Phone Phobia
Everything you ever wanted to know about phone phobia
Phone phobia is a seemingly uncontrollable fear of talking over the phone. People who suffer from phone phobia start panicking the moment the phone starts to ring. Some people who suffer from this paralyzing problem can’t even check voicemail messages.
Phone phobia is caused by any of several different deeply held beliefs. It also may be caused by a combination of these beliefs, which include extreme fear of being ridiculed over the phone. The phone phobia sufferer may also fear that the person on the other side of the phone won’t understand them, or that someone they don’t know will answer the phone. They may also be afraid to confront people and fear that they will be considered rude for calling people on the phone.
People who suffer from phone phobia also can’t stand just the sight of the phone. This problem is like a double-edged sword because while fear of the phone consumes them, they also feel guilty for not picking up the phone, missing important phone calls, and not returning calls.
Getting over phone phobia can be an arduous task, but there are plenty of methods you can utilize to conquer your fear. One thing you can do is to write a script. If you already know what you’re going to say, it doesn’t seem as bad. You don’t have to think on your feet as much when you’re making a call, and you can practice ahead of time.
After you’ve mastered the ability of being able to make a call with script, then you can move on to role play. Just ask someone who’s very close to you to call you on the phone and act like a certain category of person. If you feel that fear of being ridiculed over the phone is the reason you suffer from phone phobia, then you might want to have your friend pretend to be a boss or police officer, or someone else in a position of authority who might ridicule you.
If your phone phobia is related to your job, then you will need to do some other things to prepare. For example, sometimes telemarketers develop phone phobia because of the constant stress of being hung up on, cussed out, and ridiculed over the phone. The best preparation for this type of telephobia is to know your product very well. Be prepared to answer any question about your product, and make sure you have your internal walls up. Remember, the people you’re calling don’t actually have a problem with you. They’re just upset about the job you do, and for the few people who will talk your ear off, you’re a plethora of information. You’ll also have to get used to hearing the word “no” on the phone, which happens quite often in this field.
The most important thing you can do to get rid of your phone phobia is to keep practicing. If you never force yourself to make phone calls, then you will never be comfortable doing it.