The ‘Phone Lady’ dishes on Adele’s telephone habits; celebrates 140th anniversary of first phone call
(Halifax, NS) Feb. 29, 2016 – Adele must have done it a thousand times. But did she do it effectively, and with panache?
“I’m very frustrated for Adele. She’s a terrific singer, but clearly her phone skills need an overhaul,” quips Mary Jane Copps, otherwise known as The Phone Lady. “She is obviously not getting her message across, and she’s missing out on opportunities – maybe even true love – because of that. Sadly, it’s a familiar story.”
The Halifax businesswoman has spent the past 10 years instructing people of all ages – students, entrepreneurs, CEOs – in the fine art of telephone communication skills. In The Phone Book: Essential Telephone Communication Skills – and in classroom, workshop, one-on-one and online training sessions – she covers topics ranging from phone phobia and leaving messages to cold calling and ways to inspire conversation.
As the world prepares to mark the 140th anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell’s first phone transmission on March 10, Copps reflects on a society where cell phones are ubiquitous, yet fewer people feel confident about actually making phone calls. In contrast, complaints about the avalanche of e-mails and text messages are gaining momentum in the business, and even social, realms.
“When my clients dial instead of tapping on keys, they find out how much faster it is to move forward with a project or get the information they needed,” says Copps, whose motto is Pick it up. Make things happen!
“They also discover the meaning of clarity – that hearing the words instead of reading them provides them with greater knowledge and understanding. This is the power of the human voice.”
With a successful career spanning management, journalism, sales, research and fundraising, Copps finally embraced her alter-ego, The Phone Lady, in 2006. Her clients range from large corporations such as TD Bank and Marriott Hotels, to charitable organizations including the IWK Foundation and Nature Conservancy of Canada, to universities and entrepreneurship programs.
Follow The Phone Lady:
@thephoneladyca
www.linkedin.com/in/maryjanecopps
Photo credit: Rebecca Clarke http://www.rebeccaclarke.ca
For copies of the book, to arrange interviews, or for high-res images, please contact:
Skana Gee
publicist
gee.skana@gmail.com
902-223-5234