Telephone Skills
The telephone is ubiquitous and many people are familiar with its basic functions, but do not use it effectively as a communications tool.
Primarily, people use the telephone too casually, and do not prepare themselves for the conversation. You should be clear as to why you are placing a call and what you intend to achieve by it, as well as having a sense of he person you are calling and what others you may encounter before or after you speak to them.
Think of the telephone call as an interactive audio presentation, and prepare your pitch accordingly: gather any information you'll need for reference and have it in arms-length.
Do what you can to ensure you are not distracted for the duration of the call, so that you can give the person your full attention. Do not "multitask" while on the phone.
You should also be prepared to encounter voice-mail: have a brief message prepared that will get the other person to return tour call. This should include your name, title, affiliation, the purpose of your call, and a method for returning the call.
Be careful about casual linguistic phrases - speaking to someone on the phone should be no less poised than speaking to them in person. In fact, the person cannot focus on (or be distracted by) any physical attributes, so you should be doubly careful about the persona your project on the telephone.
Two "tricks" the author suggests are standing (rather than sitting) for the call, and observing yourself in a mirror. While the other person cannot "see" your posture or expression, they affect the quality of your voice.
Call waiting is a problem: turn it off. To put a person on hold while you check to see if ht other call is more important is insulting, especially if you are the one who initiated the call.
Speakerphones are likewise a problem. Even today, quality suffers, and there's the perception that others are listening in. They should be used only for conference calls, and the person on the other end of the line should be introduced to each person present, and informed when people enter or leave the room.
Cell phones are also a bit of a plague. The call is no longer a "private" matter, and what is being said is audible to others in the environment (rude to those who don't care to hear your conversation, and it violates the expectation of privacy that the other party to the call may expect. Be aware of this: make such conversations brief, do not discuss things others might overhear, and withdraw to a private location when appropriate.