Knowing a few phone tricks can make life easier—and even make you more successful…
When you can’t place the name of a caller who seems to know you and you’re embarrassed to admit it, say, “I’m right in the middle of something—give me your number, and I’ll call you right back.” Then hang up, and rack your memory to figure out who the caller is. Then call back.Use an air of familiarity to increase the odds that a secretary will put you through to a big shot. If you can create the impression that you are on close terms with the big shot, the secretary might put you through rather than risk offending a good friend of the boss. Identify yourself only by your first name, say “he” or “she” rather than the big shot’s name and use the secretary’s first name if you know it. Example: “Oh, hi, Lisa. This is Jim. Is he in?” .Inject pep into phone calls. Phone conversations tend to be less engaging than face-to-face chats because the caller can’t see your facial expressions and hand gestures. Add perhaps 30% more than your usual energy to your voice on the phone to make up for this pep deficit. Expect it to feel a little unnatural at first.Call when you know no one is there to answer if you don’t want a long or awkward conversation. Leave a voice mail message, and say there’s no need to call back.
Helpful: You can’t just call when someone’s out if you’re calling a cell phone—people carry their cell phones with them when they go out. Instead, use a service called slydial (www.slydial.com) to leave a message in a cell phone’s voice mail. Call 267-759-3425, then enter the number you wish to reach when prompted. Your call will go right to the cell-phone’s voice mail without the cell-phone’s owner having a chance to answer. Slydial is free, but you will have to listen to a few advertisements and your standard long-distance rates apply.Keep your tone restrained when you first answer your phone—then shift to a very pleased tone to say, “Oh, Mary, great to hear from you,” when the caller identifies herself. This tone shift sends a message that you are happy to hear from this particular person, which is likely to encourage callers to have warm feelings toward you, too.Use your conversation partner’s first name more frequently than you would when speaking in person. People perk up when they hear their names, so this can increase the call’s energy and sense of engagement. Examples: “That’s a good point, Steve,” or “You know what I think, Steve…”Plan what you’ll say if voice mail picks up…or if a person picks up. Anticipating one and getting the other is among the most common causes of phone fumbles.Give your phone number twice when you leave a message. This saves listeners from having to replay your message if they miss a digit the first time.Helpful: Speak your number in two different groupings, such as “five-five-five-nine-two-nine-one,” then “five-fifty-five…ninety-two…ninety-one.” This doubles the odds that you’ve said it in a way that the person you called will remember.
Let people see you turn off your cell phone when you meet with them face to face. This sends a powerful message that you consider these people important.
