Afraid to pick up the phone?
On several occasions I've worried all day and phoned only to find that the person I wanted was on holiday or and if I'd phoned earlier I'd have saved hours of worrying. Often the thing you are afraid of never happens.
1 Plan the conversation. Your one-minute elevator speech. Remember you may get an answering machine.
2 Smile. It improves the tone of your voice. You feel better, too.
3 Relax.
4 Check the name of the person you are calling.
5 If you don't get through, chat up the secretary.
Make a list of phone calls and work through them.
If you are too scared, just ring to check the name of the person you are calling. Often once the phone is in your hand and the number is dialled and somebody answers - you're there.
Loads of other tricks:
Imagine the other person is naked or in bed.
Think how scared they are when they answer the phone to you and re-assure them.
Remember that if you have a list of 100 phone calls, every one brings you nearer to going home time. And success!
Any more tips? Please send them to me.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Tip 3 Teaching People Facts, Skills, Goals - & When To Speak Up For Themselves
Tip 2 Teaching Life Skills - Facts, Organizing, Skills, Goals, Speaking Up
What is the role of a teacher?
1 To educate - impart useful information.
Often if you have the facts, you have the skills, or can teach yourself the skills, choose your goals and speak up for yourself.
2 To teach skills. The policy of teaching a man to fish, not giving him a fish.
This is where so many parents go wrong.
Mother cooks and cleans. She should teach her children, male and female, to cook and clean. Then when she is entertaining or has guests to stay, they can help. When she is iill or old they can help. When she is dead, they can look after themselves.
My mother cooked. She should have taught me to cook.
Making Money & Saving It
My father looked after my money. He should have taught me to look after my money.
So many parents think they should give children financial handouts. Then children live on the dole. Run out of money. Can't manage finances.
Children and teenagers should be taught the essential rules which apply to family life, marketing and citizenship. Find out what the other person needs and give it to them.
3 Goal Setting
Unless you have a goal (such as passing O level English), you can't see the point of the steps (doing tonight's spelling test or essay).
Looking At The Mountain
The Gotta Have A Dream theory.
If you look at the mountaintop, it might encourage you to take the next flight of stairs.
The One Step At A Time Theory
But if the whole journey seems too great and distant, maybe you have to encourage the pupil or yourself to look at the project 'one step at a time'. The teachers and pupils have to know themselves.
Life coaching is about thinking of the big goals and then selecting the small achievable steps and doing them.
Goal-setting - Fulfilling Expections
Some of us spend our whole lives waiting to be told what part to play (pupils, customers).
Others tell others what part to play (teachers, doctors, authors).
Resisters
Some people are Resisters. Tell them to do one thing, they do the opposite. Lazy. Contrary. Procrastinators.
One method in NLP Neuro- Linguistic Programming - using positive language to set actions and goals - is to tell a resister to do the opposite. The person who persists in eating is told he must eat more - until he stops and says to the teacher and himself: 'No - I've had enough!'
Pleasers
Others are pleasers. Easily led. Easily encouraged.
Resisters Creating Role Confusion
If you don't play the part you were given (boy with girlfriend, man with wife, drunk on barstool), but you are homosexual with heterosexuals, sober with drunks, drunk with people who are sober, they are confused abut what role you are playing and what role they are playing. This is what makes them upset.
Control Freaks
In the UK adults are free to do what they want and marry who they want. It is illegal to force somebody to marry against their will.
In other societies the individual is part of the group and is expected to conform to the good of the group. To resist the will of the group shows the group is out of control of its members and brings disrepute, shame, attack on the honour and the control exerted by the elders or leaders.
Conforming to Family & Society
Honour killings - expecting children, even when they are adults, to play the roles their parents give them. But the government expects each person to be born, get married and die, to live three score years and ten.
Only the law courts can decide whether you should be put to death. In this country we don't have the death penalty. So honour killings are not allowed because:
a) Adults have a right to choose who to marry.
b) Law courts of independent persons must decide disputes. The judge and jury are separate.
c) Killing citizens is not allowed.
Speakers
Speakers are confident. Audiences clap on cue.
Theatre Critics & Review
Maybe theatre critics should follow the rule recommended in Toastmasters International which trains speakers. CRC - commend, recommend, commend - or praise, criticise contructively, praise. All critics should CRC. Teachers should CRC.
Teachers and Teaching
What's wrong with the new idea that children should not put up their hands? Simple. Those who fail must be taught to persist until they succeed.
The shy should be given confidence. You don't prevent people succeeding in case others are jealous.
If giving prizes to one makes others a failure, you give prizes to everybody.
At a party you give goody bags so that not only the birthday boy or girl but every child receives a gift. You don't ban presents in case others are jealous.
Don't spread misery. Spread happiness.
Speaking Up - For Children
Teachers should be encouraging the shy to put up their hands.
Start every lesson by making every child put up its hand and answer with its name when asked. The physical act of raising the arm. The mental effort of answering the teacher. The social effort of answering a question without hesitation. Knowing an answer which not everybody else knows.
Speaking Up - For Shy Adults
Join a speakers club which trains speakers. Toastmasters International is worldwide.
Obviously, if you think you have a great system, you should try to spread the word.
Civilization and organiation may be better than anarchy.
But if spreading your system means killing others, it is time to consider whether you have lost sight of the end and defeated the aim of happiness of many with the unhappiness of the few. This is where religions and wars can fail or succeed.
What is the role of a teacher?
1 To educate - impart useful information.
Often if you have the facts, you have the skills, or can teach yourself the skills, choose your goals and speak up for yourself.
2 To teach skills. The policy of teaching a man to fish, not giving him a fish.
This is where so many parents go wrong.
Mother cooks and cleans. She should teach her children, male and female, to cook and clean. Then when she is entertaining or has guests to stay, they can help. When she is iill or old they can help. When she is dead, they can look after themselves.
My mother cooked. She should have taught me to cook.
Making Money & Saving It
My father looked after my money. He should have taught me to look after my money.
So many parents think they should give children financial handouts. Then children live on the dole. Run out of money. Can't manage finances.
Children and teenagers should be taught the essential rules which apply to family life, marketing and citizenship. Find out what the other person needs and give it to them.
3 Goal Setting
Unless you have a goal (such as passing O level English), you can't see the point of the steps (doing tonight's spelling test or essay).
Looking At The Mountain
The Gotta Have A Dream theory.
If you look at the mountaintop, it might encourage you to take the next flight of stairs.
The One Step At A Time Theory
But if the whole journey seems too great and distant, maybe you have to encourage the pupil or yourself to look at the project 'one step at a time'. The teachers and pupils have to know themselves.
Life coaching is about thinking of the big goals and then selecting the small achievable steps and doing them.
Goal-setting - Fulfilling Expections
Some of us spend our whole lives waiting to be told what part to play (pupils, customers).
Others tell others what part to play (teachers, doctors, authors).
Resisters
Some people are Resisters. Tell them to do one thing, they do the opposite. Lazy. Contrary. Procrastinators.
One method in NLP Neuro- Linguistic Programming - using positive language to set actions and goals - is to tell a resister to do the opposite. The person who persists in eating is told he must eat more - until he stops and says to the teacher and himself: 'No - I've had enough!'
Pleasers
Others are pleasers. Easily led. Easily encouraged.
Resisters Creating Role Confusion
If you don't play the part you were given (boy with girlfriend, man with wife, drunk on barstool), but you are homosexual with heterosexuals, sober with drunks, drunk with people who are sober, they are confused abut what role you are playing and what role they are playing. This is what makes them upset.
Control Freaks
In the UK adults are free to do what they want and marry who they want. It is illegal to force somebody to marry against their will.
In other societies the individual is part of the group and is expected to conform to the good of the group. To resist the will of the group shows the group is out of control of its members and brings disrepute, shame, attack on the honour and the control exerted by the elders or leaders.
Conforming to Family & Society
Honour killings - expecting children, even when they are adults, to play the roles their parents give them. But the government expects each person to be born, get married and die, to live three score years and ten.
Only the law courts can decide whether you should be put to death. In this country we don't have the death penalty. So honour killings are not allowed because:
a) Adults have a right to choose who to marry.
b) Law courts of independent persons must decide disputes. The judge and jury are separate.
c) Killing citizens is not allowed.
Speakers
Speakers are confident. Audiences clap on cue.
Theatre Critics & Review
Maybe theatre critics should follow the rule recommended in Toastmasters International which trains speakers. CRC - commend, recommend, commend - or praise, criticise contructively, praise. All critics should CRC. Teachers should CRC.
Teachers and Teaching
What's wrong with the new idea that children should not put up their hands? Simple. Those who fail must be taught to persist until they succeed.
The shy should be given confidence. You don't prevent people succeeding in case others are jealous.
If giving prizes to one makes others a failure, you give prizes to everybody.
At a party you give goody bags so that not only the birthday boy or girl but every child receives a gift. You don't ban presents in case others are jealous.
Don't spread misery. Spread happiness.
Speaking Up - For Children
Teachers should be encouraging the shy to put up their hands.
Start every lesson by making every child put up its hand and answer with its name when asked. The physical act of raising the arm. The mental effort of answering the teacher. The social effort of answering a question without hesitation. Knowing an answer which not everybody else knows.
Speaking Up - For Shy Adults
Join a speakers club which trains speakers. Toastmasters International is worldwide.
Obviously, if you think you have a great system, you should try to spread the word.
Civilization and organiation may be better than anarchy.
But if spreading your system means killing others, it is time to consider whether you have lost sight of the end and defeated the aim of happiness of many with the unhappiness of the few. This is where religions and wars can fail or succeed.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Tip 2 When to call Call Centre Managers - don't get irate
My son has worked in call centres.
Often at night there are only half a dozen or fewer staff. The manager works 9-5 or 10-6 so one of the night staff is appointed 'manager'.
Alternatively if you demand to speak to the manager, the person answering simply hands the phone to the person sitting alongside, and the other one of the pair reciprocates.
So don't waste time asking for 'The Manager' at night.
Instead of asking for a manager to come to the phone instantly, ask when you can speak to somebody higher up the chain who is empowered to make a different decision.
Before ringing off, find out the name of the person you spoke to and note the date and time.
You may want to keep a phone call log book of all calls in order of date and time.
You want to be able to say: I spoke to Mr So and So, department, title, and telephone extension so and so, on such and such a date, at such and such a time, and he said I would get a ten percent discount if I paid by Friday.
And keep a duplicate page for all calls to one company if you have an ongoing problem such as returned goods.
For example, 'I phoned you on Monday the first at 10 am, on Tuesday the first at 11 am, on Wednesday at 10 am, and your company promises that all calls are answered in 24 hours. Can you see my problem and can you offer a solution?'
Often at night there are only half a dozen or fewer staff. The manager works 9-5 or 10-6 so one of the night staff is appointed 'manager'.
Alternatively if you demand to speak to the manager, the person answering simply hands the phone to the person sitting alongside, and the other one of the pair reciprocates.
So don't waste time asking for 'The Manager' at night.
Instead of asking for a manager to come to the phone instantly, ask when you can speak to somebody higher up the chain who is empowered to make a different decision.
Before ringing off, find out the name of the person you spoke to and note the date and time.
You may want to keep a phone call log book of all calls in order of date and time.
You want to be able to say: I spoke to Mr So and So, department, title, and telephone extension so and so, on such and such a date, at such and such a time, and he said I would get a ten percent discount if I paid by Friday.
And keep a duplicate page for all calls to one company if you have an ongoing problem such as returned goods.
For example, 'I phoned you on Monday the first at 10 am, on Tuesday the first at 11 am, on Wednesday at 10 am, and your company promises that all calls are answered in 24 hours. Can you see my problem and can you offer a solution?'
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Handy List of Homophones Or Soundalikes - for transcribing text and speedwriting phone messages
It's important to write down messages accurately. You can write text abbreviations or speedwriting but to make things clear and save time on re-reading, and sometimes clear up confusion, we have different spellings for different meanings. For example, confirm dinner is not the same as confirm diner.
You need to take extra care if your first language is not English, or you are taking down a phone message in a hurry.
A noun is the name of a thing, an object or idea. If you can put 'the' in front of a word it is probably a noun.
A verb is a doing word, an action. If you can put 'to' in front of a word it is probably a verb.
Affect - to affect (verb). Cause a change.
Effect - the effect (noun). A change or result.
Hangar - large building housing aircraft (noun)
Hanger - support for clothes with hook at top (noun)
Pray - prayer or appeal to higher being (verb)
Prey - animal hunted for food or person or creature being victimized by predator (noun).
(Post being revised - come back later for more.)
You need to take extra care if your first language is not English, or you are taking down a phone message in a hurry.
A noun is the name of a thing, an object or idea. If you can put 'the' in front of a word it is probably a noun.
A verb is a doing word, an action. If you can put 'to' in front of a word it is probably a verb.
Affect - to affect (verb). Cause a change.
Effect - the effect (noun). A change or result.
Hangar - large building housing aircraft (noun)
Hanger - support for clothes with hook at top (noun)
Pray - prayer or appeal to higher being (verb)
Prey - animal hunted for food or person or creature being victimized by predator (noun).
(Post being revised - come back later for more.)
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