National_Receptionists_Association_Newsletter

Natio= nal Receptionists Association

Volume III

September 2007

www.nationalrece= ptionists.com

Table of Contents

What is a Receptionist?, by Robin Ro= unds Whittemore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . = . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Quotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . = . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .= . . . . . . .. . . . . . .   2

Sponsor Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . = . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . = . . . . . . 2

In a Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . = . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .= . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

From the Desk of the Executive Director<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:Arial'>, by Jennifer Alexander . . . . . . . . . . . . . .= . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . = . 4

Are You Listening? by Patti Foster . . . . . . . .= . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .= . .5

Helpful Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . = . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .= . . . . .   . . . . . . . . . 5=

National Receptionists Association Membership Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .= . . . . . . . 6

What is a Receptionist?

Part 1 of a series

By Robin Rounds Whittemore

Ima= gine entering a classy department store and being greeted with, “Yo, what = can I do

ya for?” What would your n= ext move be? What first impression would you have of the store? = Would you even stay to find out if there is more to the store?<= /p>

As a receptionist, you are the first impression of your company. From your inner attitude to your o= utward appearance, you are the company to both internal and external clients!=

Let’s start with your inner attitude. How do you feel about your company= ? Your job? It shows, you know!

Leave any personal problems on the doorstep of the compa= ny, and do not pick them up again until you are out the door to go home.

If you do have something that is weighing heavy on your mind, by all means, discuss that with your employer, or arrange to have som= e of your vacation days so that you can address the issue.

Whether this is a career move to get your foot in the do= or, or it is just a temporary move until you find the right fit, you need to be= a professional in every way.=

Never underestimate the power of a smile. It helps your inner attitude as we= ll as your outward appearance. When= you speak, people can actually “hear” your smile.=

Always be well groomed. This does not mean spending your whole paycheck on a one of a kind suit at an upscale department store. It means keeping your hair in a ni= ce style and your clothes clean, stain and hole-free.

Your size does not matter. What matters is the fit of your clothes. Do not try to hide a= size or two in tight clothes hoping that it will make you look thinner. It does not work. . . ever!

This is no= t the time for baggy, comfortable clothes, unless you work in a construction area= or a like company and you are required for safety to wear certain kinds of out= fits.

To be professional – act, look, dress, and speak l= ike a professional, and you will be treated as such. Do a self-check!=

To sum this article up, a receptionist wears many hats, including: advertising, public relations, sales, customer service, “mom” or “dad” at times, and many others. In the subsequent articles, we wil= l talk about each one.

<= /o:p>

I never made a mistake in my life; at least, never one that I couldn't explain away afterwards.

- Rudyard Kipling

The basic difference between being assertive and being aggressive is how our words and behavior affect t= he rights and well being of others.

- Sharon Anthony Bower

Use your weaknesses; aspire = to the strength.

- Sir Lawrence Olivier

SPONSORS …=

There are 215 Hyatt branded hotels and in 43 countries around the world, operating under the Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Grand Hyatt® and Park Hyatt® brands.

From the U.S. and Canada, reservations for any Hyatt hotel worldwide may be obtained by calling 1-800-233-1234 or logging onto www.hyatt.com. For <= st1:address w:st=3D"on">Hyatt Place reservations and inform= ation, call 1-888-HYATT-HP or visit www.hya= ttplace.com.

THANK YOU SPONSORS!

CommonHealth is the world's leading healthcare communications resource and a WPP Group company. Our network of 13 best-in-class business units has expertise in every discipline and every therapeutic category. So whatever your healthcare communications needs, we = can proudly say, "Been there. Done that. Succeeded."

CommonHealth represents both domestic and global brands = of leading healthcare manufacturers and marketers. Our work spans the spectrum= of every marketing discipline for every target audience and we have a unique ability to provide innovative, cost-cutting healthcare solutions and a real return on investment.

For= m more information about CommonHealth, visit their website at http://www.commonhealth.com.=

Every generation expects easier access to more of what t= he world has to offer. More products and services. More information and ideas.= More people and places. FedEx helped create that expectatio= n. And we deliver on it millions of times a day, providing the access to transform possibilities into reality.

FedEx offers the widest range of services and integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively. As C= hairman, President and CEO Fred Smith said decades ago, the information about a pack= age is as important as the package itself. Today's FedEx continues to support o= ur shipping services with state-of-the-art technology, putting the information= you need right at your fingertips.

For all your shipping needs, choose FED EX!

You can find more information about Fed Ex at www.fedex.com.

In a Word . . . A little HUMOR from the HR Department

(Read between the lines!)

Career mi= nded – You must want to work 24/7

Casual work atmosphere – We don’t pay enough to expect = that you will dress up

Competitive Salary – We remain competitive by paying less=

Duties will Vary – Anyone in the office can boss you ar= ound

Join our fast-paced company – We have no time to tra= in you

Must be deadline oriented – You will be six months behind schedule on your first day

Some overtime required – Some time each night and some time e= ach weekend

&nbs= p;

Advertise with us!<= /span>

A worthy cause? Of course! If you know= of anyone that may be interested in sponsoring the National Receptionists Association, contact Patti Foster at = pmfgrace@yahoo.com or Jennifer Alexander at jennifer@nationalrecepti= onists.com   Please consider adverti= sing in the National Association of Receptionists newsletter. It will appear in one year worth o= f quarterly newsletters. Advertising in c= osts are as follows:

<= o:p>

Full page advertisement    -     $150

Half-page advertisement     -    $75

*The newsletters= are currently reaching 500 members/businesses/media.

<= o:p>

Benefits of Advertising:<= /o:p>

= 674; Name recognition on our website an= d a corporate logo link

= 674; Year-round exposure to hundreds of receptionists and support personnel visiting the website<= /p>
= 674; Mention in all press-releases issu= ed about National Receptionists Day

= 674; A “National Receptionists Day” coffee mug as shown on the website

From the Desk of= the Executive Director

By = Jennifer Alexander

Hello all! I hope you saved some time for fun or relaxat= ion this summer and fall.

Many of you have expressed interest in certification or training programs for receptionists. Certification can help with job performance, but it can also help in advancement or pay increases, so we take this very seriously.

The National Receptionists Association is now at work on this effort. We are defining = the role of receptionists, creating job descriptions that include functions as = well as attributes. Please forward= any thoughts you may have on this to us (Jennifer@nationalrecepti= onists.com ). We value your experience a= nd insights.

We are assembling an Advisory Board to help us with accreditation. The board will create the needs assessment, define learning objectives and desired outcome= s, and help identify next steps. This peer review/evaluation process will serve to keep our programs current, relevant, and educationally sound. We hope to create a program that can be applied online as well as attended in person.

We will keep you advised of the progress and, again, please forward any thoughts or experience with accreditation or certification programs that you have had.

Jennifer Alexander

Jennifer@nationalreceptionists.com

=

        =      ………………………̷= 0;………………………..…&= #8230;………
Are you Listening?

By = Patti Foster=

Listening is a vital part of our job. You probably spend more time liste= ning than any other thing you do in your job as a receptionist. Like other skills, listening takes practice—much practice. Most of us don’t listen as well as we should or as well as we could. Listening takes an active process.= Several points to listening are:

Hearing – Listening for the facts.

Understanding – Where you take what you have heard and understand it in your o= wn way.

Judging – Making sense out of what is said.

Following are a few tips on how to increase your listeni= ng skill level.

Eye contact. Give your full attention to the person who is speaking.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> If you don’t, they know it.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>

Don’t talk= over the person. People that are not listening, or = those that don’t’ want to hear, have a tendency to “talk over” the other person who trying to convey the information. What happens in this situation is = the interruption is made and both parties try to out-talk the other. You are a far more effective liste= ner when you stop and listen. Whe= n you listen, you actually save time by gathering the information before making a judgment call without the vital facts. It is impossible to listen and talk at the same time. You can’t really listen if y= ou are busy thinking about what you want to say next.

In having a conversation with a close friend, when she s= ays, “can I finish?,” I know I have not been a good listener. Be quiet and listen.

Focus. Make sure whoever is speaking feel= s you are really listening. DonR= 17;t let your mind wander. (This w= ill take practice!) It can be eas= y to let your mind wander if you think you know what the person is going to say next. A pad of paper and pen = can help tremendously in this skill. Write down the facts as the person is speaking. You may need to refer to this information later.

Phone vs. hoveri= ng. This is unavoidable. The scenario: you are on the telep= hone and people approach the desk needing assistance. Develop a way to let the person wh= o is waiting that you are on the telephone and to wait just a moment. Let them know in a way that they f= eel they are also a priority.

Make the main th= ing be the main thing. Listen for main ideas. The main ideas are the most import= ant points the caller or visitor wants to get across. It is not necessary to recall all of the information the person = says, just be very clear on the “facts”. If necessary, repeat back to them = how you understand it.

Lastly, how you listen and respond to your callers or visitors will remain in their mind – will they see you as friendly and helpful or emotional and uncaring?

Helpful websites

http://dictionary.reference.com/<= /a>        =    www.ups.com        =         www.fedex.com           =     ww= w.usps.com

www.hyattplace.com                =     http://www.commonhealth.com        =                 http://maps.yahoo.com/

http://www.switchboard.com/           =          http://www.ipl.org/            =         http://www.nationalnotary.org/

NATIONAL RECEPTI= ONISTS ASSOCIATION

Membership Form<= o:p>

Please mail, e-mail, or fax to:

Jennifer Alexander, Executive Director=

Je= nnifer@nationalreceptionists.com

= P.O. Box 1187

Washington= Depot, CT 06793=

FAX: 888.292.5782

□   Yes! I want to serve on the Board (please let us know what you are interested in seeing in the association).

□   No. I do not want to serve on the Boar= d at this time.

Name

Mailing Address

Company

Telephone Number       &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;             &nbs= p;      E-mail address

Fax

Comments/Suggestions

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