What to Do When You Hate Making Business Phone Calls

Let's face it, not everyone likes making phone calls, particularly in this time when more and more of us resort to texts or emails.

However, there are times when business calls must be made and if you dislike making phone calls these experiences can provoke a lot of anxiety. Yet there are ways to make the process tolerable, and one can even learn to enjoy the experience of making business calls. Yes, we said enjoy!

Here are several ways to improve your skills on the phone.

Write down what you plan to say. Obviously, if possible, you want to create a script for the phone call. How detailed that script is depends upon your comfort level. Some people find it easier to write everything down word for word while for others it's enough to jot down some key points. Having a clear understanding and written guide for your business calls can reduce your anxiety and make the calls proceed more smoothly.

Practice with a partner. You might be fine practicing your phone script a few times on your own but it's always more helpful to practice with a partner and to ask for feedback. Working with another person can provide you with a better sense for how to handle the conversation as it veers off your script and prepared remarks.

Relax. Practice some deep breathing and other relaxation techniques, including visualizing a successful and pleasant phone conversation.

Make the phone call privately. If you work in a cubicle you might want to schedule a conference room to enable you to have more privacy for the call. Having the nearby ears of your co-workers listening in on your call can provoke anxiety so don't hesitate to find a more private place in the office for the conversation.

Practice makes progress. View each call positively and as an opportunity to get better. The more calls you make, the easier it will become and the less anxiety you will experience when you need to make important business calls in the future.

You don't have to be paralyzed by anxiety or discomfort when talking on the phone and it doesn't have to hold your career back it you take a few small steps to improve the experience of making business calls.