Learning English:Exposure Emphasized
One of the most important things you need to remember as a BPO employee is that the people you will be calling might be very different from you and me. They are based in different countries and belong to various cultures. The way they speak and use languages are different as well. Different countries bring in certain unique words and expressions to the English language which are derived from their cultures and their native languages. While training a BPO employee, companies usually spend a lot of time familiarizing him/her with these unique expressions since failure to comprehend these might lead to a breakdown in communication.
If you are aspiring for a BPO job and looking to enhance your employability, you will do well to look at some of these unique words and phrases and make a habit of using them while speaking. I am pretty sure an expression like “It’s a lemon” will perplex most of us in India but in the US, this phrase is commonly used to describe something that is defective. Thus a good knowledge of these expressions will surely help you get ahead of competition if you are looking forward to a rewarding BPO career.
It’s Not Just Words
A common misconception about communication skills is that it is all about using impressive words and expressions. Many of us have the notion that our job is done if we can make our language ornamental. This again is a problem with our school education where most of us are taught to improve our English by learning up a lot of words and illustrations and using them in speech and writing. What we tend to forget is that the tone of voice and body gestures play an equally important role in getting our messages across effectively. In fact the tone becomes all the more important while speaking over phone. It is very important that the tone is engaging and lively. Very often telecallers sound bored or disinterested which does nothing to impress the people they are calling.
Besides using words and expressions, it is essential to remember the importance of patience, voice, gestures and eye-contact while communicating. It should be kept in mind that the listener(s) are not there to learn English from us but to get some useful information. Communication is about providing information clearly and comprehensibly. So all that needs to go into making a message simple and understandable should be used. A string of high-flown words and expressions might not get us anywhere close to achieving our purpose.