The Phone Lady's Blog

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Lovely Feedback

By Mary Jane Copps | February 4, 2010

Received this lovely message about my blog and I wanted to share it with everyone. Always lovely to get feedback! “Hi Mary Jane. Today I received an email from you so I did as it suggested and clicked onto your website. I would like you … Read more

Getting It Done

By Mary Jane Copps | January 31, 2010

Enjoyed being both a teacher and a student this past week. On Monday I delivered my Telephone Talent workshop to a group in co-operative education at Dalhousie University. For many of them there was a lightbulb moment when we talked about follow up. They had … Read more

Potential Clients Call You

By Mary Jane Copps | January 17, 2010

January is zipping along! “Ring Ring – I Am Cold Calling” was an extremely dynamic day. The ten woman that attended the workshop were full of energy and commitment. A community was created almost immediately. It made for an amazing day! The Lunch and Learn … Read more

In The Beginning

By Mary Jane Copps | January 10, 2010

Happy 2010! The year is certainly starting off with a lot of positive news. The Phone Lady has several new projects to work on that are exciting and challenging. And the “Ring Ring – I Am Cold Calling” workshop at The Chocolate Lake Hotel this … Read more

Blessings

By Mary Jane Copps | December 24, 2009

Christmas Eve – one of my very favorite days of the year! I send wishes to all of you for a lovely holiday season, no matter how you celebrate this time of year – and a blessed beginning to the New Year. I’ll be back … Read more

Building Relationships is the Focus

By Mary Jane Copps | December 13, 2009

First, I want to apologize for some of the typos I’m finding in my posts when I re-read them. Shame on me! I’ll be more diligent in my proofreading. Second, although I’ve used the telephone as my primary sales tool the past 23 years, it … Read more

Secret Ingredient #1

By Mary Jane Copps | November 29, 2009

First, a big “thank you” to the folks at IWave in Charlottetown for welcoming me on Friday. What a great group of people! The day was high-energy and lots of fun – a solid reminder of why I love my job! One of the big … Read more

Cold Calling and Putting Benefits Upfront

By Mary Jane Copps | November 22, 2009

I’m realizing that I’m dropping a few threads as I add to this blog from week to week. I’m torn when I sit down to write: Should I build on my last comments? Or should I share with you something I’ve learned or that’s happened … Read more

Carissa Reiniger – Make the time to meet her!

By Mary Jane Copps | November 15, 2009

I attended the Centre for Women and Business conference this past Friday at Mount Saint Vincent University and the most impressive and inspiring part of the day was listening to and meeting Carissa Reiniger. If you haven’t heard of her yet, I encourage you to … Read more

Listen Up Part II

By Mary Jane Copps | November 8, 2009

I was reminded of something this week that relates to our listening skills. Many of you will remember when the internet was a new thing in our business lives. Suddenly (or at least that’s what it felt like) we were encountering a new language and … Read more

Listen Up!

By Mary Jane Copps | November 1, 2009

I had a phone call this week about my last post. The caller revealed that they most feared misunderstanding information they were given on the phone. “I get so nervous when I have to write down a phone number. A name is even worse. I … Read more

What Makes It Scary?

By Mary Jane Copps | October 25, 2009

There is absolutely no doubt about it – it is scary to pick up the telephone and call someone you don’t know with the aim of having a productive conversation about your business. To deal with this “phone phobia” we have to look at the … Read more

Stage Fright

By Mary Jane Copps | October 18, 2009

First, a mea culpa. Last weekend was Thanksgiving and I totally lost track of the days – then the week went by in a blur of deadlines. Apologies for letting the last post slip away. And thanks for your comments. I think it is important … Read more

Call Into Fall – The Formula

By Mary Jane Copps | October 4, 2009

How many cold calls do you NEED to be making? There are several ways to figure this out, but here’s the one I use most often: 1. What is the (roughly) average amount of money an average client will spend with you in one year? … Read more

Customer Service – Please!

By Mary Jane Copps | September 27, 2009

I received this email question on Friday: I was on hold today (waiting for technical support) from Point2 Systems. The system they use does not seem to be well maintained, interrupting it’s own messages and broadcasting dialing signals when it is simply repeating a message … Read more

What’s With Cold Calling Anyway?

By Mary Jane Copps | September 21, 2009

It’s not a surprise that the thought of “cold calls” sends chills through most people. There really should be a better name for them – like information calls or marketing calls or calls of introduction. I’m a BIG believer in these calls – know them … Read more

Sniffles and Coughs

By Mary Jane Copps | September 14, 2009

Last week someone complained to me about a customer service experience they had with one of the big telephone companies. The woman who served them had a very bad cold and kept coughing right in their ear. Very irritating, they said. If you have the … Read more

Thoughtless? It will cost you!

By Mary Jane Copps | September 6, 2009

Here’s question that arrived this week: I recently phoned a Halifax real estate agent on a listing of his I had seen while driving in a neighbourhood I’ve had an interest in for awhile. I was shocked at how rude and uninterested he was in … Read more

Replacing “just”

By Mary Jane Copps | August 30, 2009

Telephone communication demands that you choose your words carefully, thoughtfully. Since they are not reinforced (or contradicted) by your body language, their impact is immediate and long-lasting. You want to always use words that will inspire two things – listening and dialogue. The word “just” … Read more

One Small Word

By Mary Jane Copps | August 23, 2009
man speaking on phone

When I started my first company, at the tender and overly self-confident age of 28, one small word got in the way of my increasing revenue consistently. That word was “just”. I used it in my telephone conversations, like most people do, to be polite, … Read more

Avoid Being the Annoying “Fast Talker”

By Mary Jane Copps | August 18, 2009

We have all been victims of the “fast talker” – the person who leaves their phone number in our voicemail so quickly we must “Press 1 to repeat this message” over and over. It is annoying! Avoid irritating others by learning how to leave your … Read more

Improving Communication in Difficult Circumstances

By Mary Jane Copps | August 18, 2009

The question below cites time delays but there are many other ways telephone communication can be difficult. Sore throats and colds, surprise visitors to your office, calling into a marketplace where your accent is unfamiliar, and the sounds of infants or children in the background … Read more

Phone Phobia

By Mary Jane Copps | August 17, 2009

It is no exaggeration to say that the telephone has given me a fabulous life (I’ll tell you more in later posts) which is why I’ve been completely surprised to discover that many business people (approximately 80%) suffer from “phone phobia”. Entrepreneurs, salespeople, administrators (to … Read more

When leaving a message, how long is too long?

By Mary Jane Copps | August 17, 2009

There’s no ”cookie cutter” answer to this question, but here’s a few guidelines. It’s important to treat voicemail as receptionist or executive assistant in order to “make things happen”. If you are returning the call of a known business contact and need to confirm the … Read more

Radio New Zealand logo
How to tackle your telephone hang-ups. People with bad cases of telephone anxiety can experience nausea, increased heart rate and shortness of breath at the sound of a ringtone. Listen in...

Phone Phobia Hits the News

Phone phobia, or telephobia, has been getting a lot of attention in the news recently. See what Mary Jane has to say about it...
Margins of Error with Harry Enten
CNN's Harry Enten asks why we’re avoiding phone calls and whether we can be coached through our telephone-related nerves in this Margins of Error podcast featuring Mary Jane.
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
22 Minutes correspondent, Brandon Hackett, figures out which end is up on this thing called a telephone, with help from The Phone Lady. Watch Telephone Lessons for Millennials.
The Wall Street Journal.
Banks Curtail Employee Use of Voice Mail: Voice mail is viewed as an expensive vestige of a bygone era. See what The Phone Lady has to say.