We have all had one of those days...the phone the phone rings off the hook. You put out one fire after another and at the end of the day, you feel like you haven't accomplished a thing.

I was having one of those days when I read an article on NationalBusiness.org, 10 Ways To Spend Less Time On The Phone and take control of your day. Being in sales, phone calls go with the territory, but there are ways to control those calls so they don't eat up all your time.

Bill Lampton Ph.D., communication expert and writer of the article gives the following suggestions:

1. Budget (yes, budget) your phone time.

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Set aside a certain amount of time to make calls. This time constraint will discipline you to get to the point, cover the point and hang up.

2. Set aside a block of time to make calls.

Block out time in the day to make all your call. You'll shift into a telephone mood, comparable to what athletes call the zone. The second call becomes easier than the first, the third call even easier. Your efficiency escalates, and you accomplish more sooner.

3. Rely on e-mail more consistently.

E-mail allows us to send messages at our most convenient time and avoid playing phone tag. It takes less time to send an email than to talk on the phone.

4. Make calls from your cell phone.

Unless there are laws in your state against driving and using a cell phone or you are in horrific traffic, make calls while driving or waiting of an appointment. Tell someone: Hi, Ted, I've got a couple of minutes to chat as I'm driving into downtown Atlanta. Say that, and you will trigger them to get to the heart of the call instantly.

5. Outline what you intend to cover in your call.

The outline keeps you from rambling, and from having to call again to cover an item you forgot to mention-embarrassing as well as time consuming. Ordinarily, I use a key word outline that resembles a grocery list. For example, in calling to get details about my next speaking engagement, my notes might include: time, duration, microphone, handouts, number attending, introducer, convention theme.

6. Have someone interrupt you at a specified time.

So when the co-worker enters your office you can say, quite honestly, that your assistant has signaled that he needs your attention, so we'll have to conclude for now.

7. Delegate outgoing calls to others who can make them as well as you can.

With good judgment, we can assign more calls than we are in the habit of assigning.

8. When you're leaving for two hours or two days, give staff members the information that's necessary to satisfy callers you're expecting.

Say, for example: When Judy Johnson calls, ask her if we can change her committee meeting from Wednesday morning to Thursday afternoon. This way, Judy hears what you want her to hear, and that's one less call for you to return.

9. Call people just before lunch and just before closing time.

They will keep the conversation as short as possible.

10. Summarize the conversation and say goodbye.

Example: Barbara, it's my understanding that you have given me permission to exceed two or three budget items as long as I stay within the total departmental budget. Thanks for the clarification. That's all I needed to know. Goodbye.

Using these principles consistently will free time in your day for more important activities.

When looking to delegate phone calls or other office duties, consider delegating to a real estate virtual assistant. We are trained professionals who specialize in supporting real estate practitioners. You may already have an assistant and need someone to supplement an in-house person or are a sole practitioner need part-time help. Either way, a real estate virtual assistant is the perfect answer.

Are you generating leads from the Internet, but hate calling those leads? Don't let them fall through the cracks. Let a real estate virtual assistant call and nurture them until they are ready to buy.

Want more information? Give me a call at 757-271-6047 or visit my website, www.myREassistant.com.

Also read: Internet Lead Conversion or Do I Really Have To Make That Call