Communication: Telephones and Telephone Tag

The greatest misconception about communication is that it even exists. Make sure you understand the remarks of others. Learn when to move on to the "meat" and when to cut out the "fat" in your conversations. Create a report-like structure for your conversations: body, introduction, and conclusion.

Schedule free-flowing, imaginative brainstorming sessions on occasion. Avoid going off on tangents. Keep directing the conversation in the right direction. To make sure that people understand you, ask for constructive criticism. Give constructive criticism so that others will know you also understand them.

Telephones When the phone rings, instead of getting annoyed, tell yourself, "That's my job calling." You'll be less annoyed if you think of the phone as your job calling you. Screen all incoming calls and offer to assist callers with routine issues. Frequently, record and analyze your phone calls. Find out exactly what's going on with your phone. When you are away, make use of answering machines, call forwarding, or voice mail systems. producer voice tags

Make use of your phone's timer; It will assist you in keeping your exchanges brief. Consider fax, memo, or electronic mail as alternatives to phone calls. A good message contains, for example: name, phone number, the reason for the call, and what you want from the individuals, company, etc.

Try saying to the person on the other end of the line:

You don't have to answer every call: "I was just walking out the door," "There's someone in my office now," or "I am in the middle of a meeting." Allowing your voice mail system to take calls is acceptable. See who is calling by using the screening feature. Put the caller on hold so you can think, regroup, or come up with a plan. One-way information is exchanged on roughly half of all business calls. Instead, send faxes or emails. Call them early in the morning or late at night on their voice mail if you want them to take action.

Telephone Tag Although it cannot be eliminated, telephone tag can be reduced. Ask if someone else can assist you if the person you are calling is unavailable. Think about other ways to reach people and other times. Email is gaining in popularity. When you are not in your office, people can reach you by using call forwarding. Beeper, SMS, and mobile phone may also be helpful.