Calling people, especially ones I haven’t spoken to before, is not one of my favorite activities, this advice from Heather Mundell at Life @Work and the bloggers at Hiring Revolution.  Heather’s post is dedicated to people who will do just about anything to avoid picking up the phone.  For these folks, the worst types of calls are when you need to ask for something, talk to your boss’s boss, or tell someone news they aren’t going to like.

E-mail has been somewhat of a life saver in this regard, but as Heather says, it only take us so far when it comes to relationship building.  Tips for overcoming phone phobia include the following:

1. Know your purpose for calling
2. Imagine a successful outcome to the call
3. Ask if you're calling at a good time
4. Actively listen
5. Smile to add warmth to your voice
6. Practice a lot
7. Put on music that pumps you up
8. Stand up when you make the call
9. Sketch out a script of what you want to say
10. Exercise and then make the call
11. Just go make the call without thinking too much
12. Decide to do something enjoyable right after the call, no matter how it goes

I’ve done some of these myself, and I can say that calls do get easier (although not more fun) over time.  As your number of positive outcomes increases, so does your confidence.  And when the rare negative situation does occur, what’s the worst that can happen?  You hang up the phone, dust yourself off, and in a few days it will be a memory.  Heather is right: being able to make calls in support of yourself and your goals is a key skill to learn.  After all, if you don’t do it, who will?