The phone can be a great tool for getting things done or it can be a time vampire, depending on whether you use it effectively or whether it uses you.  We take the phone for granted, so we assume that what we’ve been doing for years is the only way way to use it.  Here are some tips for getting more done in less time by using the phone more effectively:

1. Don’t take or make phone calls that should be handled by an assistant.
This sounds obvious at first glance, but try the following experiment: carry a small notebook – the kind that you used to write down your homework assignments in when you went to grade school – and log every incoming and outgoing call you personally handle for 3 days.  At the end of the call, make an honest evaluation of what aspects could have been adequately handled by a properly trained assistant and what aspects, if any, could only be handled by you.  The next step is to see that your assistant is properly trained to handle the calls you know can be fully or partially delegated.

• Incoming calls should be screened by an assistant, who should be able to handle routine matters that don’t need to be handled by you personally.
  Once your assistant(s) are properly trained, you will also find that there are very few incoming calls that you need to personally answer immediately, and deferring or eliminating these interruptions will make your day much more productive.
• There are many types of routine outgoing calls that should be handled by an assistant.
  This will vary depending on the nature of your business.  Take a careful look at the log you made of your outgoing calls, to determine which types of calls have a repetitive nature and can be delegated to an assistant.  There will always be some matters that need your personal touch or which demand your professional training, and by delegating the routine calls to an assistant, you will have more time and energy to handle these exceptions.

2. For those calls that must be handled by you personally, have an assistant get the pertinent facts and pull the client’s file for you.
In many cases, this will cut the time you need to spend on the call in half, and you will be in a much better position to handle the caller’s questions. Unless the call is an emergency, your assistant should schedule a time for you to call back at a time of the day you have set aside for call backs, so that the call doesn’t interrupt time you have already scheduled for other clients.

3. Schedule two or three time slots in your day for making outgoing calls that must be handled by you personally, and for handling non-emergency incoming calls.
This clears the rest of your day from telephone interruptions and means that you will be prepared for the phone calls that you make and accept.  Your clients will appreciate the fact that you are better prepared when you handle their call, and you will be able to handle the call more quickly and effectively, it will take less of your time and energy.  Just as important, you will be budgeting time that you used to spend on the phone in an ad-hoc manner.

4. Schedule times for calls that make sense for your type of client.
This will reduce the likelihood that you will play phone tag with your clients, and by making and taking calls at times that work for both you and your clients, it’s a win-win situation for both of you.  If you are calling people at their place of business, Monday mornings and Friday afternoons are usually the worst times to call.  If you are making long-distance calls, take the client’s time zone into account when making a call.

5. Consider a phone call to be a meeting – prepare for them like meetings and handle them like meetings.

• Prepare for calls by  having an agenda.
  Write down the facts and topics that you plan to cover, have the client’s file at your fingertips, and use the agenda to keep the call on track.
• Take careful notes during the call and read back any important points to make sure that you and the client avoid any misunderstandings.
  This is a very effective way of dealing with clients who are disorganized or who don’t express themselves clearly.  By effectively handling the call, you will put them at ease and make them happy that they were being handled by a professional like you.

• Note any significant new information provided by the client and any follow-up items that you identify.
  Schedule time to follow-up on those items, and put the notes, along with the call agenda, in the client’s file.

• Keep small talk to a minimum.
  Remember that this is a business call and if the conversation drifts into small talk,  guide  it back to your agenda.

• If you made the call, it’s your job to decide when to end the call.
  When you’ve covered your agenda and handled any relevant questions from the client, thank your client, confirm your next appointment or whatever the next action you will take, and politely end the call.

I’m confident that there are at least two tips here that you can use to improve the way you use your phone in your business or professional practice.