I’ve found that phone calls with clients and prospects can either be really great or a total waste of time. In my experience, the great phone calls all have the same things in common:

A strict time limit

The best phone calls have a defined start and end time that aren’t deviated from – everyone on the call knows this, calls in on time, and says goodbye when time is up

An agenda written in advance

Everyone knows what is going to be discussed, what the various options are, and what decisions need to be made

The right people are on the phone

Everyone who needs to be involved in the required decisions is present and ready to make a decision

Someone is responsible for taking notes

If there are no notes, you’ll lose track of what you talked about and the decisions that were made

People aren’t afraid to say goodbye

When it is time to go, say so – you’ve got other things to do and can’t be sitting around forever blabbing

Getting on the phone can be a great way to get to know a prospect, establish a deeper rapport with your clients, or put a human touch to your work. That being said, you’ve got work to do – get on the phone, get what you need done, and get back to work.