Dreaded Phone Call

Is there someone you DREAD answering the phone to?

Sometimes there’s just no avoiding answering that call – but certain conversations can waste precious time and energy. Judith Orloff, author of “Emotional Freedom,” has some advice on handling some draining types of callers:

• The chronic talker never takes a breath – you’ll HAVE to interrupt with a reason you’ve got to go. Faking that lost call only works once.

• The sob sister just wants a captive audience – and usually isn’t interested in solutions. Give them 5 minutes to vent – then change the subject or end the call.

• The controller wants to tell you what to do. Your best approach is to tell them right off the bat “thanks, but I’d like to work through this on my own.” Then repeat – they usually don’t get it the first time.