How To Become More Confident on the Phone Employment
Being confident on the phone is a very useful skill. Not only does it give you the ability to be a clear and active communicator in your day-to-day life, but it’s also a useful skill to have when you’re on the job market. There are many jobs out there which require good communication skills, including emergency services point of contact, technical support officer, sales agent, account management and many, many more.
In this latest knowledge hub article from Building Better Opportunities, we’ll be going over some of the best quick tips for becoming more confident on the phone. By mastering this skill, you’ll become a more effective communicator and open yourself up to some great career options.
Get an Idea of Who You’re Speaking To
Speaking to someone you don’t know is always much scarier than speaking to someone who you know, right? So, to give yourself a little bit of a boost, take a second to imagine the person you’re speaking to before you answer the phone.
They can look any way you want them to, and you certainly don’t have to keep the image in your mind static. However you imagine the person in your head, they should be someone you are comfortable speaking with — a parent, an old friend, or your local postman. Ideally, you shouldn’t try to imagine someone who will make you laugh, as the other person may misconstrue the situation if you accidentally chuckle.
Warm Up
For the next stage of this process, you should take a quick second to make sure that you’re physically ready for the conversation. This could mean making sure that your posture is right, that you’re comfortable in your chair, and that you’re not out of breath. Making sure that you’re physically prepared for the call is a big part of being an effective communicator.
Have A Positive Opening
When you go into a phone call, you should ideally start with a positive opening. If appropriate, smile (or gin) and start with a good, solid ‘hello.’
We know, it sounds a little like a joke, but when you smile or grin your larynx is pulled up in your throat slightly. When we hear that slightly higher pitch, we automatically assume the speaker is in a good mood and happy to speak to us. This makes us more psychologically predisposed to liking them. This should make the conversation much easier.
Don’t Be Afraid of Speaking Slowly
It’s very common for people who are panicking to increase the rate at which they speak. This action even gave rise to the famous stereotype of the ‘motormouth.’ But we do this for two rather logical reasons. The first is that we want the conversation to end quicker, and thus we increase the rate at which we speak. The second reason is that during times of great stress our non-conscious minds (the part of our brains which deal with emotions) are dealing with the fight or flight response. Meanwhile, our conscious minds are struggling to stay in control.
But you really should slow down, if you can. Take a deep breath and take your time to say what you need to. Doing this will ensure that the conversation doesn’t get away from you and that you stay in control of your responses.
Don’t Say Too Much
Related to the above, when you speak on the phone, you should take a moment to consider what you have to say. Ideally, you should give just enough information to give your conversation partner everything they need to know and not too much that they feel overwhelmed by the conversation. Admittedly, it’s difficult to independently gauge what counts as ‘too much.’ However, when you’ve mastered the ability to slow down a conversation, you’ll find that you’re doing it naturally.
Enjoy the Moment
Finally, it’s important to remember to try to enjoy the conversation. You’ll find that most of successful conversationalists are extroverts who genuinely enjoy speaking to other people. So take a moment and enjoy the conversation. Make sure you’re listening to the person on the other side of the line. It can be difficult, especially if you’re getting bad news, but once you’ve gotten the hang of it you’ll wonder how you ever stumbled in the first place.
Employment Advice in Staffordshire From Building Better Opportunities
At Building Better Opportunities, we provide our clients with welfare and employment advice. We can help you with work placements, benefits, and employment law legal advice, as well as other areas. For more information about employment advice in Stafford, please get in touch with Building Better Opportunities today.