why do I rehearse phone calls before I make them?
the call I put off the longest isn't the dentist. it's the first intake call with a new client.
I don't know them yet. I don't know what to expect, or what they're going to ask me. out of every call I make, it's the one I feel least prepared for.
and I'm a speech pathologist. communication is literally my job.
so if you rehearse calls, write out what you'll say, or let them sit on your to-do list for days ... you're in very good company.
phone calls take away our tools
face to face, we have a lot to help us. facial expressions. gestures. a pause to look at someone and work out if they've finished.
on the phone, most of that disappears. we're left with voice alone, at full speed, with no time to think.
what makes them so hard
no visual cues. we can't see if they're about to speak, or confused, or waiting for us. so we talk over each other, or leave silences that feel huge.
no time to process. in a text, we can read twice and think. on the phone, the answer is needed now.
the unpredictable bit. we can plan our opening. we can't plan what they'll ask. "and what's your Medicare number?" can throw the whole script.
being put on the spot. a lot of us carry memories of getting it wrong out loud. the phone puts us right back there.
rehearsing isn't anxiety getting out of hand. it's us doing in advance the work most people do live.
scripting is a real strategy
here's the speech pathologist in me. scripting isn't a weird habit. it's a genuine communication strategy, and lots of people use it on purpose.
a script takes the load off the moment. the less we have to make up on the spot, the more energy is left for the unexpected parts.
the problem isn't the script. it's when the dread around the call costs more than the call itself.
what can help
write the script, then add the curveballs. have answers ready for "what's your date of birth?" and "can you hold?" and "we don't have anything until Thursday".
keep the details in front of you. card, dates, reference numbers. one less thing to search for mid-call.
ask for what you need. "sorry, can you say that again a bit slower?" is completely fine.
use the other doors. online booking, email, text, live chat. choosing those isn't avoidance. it's using the format that works for us.
make the call at your best time. for a lot of us that's not first thing, and not after a long day.
before you go ... running on empty explains all the hidden work underneath a conversation, and why some formats cost so much more than others.
written by Laura ... a speech pathologist and late-diagnosed ADHDer. read my story →