How do you get someone off the phone> As ann NLP, personality typing, psychology and communications trainer, I often get the question. How do I effectively get someone off the phone?” Usually this relates to a friend or family member who simply won’t stop talking. No matter how much you want to hang-up, they aren’t getting the cue that this is not the time for them to start a new subject. This is how you can get anyone off the phone without being perceived as rude. It is about giving a powerful, almost unconscious cue.
How to get someone off the phone
Use your getting off the phone voice
Have you ever considered when people get off the phone they have a special “get off the phone” voice? The voice speeds up, gets a little staccato, and there is a change of tonality.
Informing the listener
For example “lets talk about this next week”, “that’s an excellent point, lets explore that next time.” You inherently still honor the persons need or positive intent to keep talking, but you will honor it truly the next time. This lessens the chance of the listener being offended because a clear time stamp has been provided that you are not going to have this conversation now.
Advance notice
Mention at the beginning of the call how much time you have, then give a cue as to how much time is left. To eventually say you have 1 or 2 minutes left.
Moving around & breathing Faster
I noticed this at some point during coaching goals. If I would be moving around with my phone and suddenly breathing faster, a pattern interrupt would be created. A magical cue goes to the listener, that you are actually doing something else now and that your undivided attention no longer exists. At the very least they will get a cue that “something” has changed in the conversation.
Shift your attention elsewhere
In relation to the above, shifting your attention elsewhere also can be of a great help. People sense that somehow it sounds like you are really already involved with the next thing, or on your way somewhere else.
Or simply …
If all fails, you get anyone off the phone by saying you need to save your phone battery for later.
