This article was co-authored by Michael McCutcheon, PhD. Dr. Michael McCutcheon is a career coach, psychologist, and award-winning public speaker who specializes in procrastination elimination, goal achievement, and increasing life satisfaction. With a background as a counseling psychologist, he guides clients toward becoming more aware of their desires and anxieties to break old patterns, create new habits, and achieve life-changing results. He also helps clients improve organization skills, embark on a new career, get promoted, get admitted into graduate schools, and transition from school to the working world. He is a published author and lecturer in graduate psychology courses at New York University (NYU), a position he has twice won the Teaching Award (2014 & 2019). His work has appeared in the press as a lifestyle and career expert for The Washington Post/The Associated Press, The New York Post, Scholastic, Lifehacker, and The Coca-Cola Company. He has served as a contributing writer for Out Magazine and featured panelist on National Public Radio (NPR).
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Making business phone calls can feel a little nerve-wracking, especially given how much communication now happens digitally. Nothing can quite replace the sound of a human voice, however, and sometimes it's just more convenient to place a call. As long as you speak politely and naturally, anyone can handle the basics. But to make the call as effective as possible, you need to identify its purpose before you pick up the phone, and keep this in mind while you talk.