Replacing “just”

August 30, 2009|Mary Jane Copps
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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” is not inspirational. In fact it implies you might be a time-waster and it clearly states that you are not confident in yourself or your message. Replace it with “Jane Smith, its Mary Jane Copps calling from The Phone Lady. The reason for my call today is… .” Or the purpose of my call is, or I’m contacting you today because – you get the idea. On the other end of the line what is heard is: “Jane Smith, its Mary Jane Copps calling from The Phone Lady. I respect that you are very busy. I have taken the time to prepare for this phone call and will not waste your time. I am confident that this phone call will be useful to you.” And the invisible body language is Jane Smith stopping what she is doing (working on her keyboard, participating in a discussion, etc) and giving you her complete attention for at least 30 seconds. You have now taken your first step towards dialogue, building relationship and getting things done.

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