Ah, telephones. We love them and hate them. We declare our disgust with their incessant ringing - yet don’t dare to not answer, no matter if in the middle of dinner, standing in line at the store or even in the bathroom. We are slaves from the moment we wake.
One day I decided that I didn’t have to answer a ringing phone simply because it rang. Nothing happened. The sun shone and the earth continued to rotate on its axis. It was my first step to telephone freedom, and since then have learned a few interesting facts I would like to share.
On average, an unplanned telephone call lasts 12 minutets; while a planned call lasts only seven minutes. If you make or receive a dozen calls, that five-minute difference is wasting an hour of your time every day. An hour that you could be spending working on your business or at the gym. Today, why not try something new to reclaim that time:
- Batch your calls. Keep a list of all the people you need to call along with pertinent notes and make the calls consecutively (during a block of time you learned about in my last blog). You’ll be in Phone Mode and get through the list quicker.
- Make phone calls right before lunch or just before closing time. The recipient will be eager to end the call quickly.
- If you need only to give information, call during the lunch hour when no one is there. You can leave a detailed message while avoiding chatting about Aunt Martha’s knee surgery.
- State on your voicemail when callers can expect your return call. For example, my voicemail says that I return calls between 4:30 and 6:30 pm. That way, nobody is sitting around waiting for me; and if I am able to call before that time it is a pleasant surprise.
Keeping in touch with clients, colleagues and friends is an important part of our business and personal lives. But when needless chatting takes over and we find ourselves talking more than working, it is time to stop and regain control. Give yourself permission to take the first step toward telephone freedom.