Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Crack Telephonic Interviews
How to Crack Telephonic Interviews
Most BPO and IT companies have begun saving time and effort by conducting initial rounds of interviews by telephone before calling candidates for a personal round to their offices. BPOs and ITs use telephonic rounds to assess candidates for the roles of customer service or outbound sales executives.
Going by the job advertisements, you may typically have to call a number provided exclusively for interviews. Given this, then, your voice and the way you project yourself over the phone can make all the difference.
The flip side
The absence of a visual clue is the biggest disadvantage. While the interviewer can't see your new formal attire, your great smile and positive body language, you, on the other hand, also tell when you've lost the interviewer's attention.
Prepare for an excellent show
Start by visiting the employers' Web site and learn about the firm. Most companies upload the job specifications in the 'Career' or 'Work With Us' sections of their site. This will give you a fair idea about the key skills required for a certain role.
Make notes
Keep some notes ready about the job description, your key strengths and accomplishments. It is a good idea to keep your resume in front of you as well. Remember, they can't see if you have these documents for review.
Mock calls
Call a friend from your landline and ask him or her to listen to your voice. Maybe it is shrill; maybe you speak too softly or too fast to be understood. If possible, call someone you know who already works for a BPO and request him or her to critique your voice.
When you make that call
First, get to the point, and fast. The employers are already expecting calls from candidates, so don't waste time giving them a reference of where you saw their advertisement or asking them if there are any openings. Greet them, state your name and get to the point. For instance: 'Good morning. My name is Rashmi Chopra and I am calling from (location). I am a commerce graduate and would like to interview for the position of tele-sales executive.'
Keep notepad and pen ready
Write down their questions so you can stay on track while answering. Too often, people forget the original question and beat around the bush. Stay on target.
Sound energetic
Your voice is your only sales tool. Do not allow yourself to sound tired or uninterested over the phone. Sound energetic and excited, even if you are asked the same question again. Keep a glass of water ready.
Keep distractions away
Log off your computer (if you can't get away from instant messengers and other services that make a noise). Switch off your cell phone and stereo system, and ensure there no cell phones nearby that may cause disturbance. They sabotage your concentration when you need it most.
Call from a landline
Cell phones and cordless devices rarely allow your voice to sound as clear as it does on a standard landline, so avoid using them for interviews.
Be courteous
Try not to speak over the interviewer or cut him off. If you do, say, "I apologise for interrupting, please complete your question" and let the interviewer continue.
When you are through
Thank the interviewer for his or her time and state that you look forward to hearing from the firm. If they call you for a personal round, ask about the documents you should carry with you. Do not disconnect the call until the interviewer has hung up.
“Prepare for that telephonic interview, and you are halfway there.”
Most BPO and IT companies have begun saving time and effort by conducting initial rounds of interviews by telephone before calling candidates for a personal round to their offices. BPOs and ITs use telephonic rounds to assess candidates for the roles of customer service or outbound sales executives.
Going by the job advertisements, you may typically have to call a number provided exclusively for interviews. Given this, then, your voice and the way you project yourself over the phone can make all the difference.
The flip side
The absence of a visual clue is the biggest disadvantage. While the interviewer can't see your new formal attire, your great smile and positive body language, you, on the other hand, also tell when you've lost the interviewer's attention.
Prepare for an excellent show
Start by visiting the employers' Web site and learn about the firm. Most companies upload the job specifications in the 'Career' or 'Work With Us' sections of their site. This will give you a fair idea about the key skills required for a certain role.
Make notes
Keep some notes ready about the job description, your key strengths and accomplishments. It is a good idea to keep your resume in front of you as well. Remember, they can't see if you have these documents for review.
Mock calls
Call a friend from your landline and ask him or her to listen to your voice. Maybe it is shrill; maybe you speak too softly or too fast to be understood. If possible, call someone you know who already works for a BPO and request him or her to critique your voice.
When you make that call
First, get to the point, and fast. The employers are already expecting calls from candidates, so don't waste time giving them a reference of where you saw their advertisement or asking them if there are any openings. Greet them, state your name and get to the point. For instance: 'Good morning. My name is Rashmi Chopra and I am calling from (location). I am a commerce graduate and would like to interview for the position of tele-sales executive.'
Keep notepad and pen ready
Write down their questions so you can stay on track while answering. Too often, people forget the original question and beat around the bush. Stay on target.
Sound energetic
Your voice is your only sales tool. Do not allow yourself to sound tired or uninterested over the phone. Sound energetic and excited, even if you are asked the same question again. Keep a glass of water ready.
Keep distractions away
Log off your computer (if you can't get away from instant messengers and other services that make a noise). Switch off your cell phone and stereo system, and ensure there no cell phones nearby that may cause disturbance. They sabotage your concentration when you need it most.
Call from a landline
Cell phones and cordless devices rarely allow your voice to sound as clear as it does on a standard landline, so avoid using them for interviews.
Be courteous
Try not to speak over the interviewer or cut him off. If you do, say, "I apologise for interrupting, please complete your question" and let the interviewer continue.
When you are through
Thank the interviewer for his or her time and state that you look forward to hearing from the firm. If they call you for a personal round, ask about the documents you should carry with you. Do not disconnect the call until the interviewer has hung up.
“Prepare for that telephonic interview, and you are halfway there.”
Skills requried for Job-Hunting Freshers
Top Ten Skills Freshers Need
The Job market, for young graduates, has never been better. There are opportunities galore in booming service sectors like BPO, retail and hospitality. Most of these jobs are customer centric and call for certain unique skill sets. BPOs and multiplexes hire fresh graduates as customer service/sales executives, while retail stores look for shop floor executives, supervisors and managers.
"The job market is currently demand driven and youngsters with good communication skills and a positive attitude will be spoilt for choices," says Prashant Kuruvilla, VP (HR) at Delhi based E-soft Technologies. So, if you are a fresh graduate looking to make a career in the service industry, here are the 10 key customer service skills you must brush up on.
Language skills
Good communication is the lifeblood of the service industry and it is important that your language be devoid of grammatical errors. While we have all learnt the basics of grammar, the most important attributes in spoken English are sentence construction (your ability to form meaningful sentences) and word order (ability to use the right words as per the context). Speak to people in English as far as possible and watch English news channels and sit-coms. The objective here is to develop conversational skills.
Vocabulary
You need to have the words in your vocabulary to tackle all kinds of challenging communication and customer service scenarios. You should be able to demonstrate a satisfactory use of word choice so your customer maintains confidence in your skill sets. Follow the TIS rule (Think it, Ink it, Sink it). When you come across a new word, make a note of it in your personal diary and read it out loud at least three times.
Pronunciation
You need to speak with clear pronunciation and diction so it does not interfere with overall communication with a customer. Institutes like the British Council offer courses in communication skills for call centres and service oriented jobs. These programmes also help you to neutralise your accent and sound more professional.
Tone
It is important to speak with an upbeat, positive tone that reflects empathy and concern for your customer.This enables you to connect with customers and colleagues and also build long lasting relationships. Negative emotions like anger, sarcasm, impatience, etc. can easily be communicated through your tone, so it is important to focus it.
Listening, a must
Good listening skills will help you understand the main ideas of the person you are communicating with. It also enables you to understand the specifics of a particular situation you could be dealing with. Good listening skills will also ensure that you provide appropriate answers to customers' questions and understand the emotional clues he or she may drop.
Problem solving
You should be committed and have a sincere desire to solve a customer's problems. Your ability to ask the right kind of questions will be a key factor in providing an effective solution. You also need to prioritise your time and understand a customer's needs and wants.
Flexibility
You must be able to adapt to a customer's unique needs and changing circumstances. Be open to change, be willing to take the customer's feedback and act on it. Being flexible also helps you identify new business opportunities and generate more sales for your organisation.
Initiative and proactiveness
It is important to anticipate a customer's problems. Apologise and correct a mistake rather than hide behind the company's policies. Walking the extra mile for a customer will cement the relationship and lead to repeat business.
Professionalism
You need to be friendly and courteous, yet professional. Being direct and expressive helps you build a strong relationship with the customer. Conveying respect for the customer, team members, company and competitors is also important, as this demonstrates confidence in self and the organisation. A professional attitude will leave the customer with a positive feeling.
Task orientation
As a customer service professional, it is important to strike a balance between the job at hand and relationship / rapport building activities. While you need to engage in building a positive relationship with the customer, you must keep issue resolution and meeting targets as the top priority. "Most tele-sales consultants keep sweet talking with customers without asking for the order (closing the sale). This is ineffective as the objective of the organisation is also to generate sales and profits," says Kanishka Malhotra, Managing Partner at Hotel Solutions India, New Delhi.
“Brush up on these skills and success will definitely be a lot easier to come by.”
The Job market, for young graduates, has never been better. There are opportunities galore in booming service sectors like BPO, retail and hospitality. Most of these jobs are customer centric and call for certain unique skill sets. BPOs and multiplexes hire fresh graduates as customer service/sales executives, while retail stores look for shop floor executives, supervisors and managers.
"The job market is currently demand driven and youngsters with good communication skills and a positive attitude will be spoilt for choices," says Prashant Kuruvilla, VP (HR) at Delhi based E-soft Technologies. So, if you are a fresh graduate looking to make a career in the service industry, here are the 10 key customer service skills you must brush up on.
Language skills
Good communication is the lifeblood of the service industry and it is important that your language be devoid of grammatical errors. While we have all learnt the basics of grammar, the most important attributes in spoken English are sentence construction (your ability to form meaningful sentences) and word order (ability to use the right words as per the context). Speak to people in English as far as possible and watch English news channels and sit-coms. The objective here is to develop conversational skills.
Vocabulary
You need to have the words in your vocabulary to tackle all kinds of challenging communication and customer service scenarios. You should be able to demonstrate a satisfactory use of word choice so your customer maintains confidence in your skill sets. Follow the TIS rule (Think it, Ink it, Sink it). When you come across a new word, make a note of it in your personal diary and read it out loud at least three times.
Pronunciation
You need to speak with clear pronunciation and diction so it does not interfere with overall communication with a customer. Institutes like the British Council offer courses in communication skills for call centres and service oriented jobs. These programmes also help you to neutralise your accent and sound more professional.
Tone
It is important to speak with an upbeat, positive tone that reflects empathy and concern for your customer.This enables you to connect with customers and colleagues and also build long lasting relationships. Negative emotions like anger, sarcasm, impatience, etc. can easily be communicated through your tone, so it is important to focus it.
Listening, a must
Good listening skills will help you understand the main ideas of the person you are communicating with. It also enables you to understand the specifics of a particular situation you could be dealing with. Good listening skills will also ensure that you provide appropriate answers to customers' questions and understand the emotional clues he or she may drop.
Problem solving
You should be committed and have a sincere desire to solve a customer's problems. Your ability to ask the right kind of questions will be a key factor in providing an effective solution. You also need to prioritise your time and understand a customer's needs and wants.
Flexibility
You must be able to adapt to a customer's unique needs and changing circumstances. Be open to change, be willing to take the customer's feedback and act on it. Being flexible also helps you identify new business opportunities and generate more sales for your organisation.
Initiative and proactiveness
It is important to anticipate a customer's problems. Apologise and correct a mistake rather than hide behind the company's policies. Walking the extra mile for a customer will cement the relationship and lead to repeat business.
Professionalism
You need to be friendly and courteous, yet professional. Being direct and expressive helps you build a strong relationship with the customer. Conveying respect for the customer, team members, company and competitors is also important, as this demonstrates confidence in self and the organisation. A professional attitude will leave the customer with a positive feeling.
Task orientation
As a customer service professional, it is important to strike a balance between the job at hand and relationship / rapport building activities. While you need to engage in building a positive relationship with the customer, you must keep issue resolution and meeting targets as the top priority. "Most tele-sales consultants keep sweet talking with customers without asking for the order (closing the sale). This is ineffective as the objective of the organisation is also to generate sales and profits," says Kanishka Malhotra, Managing Partner at Hotel Solutions India, New Delhi.
“Brush up on these skills and success will definitely be a lot easier to come by.”
All about HRA
What you MUST know about HRA
House Rent Allowance is an allowance given by an employer to an employee. The sole purpose of this is to meet the cost of renting a home.
Here, we hope to clear the doubts you may have about HRA.
Do note, when we refer to salary in this article, it encompasses basic component and the dearness allowance.
1. You can claim HRA if you fulfill these three conditions:
~ You have an HRA allowance as part of your salary package.
~ You are staying in a rented accommodation and paying rent for it.
~ The rent exceeds 10% of your salary.
2. You can claim rent given to your parents. Let's say you live with parents and pay them rent. This makes your parents the landlords. One of them will have to declare it in his/ her personal income tax return to prevent litigation in the future.
3. You cannot claim rent paid to spouse. The relationship between a husband and wife is not commercial in nature; a husband and wife are supposed to stay together. So payment of rent to a spouse will not be accepted by the income tax authorities.
4. You will need to keep all your rent receipts since it is the only proof that you are paying rent. HRA exemptions are only available on submission of rent receipts or the rent agreement. However, if the HRA is upto Rs 3,000 per month, then receipts/ agreement is not mandatory. It is only when your HRA exceeds this amount that you will have to keep the receipts.
But it is wise to still keep them because, at the time of assessment, the Income Tax Officer may demand the receipts/ agreement.
5. The actual HRA you will be entitled to will be the least of the following.
~ The actual amount of HRA received.
~ 40% of salary. This increases to 50% if you are renting out the house in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai or Kolkata.
~ Rent paid minus 10% of salary (basic component + dearness allowance)
6. The HRA that does not get exempted is taxed. Let's see how it works with an example.
Assumptions
HRA per month = Rs 15,000
Basic monthly salary = Rs 30,000
Dearness Allowance = Nil
Monthly rent = Rs 12,000
Rental accommodation is in Mumbai.
Exemption
Actual amount of HRA = Rs 15,000
50% of salary = 50% x (30,000 + 0) = Rs 15,000
Actual rent paid - 10% of salary = Rs 12,000 - [10% of (30,000 + 0)] = 12,000 - 3,000 = Rs 9,000
Rs 9,000 being the least of the three amounts will be the exemption from HRA. The balance HRA of Rs 6,000 (15,000-Rs 9,000) is taxable.
7. If you took a home loan for a home in one city but reside in another, you will be entitled to:
~ Tax benefit on principal repayment under Section 80C
~ Tax benefit on interest payment under Section 24
~ HRA benefit
Or, even if the home is in the same city but is not ready forcing you to rent a place, you will still be entitled to all the above benefits.
Of course, you can claim tax benefits on the home loan only if your home is ready to live in during that financial year. Once the construction on your home is complete, the HRA benefit stops.
If you took a home loan, got possession of the house, have rented it out and stay in a rented accommodation, you will be entitled to all the three benefits mentioned above.
However, in this case, the rent you receive would be considered as your taxable income.
8. Let's say you took a home loan and have bought a home but are not residing in it for genuine reasons.
It could be that the home is at a considerable distance from your work place. Or, it could be that the home is rather small and your parents are living in it so you have to stay elsewhere.
Though your rental accommodation and home are in the same city, you can still get all the benefits.
~ Tax benefit on principal repayment under Section 80C
~ Tax benefit on interest payment under Section 24
~ HRA benefit
However, it is necessary you have some of your belongings at your home (the one you own) and you stay there on and off on during weekends and holidays.
Despite this, if your employer does not agree and denies your tax benefits, you will have to claim it at the time of filing your tax returns.
House Rent Allowance is an allowance given by an employer to an employee. The sole purpose of this is to meet the cost of renting a home.
Here, we hope to clear the doubts you may have about HRA.
Do note, when we refer to salary in this article, it encompasses basic component and the dearness allowance.
1. You can claim HRA if you fulfill these three conditions:
~ You have an HRA allowance as part of your salary package.
~ You are staying in a rented accommodation and paying rent for it.
~ The rent exceeds 10% of your salary.
2. You can claim rent given to your parents. Let's say you live with parents and pay them rent. This makes your parents the landlords. One of them will have to declare it in his/ her personal income tax return to prevent litigation in the future.
3. You cannot claim rent paid to spouse. The relationship between a husband and wife is not commercial in nature; a husband and wife are supposed to stay together. So payment of rent to a spouse will not be accepted by the income tax authorities.
4. You will need to keep all your rent receipts since it is the only proof that you are paying rent. HRA exemptions are only available on submission of rent receipts or the rent agreement. However, if the HRA is upto Rs 3,000 per month, then receipts/ agreement is not mandatory. It is only when your HRA exceeds this amount that you will have to keep the receipts.
But it is wise to still keep them because, at the time of assessment, the Income Tax Officer may demand the receipts/ agreement.
5. The actual HRA you will be entitled to will be the least of the following.
~ The actual amount of HRA received.
~ 40% of salary. This increases to 50% if you are renting out the house in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai or Kolkata.
~ Rent paid minus 10% of salary (basic component + dearness allowance)
6. The HRA that does not get exempted is taxed. Let's see how it works with an example.
Assumptions
HRA per month = Rs 15,000
Basic monthly salary = Rs 30,000
Dearness Allowance = Nil
Monthly rent = Rs 12,000
Rental accommodation is in Mumbai.
Exemption
Actual amount of HRA = Rs 15,000
50% of salary = 50% x (30,000 + 0) = Rs 15,000
Actual rent paid - 10% of salary = Rs 12,000 - [10% of (30,000 + 0)] = 12,000 - 3,000 = Rs 9,000
Rs 9,000 being the least of the three amounts will be the exemption from HRA. The balance HRA of Rs 6,000 (15,000-Rs 9,000) is taxable.
7. If you took a home loan for a home in one city but reside in another, you will be entitled to:
~ Tax benefit on principal repayment under Section 80C
~ Tax benefit on interest payment under Section 24
~ HRA benefit
Or, even if the home is in the same city but is not ready forcing you to rent a place, you will still be entitled to all the above benefits.
Of course, you can claim tax benefits on the home loan only if your home is ready to live in during that financial year. Once the construction on your home is complete, the HRA benefit stops.
If you took a home loan, got possession of the house, have rented it out and stay in a rented accommodation, you will be entitled to all the three benefits mentioned above.
However, in this case, the rent you receive would be considered as your taxable income.
8. Let's say you took a home loan and have bought a home but are not residing in it for genuine reasons.
It could be that the home is at a considerable distance from your work place. Or, it could be that the home is rather small and your parents are living in it so you have to stay elsewhere.
Though your rental accommodation and home are in the same city, you can still get all the benefits.
~ Tax benefit on principal repayment under Section 80C
~ Tax benefit on interest payment under Section 24
~ HRA benefit
However, it is necessary you have some of your belongings at your home (the one you own) and you stay there on and off on during weekends and holidays.
Despite this, if your employer does not agree and denies your tax benefits, you will have to claim it at the time of filing your tax returns.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Cute SMS 8
The duck look smooth and calm on top of water but underneath there is restless peddling. Similarly in life nothing worthwhile comes without struggle.
Good things come to those who wait. Better things come to those who TRY. Best things ome to those who BELIECE in their efoorts.
If i am impatient to experience the results of efforts it is like trying to eat unripe fruit.
Mistakes r mani, apologies r few. hurts r manu, shoulders 2 lean r few. Frnds r many bt true ones r few. Always respect 1 who truely comforts u.
Smooth roads never make gud drivers. Smooth sea never makes gud sailors. Clar sky never make gud pilots. problems free life nevr mak a gud person.
The importance of a good friend in ur life is like the importance of ur heart beats. Though they r not visible they silently support ur life.
Classic words for friendship: Be what u r & say what u feel, bcoz those who mind, doesnt matter & those who matter never mind.
A word to say a word to hear, even in ur absence i feel u near, Our relation is strong, hope it goes long v will remain the same till d life goes on.
A famous saying ..... one can cross an ocean without wtting his legs but cannot cross love without wetting his eyes.
One best book is equql to hundred good friends... But one loving friend is equal to more than a library.
Thought for lifetime: Its really hard to wait 4 the right person in ur life especially when the wrong ones are so beautiful.
Life is a feeling, marriage is a contract and relationships are work. - Lori GORDON
never walk away from true relationship. Whn u c some fault, b patient & realize tat nobody s perfect, its not perfection tat matters, its affection.
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. - Henry Ford.
Good things come to those who wait. Better things come to those who TRY. Best things ome to those who BELIECE in their efoorts.
If i am impatient to experience the results of efforts it is like trying to eat unripe fruit.
Mistakes r mani, apologies r few. hurts r manu, shoulders 2 lean r few. Frnds r many bt true ones r few. Always respect 1 who truely comforts u.
Smooth roads never make gud drivers. Smooth sea never makes gud sailors. Clar sky never make gud pilots. problems free life nevr mak a gud person.
The importance of a good friend in ur life is like the importance of ur heart beats. Though they r not visible they silently support ur life.
Classic words for friendship: Be what u r & say what u feel, bcoz those who mind, doesnt matter & those who matter never mind.
A word to say a word to hear, even in ur absence i feel u near, Our relation is strong, hope it goes long v will remain the same till d life goes on.
A famous saying ..... one can cross an ocean without wtting his legs but cannot cross love without wetting his eyes.
One best book is equql to hundred good friends... But one loving friend is equal to more than a library.
Thought for lifetime: Its really hard to wait 4 the right person in ur life especially when the wrong ones are so beautiful.
Life is a feeling, marriage is a contract and relationships are work. - Lori GORDON
never walk away from true relationship. Whn u c some fault, b patient & realize tat nobody s perfect, its not perfection tat matters, its affection.
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. - Henry Ford.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)