4 ways to help master the phone interview

4 ways to help master the phone interview4 ways to help master the phone interviewPart of my job entails hopping on the phone and convincing companies and conferences to book me as a speaker. Its like a job interview every time, and it always reminds me of my very first phone interviews for internships back in college. I was so nervous my knees would be shaking and Id feel nauseous with anxiety. Even though Ive become mora comfortable over the years, there are still a few key best practices I rely on to make the best possible impression.Rise and shineFirst, I always try to stand up. When youre standing, you entire demeanor changes and often, your vocal tone does, too. As Im listening to the dial tone ring, nervously awaiting their pick-up on the other end of the phone, I force myself to smile, knowing that itll make me sound more pleasant and cheerful, too.But instead of nerves being my biggest enemy nowadays, its distractions. Since I take these calls throughout the course of an ave rage workday, Im usually within site of my laptop, which is ripe with distractions even if its just my inbox. One minute, Ill be engrossed in a conversation with a potential client, and the next Ill see an urgent customers request appear at the top of my inbox ah Or one of my team members will pop into slack to chat with me yikesNo screens, no stressIts impossible to not be distracted within sight of your screens. So for any job-seeker whos taking a phone interview, just because youre face isnt on camera, doesnt mean you should let your eyes wander. Sequester yourself in a room without screens whenever possible to make it easy to avoid any alerts and notifications popping up while youre mid-sentence.Take noteThe one thing I recommend you DO keep within sight is the anthroponym(s) of the folks youre speaking to. This is especially true when youve got multiple interviewers on the other end of the line. Whenever you can, write their names on a sticky note before youre even on the ca ll and keep that sticky posted within sight. Use their name a few times throughout the call to show youre really listening. As Dale Carnegie once saidA persons name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.The key here is to make sure youre never giving the impression that there are more important things youd rather be doing than talking to them right this moment.Handle stress seamlesslyAnd if, God forbid, something crazy does come up, like a fire alarm or your dog starts barking his head off at the mail carrier, put yourself on mute and if absolutely necessary, ask politely for a moment to yourself. You might say something like I amso sorryto ask, but may I place you on a very brief hold? Upon return, explain but dont dwell on whatever went down. Dive right back into the conversation with something like, My apologies, so where were we?Keep these principles of strong phone etiquette in mind for your next interview or pitch call, and youre sure to give a polished, professional impression.Do you have any phone interview best practices to share? Or some horror story about a phone interview faux-pas? Id love to hear about it on social media atemilieariesandbosseduporg. I cant wait to hear what you think.This article first appeared on Bossed Up.