In addition to planning your environment in advance before important phone calls, conference calls, video conferences, it's important to plan everything else you might need. Because your client, your customer, your boss might be highly impatient. They don't want to wait for you to go through a whole bunch of files are had to dig out something or get up and go to a file cabinet somewhere. They want it right now. So if you get any papers or documents you're going to be referring to, during the phone call the conference, call the Skype, have it all laid out on your desk. Additionally, there's nothing like a good old fashioned pad and pen for taking notes during these calls.

And some of you think, Well, you know, TJ, you know, old guy, look at that gray here. nobody uses pad and pen anymore. I'll just type. Here's the problem with typing. When people hear you typing, it's distracting. And there's a part of you part of them wondering what's this person typing?

Are they doing other business while they're talking to me? Are they chatting with friends on Facebook? Are they texting friends saying you can't believe this idiot I'm talking to you on the phone now, it's just distracting. This way, whether you have a headset or you're having to hold a phone, you've got one freehand, a pen or pencil and take detailed notes. Anything else you need if you're gonna be showing slides through any form of a screen sharing using zoom, Skype, have everything ready. Respect the time of the people you're speaking to in business.

Doesn't matter if it's a co worker, someone junior to you in another office, respect their time, they will respect you and it's going to ultimately benefit as far as boosting your own reputation. So plan get everything you need, all together in advance of the call.