4 Sneaky ways to cut calls short with clients
You’re working, concentrating hard when suddenly the shrill ring of the phone jerks you to the present. You scowl at your phone, try to stare it down, even throw your most imaginative expletive at it but the phone keeps ringing.
It’s your client calling and you know it’ll take ages to get off the phone.
We’ve all been there. Those of us who get nervous (read terrified) talking to clients break out in a sweat at the thought. To us, 15 minutes seem like 50.
If only there was some way to cut those calls short and hold future correspondence through email!
The good news is that with a little ingenuity, it is possible. Be prepared to take drastic measures though.
Call back when the client is busy
Every now and then, let your voice mail pick up your client’s call. Then call back at a time when your client is most likely to be busy. Either the client won’t pick up and you can shoot him an email immediately or he’ll tell you that he’ll call back.
Don’t say “All right” if the client says he’ll call back. Jump in and say “No problem. I’ll email you instead”. If the client is due to give feedback, simply saying “Email would be better.” will work too.
Since the client is busy, he won’t have the time to come up with an alternative. Hang up with a cheerful good bye and do a little jig. Go on, just a little one.
Get an ‘assistant’
Can’t keep those client calls on track at all? Have an ‘assistant’ start picking up your calls. You don’t have to have a real assistant of course – your spouse or child can act the part. Get them to screen your calls and email the clients instead.
If you’re alone and really want to avoid a client call, then be your own assistant. Come on, you can do it!
Pretend that you don’t know
So you can’t avoid this call and it’s dragging on. The client wants to know something. You have the answer but if you give it to him, he’ll only just want to discuss it more. Grab the chance and tell him you’re not sure about it but you’ll find out and get back to him ASAP – via email!
Hey! I was just writing you an email!
As soon as you pick up the client’s call, immediately give them a big greeting and let them know you were just writing an email to them with update/details/whatever.
“I’m almost done. Why don’t I finish writing it and send it to you? You can get back to me through it.”
Hang up and get typing that email – fast!
Got any more ideas?
Do you have trouble talking to clients on the phone? How do you deal with your chatty clients? Make sure you leave a comment and let us know. We can never have enough of these types of tips in reserve 
May the freelancing gods save us all from clients who love to talk and call back frequently for updates. Amen.
Editors Note: If you’re looking for more phone tips like this to boost your productivity and cut down on distractions, you can check out Samar’s previous article on how to cut calls short with family and friends – it’s a good one too, full of great tips.
