How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Start Loving Phone Calls: Conveying Confidence and Vigor When Your Audience Can’t See You

Phone calls, conference calls, and video calls are increasingly important. Yet they’re also tricky. Expectations are high; fall short, and you’ll dent your reputation.

Indeed, you could be the smartest person on the line. But if you don’t present that way, you won’t be judged that way.

To remedy this paradox requires a simple shift in mindset. Don’t think of phone calls as mere calls. Instead, think of phone calls as virtual meetings, which in turn are part of a broader skill set called executive presence.

Embrace this attitude, and you’ll stop slogging through calls as a necessary evil. Instead, you’ll start appreciating them for what they are: An opportunity to win clients and influence colleagues.

Here are the key takeaways you’ll learn as a result of this workshop:

1. How to speak with confidence and vigor in a virtual environment.

2. How to infuse your voice with eagerness and enthusiasm.

3. How to schedule a call (that sounds simple, but there’s very much a right and a wrong way to do it).

4. How to master your duties as the host of a teleconference.

5. How to maximize your participation as an attendee.

Transcript

1. How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Start Loving Phone Calls Conveying confidence and vigor when your audience can’t see you
4. “It can be tempting to hide behind the safety blanket of Slack or email, but having phone conversations can be especially effective in building stronger relationships. The ability to convey tone often plays a positive and humanizing role in these conversations, and all of that is lost in email.” —Oset Babur
6. Most People Think This Way Phone Calls Smart People Think This Way Virtual Meetings
7. Sales Status Groups One on Ones
9. Why Do Calls Matter?
10. 3 Negative Reasons
12. REPUTATION
14. 3 Positive Reasons
18. 1 Before During After 2 3
19. 1 Before
20. 1 Punctuality
21. “I want to hire employees who arrive late.” —Said no boss ever.
26. 2 Scheduling
27. 2 Scheduling Availability
28. What Most People Do I’m available at 1:15 PM and 4:30 PM. What Smart People Do I’m available between 1 – 1:30 PM and 4:30 – 5:30 PM.
29. What Most People Do I’m available between 1 – 1:30 PM and 4:30 – 5:30 PM. What Smart People Do I’m available between 1 – 1:30 PM and 4:30 – 5:30 PM EST.
30. 2 Scheduling Confirmation
31. Insert a step for: “Please let me know what number I should call?”
32. What Most People Do Great — I look forward to chatting! What Smart People Do Great! I look forward to chatting on 1 PM on Monday (4/2). What Very Smart People Do Great! I look forward to chatting on 1 PM on Monday (4/2). I’ll call the number in your signature.
33. What Super Smart People Do Great! I look forward to chatting on 1 PM on Monday (4/2). I’ll call the number in your signature. I figure we’ll need 20 minutes. What the Smart- est People Do Great! I look forward to chatting on 1 PM on Monday (4/2). I’ll call the number in your signature. Calendar invite, for 20 minutes, coming shortly.
34. 2 Scheduling Invitation
35. Call – Dan Egan What Smart People Do Call – Dan Egan/ Amy Brookheimer What Very Smart People Do Call – Dan Egan/ Amy Brookheimer – Frozen Yoghurt What Most People Do
36. What Most People Do 310-285-9000 What Smart People Do 310-285-9000 // 456789# What Very Smart People Do 310-285-9000 // 45-67-89#
37. What Most People Do Zoom What Smart People Do Zoom – https://zoom.us/j/581079399
38. Calendly ScheduleOnce
39. 3 Preparation
40. 3 Preparation Written
41. “Every successful person I know takes notes. You want to be noticed and rise through the ranks at your company? In every meeting, take notes.” —Chris Sacca
43. Clean Jobs Ø Senator Doyle Ø Chuck Furnham? Ø Macauley Amendment
44. The Office of the Vice President Clean Jobs April 22, 2012 9 – 9:30 AM EST Agenda 1. Tweet 2. Fundraiser 3. Dan Egan
45. The Office of the Vice President Clean Jobs April 22, 2012 9 – 9:30 AM EST Purpose How do we the Clean Jobs Commission the Vice President’s main legacy?
46. The Office of the Vice President Clean Jobs April 22, 2012 9 – 9:30 AM EST Attendees 1. Selina Meyer, Vice President 2. Amy Brookheimer, Chief of Staff 3. Mike McLintock, Director of Communications 4. Dan Egan, Deputy Director of Communications 5. Gary Walsh, Personal Aide
49. 3 Preparation Physical
56. 2 1 Before During
57. 4 Read & React
59. “The plan is useless, but planning is essential.” —Dwight Eisenhower
61. 5 Conference Calls
62. Jonathan
68. 6 Movement
69. Smile
70. Stand
71. Gesticulate
72. W ear a Headset
73. Train Your Voice
74. 7 Concluding the Call
75. q Good of the Order q Minutes q Next Steps q Gratitude
76. þ Good of the Order q Minutes ☐ Next Steps ☐ Gratitude
77. þ Good of the Order þ Minutes q Next Steps ☐ Gratitude
78. “The sign of a great meeting isn’t the meeting itself. It’s what happens after that meeting.” —Peter Bregman
79. þ Good of the Order þ Minutes þ Next Steps q Gratitude
80. 1 Before During 2 After 3
81. 8 Recap Email
82. þ Minimizes Misunderstandings þ Catches People Up q Prompts People
83. þ Minimizes Misunderstandings þ Catches People Up q Prompts People
84. þ Minimizes Misunderstandings þ Catches People Up q Prompts People
85. Hi Mike, This email confirms your to-dos as a result of this morning’s strategy call: Ø Write the veep’s introductory remarks for the North Carolina pig roast. If you can send me the text by Wednesday at 5 PM Eastern, I’d appreciate it. Thank you, Amy
86. CALL ME! (202) 596-1882 JonathanRickPresentations.com