5 Biggest Mistakes You Make When Talking on the Phone

Causes

Fear may be caused by a previously experienced tragic call.
A woman or man is afraid to call or communicate with strangers on the phone for a reason. The appearance of such fear is influenced by a number of factors. We will look at the main ones.

1. Fear that the interlocutor will begin to speak negatively and be rude.
2. Self-doubt, fear that you won’t be able to formulate your thoughts correctly.
3. Lack of ability to maintain the thread of a conversation. Characteristic of attention deficit disorder.
4. Problem of communication in the absence of visual contact.
5. Having negative experiences in the past. For example, a difficult conversation took place earlier, the person was rude, threatened or abandoned via a phone call.
6. Lack of practice. A person may be afraid because this type of communication has rarely occurred.
7. A person is afraid to call about work because he is very worried. It's hard to maintain communication when you don't see how the other person reacts to your words. And this is sometimes very important when applying for a new place. In addition, you may experience great fear that you will not be able to make the right impression on your employer over the phone. There is also a risk that the applicant will become confused and will not be able to answer the questions asked correctly.

How to structure a telephone conversation correctly

Before dialing a number, you need to plan the conversation in advance. This will help you not to mumble at the most crucial moment and not to forget important aspects of the upcoming discussion. It is worth keeping a notepad nearby to take notes during the discussion.

Of course, at the very beginning you need to introduce yourself and state your name and position, as well as, if necessary, the name of the company. This will help the interlocutor not to get confused during further conversation. General rules of communication insist on clarification about the convenience of conversation at the moment - sometimes a call may occur in the most inappropriate situations for this (for example, while visiting the bathroom).

The technique of active listening will help you not to miss important points, but you can always ask clarifying questions, provided that they do not interrupt the interlocutor. At the end you need to say goodbye and perhaps make an appointment. After the conversation, you need to think about everything that was discussed and draw some conclusions for yourself. It's better to do it right away, while the memories are fresh.

Editor's choice: How to stop thinking about the past and open the door to the future?

Possible difficulties

Fear of calls can deprive you of the opportunity to build a career

In the modern world, the inability to talk on the phone significantly worsens the quality of life. Let's look at what exactly awaits you by avoiding such communication.

1. Business opportunities are significantly reduced.
2. Missing vital calls.
3. A constant feeling of anxiety when your mobile phone rings causes persistent stress.

Conversation rules

1. When talking on the phone, you need to maintain the correct intonation. It is she who conveys your mood.
2. Avoid the habit of interrupting your interlocutor. Try to match his speaking speed.
3. If they called you at the wrong time, don’t be afraid to say so, ask to call back after a certain time.
4. If you didn’t hear something during the conversation or misunderstood it, it’s better to ask again. Especially if the call was for work.
5. If you accidentally dropped a call or accidentally hung up during a call, don’t be afraid to call back, apologize and continue the conversation.

Specifics of telephone communication

The specifics of communication vary depending on the interlocutor:

• it could be a friend or acquaintance, and then the goal would be some personal plans and news;

• it could be a loved one or a close person with whom it is simply pleasant to chat;

• this could be a work partner, immediate boss or client, and then it is important not to be distracted by side topics from the main purpose of the discussion - concluding a deal, receiving an order, selling a product or performing a service.

Editor's choice: How to learn English on your own at home

But regardless of who you are talking to, you need to watch your voice and your words. Communication between people is based on a combination of verbal and non-verbal languages, and only the first is available by telephone. Only a voice can convince the interlocutor that the person on the other side of the phone is exactly what he needs.

What to do

To make it easier for you, pre-record your upcoming speech on a voice recorder. Listen to it. This way you can understand how you will sound from the outside

1. First of all, you need to determine what exactly scares you when you dial a phone number.
2. Determine the benefit of being able to talk without face-to-face contact.
3. Even an aggressive conversation should not upset you if you are talking to a stranger. This is his problem, since he is so ill-mannered. Realize that you won’t have to talk to him anymore, don’t take his statements to heart.
4. If you have a business conversation and you are worried that you will forget something or say the wrong thing, then prepare the text of the speech in advance.
5. Don’t forget to start the conversation with a greeting, followed by prepared questions, and then a farewell with wishes for a good day.
6. You can take care of creating certain phrases that will help in cases where you are caught by an unexpected question. This way you can stall for time.
7. You can practice your speech before the call. For example, talk with your mobile phone turned off.
8. Alternatively, in order to give yourself confidence, you can record your speech on a voice recorder. Then listen to it, make sure everything sounds correct and beautiful. If necessary, correct it.
9. Before you call, have a piece of paper and pen ready in case you have to write something down.

There was a time in my life when I was worried about how and what to say on the phone. When I was expecting an important call, I almost jumped from nervous tension when the call came. In addition to the fear of being misunderstood or saying the wrong thing, I was upset by the lack of visual contact with the interlocutor. Working on myself helped me cope with my worries.

Specifics of communication with clients

Many businesses involve communicating directly with current or potential clients. This conversation is strictly regulated by the company’s internal charter, which stipulates many aspects:

• what tone should the operator respond in;
• the time within which the issue must be resolved;
• possible template phrases that the operator must know.

One rule that may not be known is to pick up the phone after the third ring. This rule is based on the fact that the respondent has time to prepare for a conversation with the client: check the microphone, the stability of the connection, etc.

Adviсe

You need to be able to overcome your fear

To avoid the thought “I’m afraid to call people,” you need to practice as often as possible.

1. To make it easier for you, start by calling relatives, then move on to friends. When you have to make an important business conversation on the phone, you won’t be afraid anymore.
2. If you have difficulty speaking because you can’t see your interlocutor, you can mentally imagine what he looks like. Alternatively, you can talk on the phone in front of a mirror.
3. When you are about to make a call, smile. Of course, no one will see you, but this way you will be able to relax and the tension will subside.
4. If you have had a traumatic conversation in the past, you need to realize that not every conversation will end this way. Perhaps this will never happen again in my entire life. And if it happens, not necessarily during a telephone conversation, maybe during a personal conversation. There is no need to be afraid to live. And if it is very difficult to control yourself and survive a past trauma, then you should turn to a specialist for qualified help.
5. If, while dialing a phone number, you are too tense and feel serious anxiety, you can practice self-hypnosis. Your task is to convince yourself that you are not afraid of anything, try to relax, close your eyes, breathe deeply, imagine how confidently you are talking to your interlocutor without seeing him.
6. Before making a call, make sure that there are no distractions. Make sure children do not enter the room, turn off the TV.
7. Prepare yourself in advance for the fact that the answer at the other end of the line may not be the person you are calling or even an answering machine. Think about what you need to say.
8. It is recommended to drink a small amount of water before the call. Excitement may cause your throat to become dry.
9. Before calling, clear your throat and say something out loud. Make sure your voice sounds correct and not hoarse from nerves.
10. Don't think that you are the only one who is nervous when making a call. It is possible that the interlocutor is also worried.

Now you know what to do if you are worried about the problem “I’m afraid to call on the phone.” Try to find strength within yourself and overcome your fear. You must understand that in the modern world you cannot do without this method of communication. If the problem lies in previous stress, then consulting a psychologist will be better.

Business communication by phone

Solving all kinds of problems and problematic issues of a production nature, establishing business contacts, concluding deals, discussing contracts or company conditions is called business communication. Business communications, in principle, are specific in themselves, therefore business communication interaction over the phone is a very complex and multifaceted action, on which the image and reputation of the entire company often depends. Therefore, you need to prepare for business communication over the phone.

When communicating over the phone with potential clients, it is necessary to clearly understand and take into account the desires and goals of the company pursued by the person. If the need to conduct a telephone business conversation is known in advance, then it is necessary to sketch out a small plan for the conversation, think through all possible variations in its flow and ways to solve hypothetical problems. In accordance with business telephone etiquette, the time of the conversation should be suitable not only for the company representative, but first of all, directly for the client. Situations in which the interlocutor should distract from more important actions should not be allowed. The wrong choice of time for business communication over the phone can become a significant obstacle to establishing the necessary contact.

The culture of business communication over the phone does not involve combining direct communication with other activities. Therefore, if there is a business conversation ahead, it is necessary to postpone all other matters. Excessively long conversations are considered unacceptable.

Business communication over the phone should not last more than five minutes. In addition, during a conversation on the phone, you should forget about facial expressions and gestures. They are no help here. The peculiarities of communicating by phone are to follow a number of rules presented below. Telephone business communication in most cases requires careful preparation in advance. Before taking up the interlocutor’s time, it is necessary to clearly understand the purpose of the conversation, determine its key directions and think through the content.

Psychologists have long established the fact that for human beings there is nothing more pleasant than the sound of their own name. Therefore, during a telephone conversation, you should always know the names of your communication partner or, at the beginning of the conversation, ask how best to contact him. In addition, you must remember all dates, product costs, conditions, discounts, promotions and other production-related information. As already written above, business communication should not take more than five minutes, but preferably four. In addition, during the conversation you should replace the neutral greeting with a more informative one. For example, you can start a dialogue by introducing the company and yourself personally. Business communication over the phone should be conducted smoothly, avoiding raising your voice or emotional outbursts. You cannot interrupt the speaker. You should also practice active listening so that the other person knows that you are listening intently.

It is recommended to study and use methods of dealing with objections in a conversation if there is a possibility of disagreements arising during communications.

In a telephone conversation, almost half of the information is conveyed through timbre, intonation, tone of voice, and pauses used.

After completing the conversation, it is necessary to analyze its style and content. It is necessary to determine whether mistakes were made in the conversation, to understand the impressions left after the conversation.

Telephone etiquette helps save time, improve the quality of conversations and reduce the percentage of unsuccessful negotiations with clients.