked her to put all the tricks together and end with a back flip. Without realizing it, she had put together an impressive routine that flowed naturally. She became the star of the show, not because of the black flip, but because of everything that led up to it. She mastered the basics.

Your sales and customer service representatives can’t reach their potential without mastering the basics either. They may have successes along the way such as great sales numbers this month or a great performance score, but if they don’t master the basics, inconsistencies will frustrate them, you as their manager and your customer.
4 basics that need to be mastered to have an impressive phone routine:
1) You need to know how to use your voice to convey the right attitude for the occasion.
2) You need to add in polite words and comments such as please, thank you and “I’d be happy to help you.”
3) You need to use your customer’s name to be respectful and to personalize your call.
4) You need to memorize your scripts so that your company’s strategy for serving the customer is second nature to you.