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It’s true that some people would rather send a text or email than talk on the phone these days. But insurance coverage can be complicated, and chances are your customers will have plenty of questions that can be handled much more efficiently through a phone conversation. In addition, your business building plan might involve cold-calling. As an insurance agent/broker, you might find yourself on the phone for a large portion of the day. Here’s a list of guidelines for making a good impression on the phone.

Always answer the phone with your full name and the name of your company. “XYZ Insurance Agency, Kelly Peterson speaking…” is far more professional than a casual “hello.” The person on the other end immediately knows they’ve reached the right person.

Never put someone on speaker phone without telling them. If you need to put someone on speaker, tell them immediately—and let them know if there is anyone else in the room. That way, they won’t make any embarrassing gaffes by revealing personal information or saying things they wouldn’t want anyone else in the room to hear.

When returning a call, leave a short voicemail. Everyone feels pressed for time these days. If you’re returning a call and get someone’s voice mail, keep your message short, succinct, and to the point. Be sure to speak clearly and ensure that the person knows why you called and what you want them to do next—call you back, email, or take other action.

Put down your sandwich. We’ve all had to work through lunch. This is an obvious one, but it bears repeating—never try to eat and talk on the phone at the same time. Even if you think you can eat discretely, chances are you can’t—and no caller wants to hear chewing noises on the other end of the line.

Use “Hold” sparingly. Use your best judgment in deciding whether to place one call on hold to pick up another or to deal with a person coming into your office while you’re on the phone—as doing so sends a message to the caller that they are, in that moment at least, the second priority. But sometimes you have to take that second call or talk to the visitor—so ask the person on the other end if you can put them briefly on hold. Keep it as brief as you can.

Close the call politely. If the incoming call is from a customer, thank the customer for calling when you close, and ask if there’s anything else you can do for them before you go. This will give the customer the chance to bring up any other issues, as well as leaving a positive general impression.

Proper phone etiquette is important for insurance agents and brokers—even in today’s environment of online quote calculators and social media marketing. Get your phone etiquette right, and you’re sure to make a good impression.