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New Interchange |
Do you think
you spend
too much time
on the phone? |
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Your
phone rings. It's a friend who wants to tell you about his
or her latest health problem. You hate to be rude and
cut
your friend off,
but what can you do?
Time management
consultant Stephanie Winston, author of Stephanie Winston's Best
Organizing Tips, offers you these seven tips: |
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1. Don't ask questions like "What's new?" |
This sort of questions give the
impression that you have time
to chat.
After "hello",
get right
to the heart of the matter.
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2. Time your
calls intelligently. |
If you make a call right before
lunch or dinner, or at the end of the workday, people chat less. |
3. Set a
time limit. |
Start with, "Hi, I've
only got a few minutes, but I wanted to talk to you about...",
or "Gee, I'd love to talk more, but I only have a
couple of minutes before I have
to run
errands." |
4.
Jump
on a pause. |
Even the most
talkative
caller has
to pause now and
then. Quickly say, "It has been great talking with you."
Then end the conversation as soon as possible.
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5. Forget
niceties. |
Some people just don't
take
a hint. Interrupt your caller and say, "I'd
like to talk to you longer, but I'm
pressed
for time. Good-bye." Then
hang
up. It might seem rude but don't ask for permission to
end the conversation because you will be lost.
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6. Find a
"partner
in crime". |
If nothing else works,
ask someone in your home or at work to help you. For example, one
woman signals her husband, who yells, "Jane, I think the
roast is
burning!",
or "Paul, your boss is asking for you!". At home,
you can also try ringing the bell if you have a bell button near
you. |
7. Avoid the phone completely. |
Use an answering
machine
to screen calls. If
you have an important message for a
chatterbox,
leave the message when he or she
isn't in. |
Source: New
Interchange
We thank subscriber
Stella
Maris Cutro
(Argentina)
for her contribution.
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GLOSSARY |
to
cut someone off: to stop a phone conversation
(terminar bruscamente, "cortar" una llamada)
to chat: to have an informal conversation (charlar)
get right to the heart of the matter: get to the
point
(ir al grano)
to run errands: carry on short trips to perform any
domestic task (hacer mandados o diligencias)
to jump:
to pass abruptly to another topic (cambiar de tema)
talkative:
chatterer (conversador)
to pause: to stop (detenerse)
niceties:
refinement (refinamientos) |
to take
a hint:
to understand an indirect suggestion (captar una
insinuación o indirecta)
pressed for time: with no time available (apurado)
to hang up: to interrupt a phone conversation by putting a telephone receiver back in its cradle
(cortar)
partner in crime: someone who assists in a plot (cómplice)
burning: cooked too long (exceso de cocción,
"quemado")
to screen: to test,
to examine (controlar, monitorear)
chatterbox: a chatterer, a very talkative person (charlatán,
muy conversador)
isn't in: is not at home or at work (no se encuentra) |
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MAS "TRABAJO Y EMPLEO"
FORO
INICIO |