The simple trick to Phone Power is to stand and smile while talking. This quickly boosts your confidence. Although it really is that simple, it’s also far too simple to unwittingly sabotage your Phone Power. (If standing isn’t an option due to health concerns, smile and use these other tips.)
Optimize your results with these additional tips:
Minimize distractions. Standing will boost your confidence, but distractions will cause you to pause, stammer, and lose your train of thought. In normal situations, it’s a nuisance and usually a conversation killer. When making important connections for Networking and Research Interviews, distractions can cause to you make a poor impression—losing the opportunity to make important connections. An absent-minded moment in a phone interview/phone screening could knock you off the list for the next round of interviews.
Walking and talking is an even worse combination than sitting and slumping to diminish your Phone Power. When you’re not involved in a face to face conversation, the natural tendency is to look around, fidget, and move about freely. Mobile devices—especially Bluetooth devices—have made this a habit for many people. Why not? You may wonder… After all, you carry on face to face conversations while carrying on with your activities. The difference is that important job search activities naturally require a higher level of concentration (and decorum) than that of our daily routines.
Just like smiling and standing can boost your mood, being clean and well dressed—ready to walk out the door at any moment—will put you in the proper mindset. (Depression sets in a little too easily when you’re wearing sweatpants –if you’re not jogging.)
As much as I hate to mention this, it needs to be stated: Standing does eliminate the ability to carry on some forms of elimination, but not all of them. Although common sense dictates that you NOT use the restroom while talking on the phone, this revolting habit is unfortunately widespread enough to make this mention necessary.
So, stand and deliver, be confident, and let common sense guide your Phone Power!
For personal job search guidance, call 317-842-8881 to schedule an appointment for CrossRoads’ Career Services if you’re in the Central Indiana area.