Smile and dial

Get more comfortable with picking up the phone

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office,
the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the
new world of work, where location and hours are more
flexible than in the past. Today's tip is to find
ways to put yourself at ease about picking up the phone.

(00:26):
Email can be easy to misinterpret, and work often goes
better when we engage in real time conversation. But a
lot of people feel anxious about calling people. I want
to help you get over that. There are a lot
of things you can do to get more comfortable with dialing.
For starters, if you feel shy about calling someone without

(00:48):
a scheduled appointment, try sending an email an hour or
so before saying that you'll be calling and identifying the reason.
That way, you know they probably won't be surprised when
I pick up the phone, so you'll feel less awkward. Hi, Sally,
you might write thanks for sending these documents. I have
a couple of questions about the program participants section, so

(01:10):
I'll give you a call this afternoon or good morning, Marcos.
I'm preparing for the Williams pitch and i'd love to
get your feedback on an idea I'll give you a
call later this morning. It's a lot less intimidating to
call someone who is expecting you, and a bonus if
you have a tendency to delay making calls that you're
nervous about. By sending the email, you have made a commitment,

(01:33):
so you're less likely to put it off. Notice that
in those examples of emails, you did not ask whether
it would be okay to call. Asking if it's okay
just generates more email back and forth. Unnecessarily. Of course,
it is okay to call a colleague unless you've gotten
some really clear indication otherwise, and if a colleague tells

(01:54):
you not to call, well that is a little strange.
You also did not sugg us a specific time. You
are not scheduling a call. You're simply letting them know
you'll call. That gives you both flexibility. If they're available, great,
If not, no big deal. You'll just call back another
time or ask them to give you a call. When

(02:14):
you do get around to making the call, it can
be helpful to have a conversation starter ready. People are busy,
and this isn't a social call. You are at work,
so you don't need to engage in a lengthy interview,
but knowing that you're calling an avid gardener so it
might be good to ask about the tomato crop could
go a long way toward making the first few seconds
less awkward and finally, smile. Salespeople have long been told

(02:40):
to smile and dial, with the understanding that feeling upbeat
and cheerful increases the chances of a good conversation. It
doesn't matter that the other person can't actually see your smile.
You'll feel better and that's really most of the battle.
In the meantime, this is Laura, thanks for listening, and

(03:02):
here's the succeeding in the New Corner Office. The New
Corner Office is a production of I Heart Radio. For
more podcasts, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your favorite shows.