1. "Pay complete, total and full attention to the person on the other end of the line as if you were staring them in the eye," says Karen Friedman, a communications coach in Blue Bell, PA.  "People can read and feel your body language across the miles, so, act as if they were in the room with you so they can feel your energy, presence and attention."

2.  "Pronounce your words clearly and don't trail off at the end of a sentence," says Friedman.  "You want to make sure you are heard and understood.  Additionally, pause to give the person on the other end of the line a chance to digest what you are saying and to participate in the conversation."

3.  "Think about what you want the other person to know so you don't spend the entire interview simply answering questions," says Friedman.  "By only answering questions, you miss opportunities to deliver key points if the other person on the other end of the phone doesn't ask you a question to trigger one of these points."

4.  "Be warm and personal by backing it up wtih examples, stories and anecdotes that the person on the other end of the phone can relate to and understand," says Friedman.

<< return to previous page