You may know the saying ‘speed is of the essence’ and this is certainly true when racing. But did you know that you can use this expression when talking on the phone as well? The truth is that when racing, you often have to act quickly and decisively in order to be competitive. However, when talking on the phone, you can take your time and consider your words carefully so that you do not end up with an embarrassing blunder. This is why being concise and to the point is essential when dialing a phone number.
The Importance Of Accuracy
Accuracy is probably the most important aspect of speaking clearly and precisely. When you are racing, you usually do not have the luxury of being extremely accurate because too much delay can lose you the race. Because of this, you have to get your words right the first time without making any errors. A common mistake made by newbies is rushing and spelling things incorrectly. Some of the most common errors include:
- spelling cars and drivers names wrong
- mentioning the wrong team
- saying that a certain car is in the lead when it is actually in second place
- saying that a driver has finished a race when he or she is actually still racing
- using the word ‘probably’ a lot
- and the list goes on
To avoid these kinds of mistakes, take your time with the language and concentrate on using the right words and expressing yourself accurately. Being concise but also using the right words will make your communication much easier for the person on the other end and will help ensure that you get your point across without ambiguity.
Matching Phrases
If you are calling to order some food or requesting an ambulance, you will not have the luxury of being extremely accurate because you are going to say what you need to say and then hang up. However, when talking on the phone, you can take your time and consider your words carefully so that you do not end up with an awkward or embarrassing conversation because of a mistake made in the language. This is why matching phrases is so important when talking on the phone. In order to match phrases, you have to consider the following:
- the person you are talking to
- the nature of the conversation
- your own experience
- the context of the situation
For example, if you are talking to someone you know well and the conversation is friendly, you can be sure that you will not end up with an embarrassing or awkward conversation. In this case, you would want to match your phrases and words to those of the person you are speaking with so that you do not end up having a mismatch. Mismatched phrases can lead to a lot of misunderstandings and needless errors. For example, if you are talking about a trip to Italy and the person you are speaking with is from Wales, a lot can go wrong. But if you are both using ‘Italy’ as a reference point, you can be sure that you will not have a problem.
In the example above, you can see that there is a mismatch in the first part of the conversation. This is because the person you are speaking with does not match the gender of the person you are addressing in the situation. So, even though you are trying to be polite and match your phrases as best as you can, the conversation will still be awkward for you both. This is why it is better to avoid mismatched phrases or words altogether and to be extremely careful in selecting who you talk to and what you talk about on the phone. It is also a good idea to practice with a friend or family member so that you can be sure that the phrases you learn will match those of a native speaker. Knowing more than one language does not hurt either. It can even be helpful to know multiple languages as long as you know how to match them properly!
As you can see, matching phrases is not as easy as it seems. You have to take your time and be extremely careful so that you do not end up with an awkward conversation because of a mistake made in the language or a mismatch in the phrases used. Taking the time to be accurate also makes your conversation much easier to understand because you will not have to keep rephrasing what you are saying. And finally, being accurate makes you sound much more professional. You will not sound like a novice blurting out whatever comes to mind at the moment. You will sound like a skilled professional giving a careful and measured response to a straightforward question.
Speak Only When Necessary
A very polite and professional way of speaking is not something that comes naturally to everyone. Some people may even find it odd or even rude to speak in such a way. Therefore, it is a good idea to train yourself to speak politely and professionally even when you are not in an official capacity. Sometimes, you will be on the phone with a friend or family member and you will not necessarily want to waste your time with small talk. However, you still want to sound polite and respectful so that your friend or family member does not have a problem with you speaking this way on their phone.
In these situations, it is preferable to ask questions that will get you to the point quickly. Do not waste your friend’s or family member’s time by going on a long diatribe about the weather in your area or the latest happenings in your neighborhood. Unless you are an extremely close friend or family member, you should not be talking about these kinds of things on the phone. They do not need to know about your petty squabbles with your next-door neighbor. So, instead of wasting their time with idle chatter, ask them about their day or what they have been doing. This type of conversation will keep you on the right track and ensure that you get your point across without ambiguity or offense.
Avoid Emoticons
Emojis and emoticons are another source of embarrassment for some people. They think that these are a way of showing how they are feeling instead of what they are saying. This kind of shorthand can be helpful when sending text messages because you can fit more in less time. However, when you are talking on the phone, abbreviations and emoticons can make it difficult for your interlocutor to understand you. So, even though you may want to be terse and to the point, you should still refrain from using abbreviations and emoticons. Native English speakers will understand what you are trying to say and will not have a problem with your linguistic choices. However, if you are not used to speaking with people whose mother tongue is not English, you may find that some of your linguistic choices are misunderstood. Parents, students, and teachers must really hate those smiley faces because they think that you are being cheeky when you use them. To avoid any misunderstandings, it is a good idea to learn how to write in English without them. Sometimes, it is easier to write something completely in English than to figure out what you meant to say in your own language. Just make sure that you are not confusing your friends or family with your intentional humor.
With all of the above in mind, you can see why being concise and to the point is so important when speaking on the phone. You want to appear successful, intelligent, and confident. Using abbreviations and slang will help you come across as these things, but you will certainly end up making a fool of yourself if you are not careful. Practice speaking on the phone politely and accurately so that you do not end up having an awkward conversation because of a mistake made in the language. And, on that note, good luck out there on the track!