Here are three tips to improve your productivity and add to your time management skills that you can start using today.

Spending a lot of time on the phone has it’s upside. Scheduling appointments for phone interviews and conferences saves travel time and allows you the flexibility of working from your own office. Phone appointments conducted in your own office permits access to your own desk with everything at arms reach increasing your productivity.

Another upside benefit… You can dress for comfort in whatever attire suits you. It’s pretty much guaranteed, you’ll never hear a client ask what you’re wearing before the get into your conversation.

But as with any communication method there is a downside to spending large amounts of time on the phone. Interruptions and distractions usually top the list. Another downside item to consider is the fatigue factor. Even with specially designed headsets and wireless connectivity we still get tired.

So what can we do to offset these factors? Here are 3 suggestions:

Time Management Tip #1: Use Caller ID. An incoming call can be an interruption if it’s unscheduled. Suppliers, clients, and colleagues don’t always know when it’s convenient to talk. A social call from family and friends likewise is a distraction that can probably wait until later. A quick check of the incoming number gives you the choice of whether to accept or defer the call. If the call can wait… let it go to voicemail and catch up on a break.

Time Management Tip #2: Group Like Tasks Together. Schedule time during your day to return calls that need to be taken care of. Customer service inquiries, supplier notifications, or questions from staff all qualify. Save the personal calls for lunch or coffee breaks. (Tip: Let them know that’s how it is… and it shouldn’t matter if you are self-employed… in that case, I’d make it mandatory!)

Time Management Tip #3: Take Frequent Breaks. It doesn’t matter if you are sitting at your desk or standing at a workstation, having a headset on or handset stuck to your ear is tiring. It is up to you to take a few minutes every half-hour or hour and change positions. Stretch, walk, or lie down to banish the fatigue and use those few minutes as quick recharge. It works.

There you have it. Three time management tips for maximum productivity when doing phone work. In follow up a post I’ll be looking at three specific techniques to optimize your desktop filing procedures.