Don’t pick up the phone - until you have a plan. How to make the call....

Do you dread making phone calls?

In today’s high-tech world, emails and messaging have taken a toll on old-school phone calls - and some people just don’t know how to do it. For business purposes, phone calls need to be direct and get to the point, without being abrupt. Entrepreneur Mark Suster has some telephone dos and don’ts for the call challenged:

* Prepare! Don’t make the call until you have a plan. Write out the reason you’re calling, your key points and what you want to keep the conversation on track. 

* Start informally with some relevant banter. It can come across as rude on the phone if you skip some basic pleasantries.

* Get to the point. Some people don’t like to chit chat so keep the banter brief and get down to business. 

* Keep it two-way. Those who have grown up digitally may forget that a phone call is a two-way conversation. Don’t make the mistake of delivering a monologue. Make a point to pause and ask questions.

The key element of an important call is to clearly state why you’re calling. Go ahead and use this line: “So, the reason I’m calling is....” Mark says that 75% of people skip this basic step and leave the other person guessing.