Organizing Phone Calls 1–2–3

By Maria Gracia

Organizing your incoming and outgoing phone calls can be as easy as 1–2–3. Here's how:

1. PREPARE, BEFORE YOU CALL.
Before you make a phone call, do a little preparation. Gather anything you need to refer to, jot down any questions, keep a pen and paper handy to write down any notes and if necessary, practice what you are going to say to the person who answers the call. Checklists work great too. If you want to get a number of points across, make a checklist beforehand, and check off each item as it is discussed.

2. CONSOLIDATE.
If you have to make a bunch of phone calls during your day, designate an hour as your 'phone hour' and make all your calls during that time.


3. ELIMINATE INTERRUPTIONS.
Telephone interruptions make it extremely difficult to get anything done. The phone usually rings at an unexpected time and interrupts the project that you're working on. When you're working on something important, allow your voicemail or answering machine to field your calls for you. Then, you can call back at your convenience.

Source: www.getorganizednow.com

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