Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Wrap up the conversation
• Part 2 of 3: Say goodbye
• Part 3 of 3: Schedule your phone call
• Tips
• Warnings

We've all had a phone conversation that never seems to end. So, how do you end the conversation in a respectful way? It is important to maintain good means of communication between friends, relatives, and colleagues. Politely ending phone calls is an important part of developing these relationships.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Wrap up the conversation

1. Focus the conversation. When you get near the end of the call, make sure you don't invite the other person to keep talking. For example, you may be very interested in what the other person has just told you, but asking a question invites them to keep talking.
   • For example, your mom may have just told you about some interesting gossip. Instead of asking an open question (like, 'how did you hear about that ?!') you can make a statement (like, 'well, you can't believe everything you hear.') finish the conversation so that you can move on to other topics you need to discuss, or so that the conversation can end.
   • If you are having a work conversation and need to redirect the conversation, respond with a statement to what the other has said and an indication that what he or she has said is important to you as well. Then immediately introduce the topic you need to raise. For example, you could say, "Thank you for raising this issue with the salary. I will discuss this with our manager right away when I finish our conversation, but I still wanted to discuss the progress of the quarterly reporting. "
2. Wait for a silence. Every conversation has pauses. Wait for the speaker to pause, then explain that you have to leave.
   • Don't pause when you take advantage of the silence. Otherwise, the other person may start telling a new story. In this case, tell the person that you enjoyed talking, that you'll be calling again soon, and then you have to leave immediately. Don't delay the goodbye.
3. Interrupt the other. While we usually see interruptions as rude behavior, you can also interrupt someone in a polite way!
   • Interrupt when it is your only option, and always apologize when you do. For example, you can pause when an important task or emergency occurs while on the phone. Alternatively, you can pause when you have a specific time limit that you have already stated in advance.
   • Maybe you are on a work meeting but someone has just entered your office or you have scheduled a meeting. Let the person you're talking to know about the situation and tell them you'll call back when you're done.
   • If you have an emergency, explain it briefly: "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but my dog ​​just threw up." I have to see if he is okay. "
   • If you have to stick to your time limit already explained, remind him or her: "Sorry to interrupt you, but my break is over now, and I have to get back to work."
4. Give a time warning. Letting the other person know your time limit can help you avoid an awkward or rude goodbye. Tell the other person when you only have five or ten minutes left. If he or she needs to ask you a specific question or tell you something important, a time alert will remind him or her to focus on his or her part of the conversation.
   • A time alert can also be a way to move on to the last topic of conversation or question. After the other person responds, thank them and end the conversation.
   • For work conversations, a time alert can help you steer the conversation and prioritize the most important topics of conversation. For example, you could say, `` I only have five minutes left for my next interview, but I still wanted to ask if you're on track with the quarterly reporting. '' When the other person responds, thank them and tell them you're looking forward to to read the report shortly.

Part 2 of 3: Say goodbye

1. Apologize. If you have to end the conversation abruptly, make sure to say sorry. Explain that you would like to keep talking, but that you need to address the emergency or other situation that happened during your conversation.
2. Confirm your enjoyment of the conversation. Make sure you tell the other person that you enjoyed catching up and that you appreciate that he or she took the time to talk to you. This way you confirm that he or she is important to you.
3. Make a plan to talk again. Talking to a close friend or family member will help you finish the conversation faster if you schedule time to talk again soon. The other person will know that he or she will quickly be able to say the other things he or she wanted to tell you and will not feel like he or she has to extend the conversation by telling you everything at once.
   • It can lead to an extended call when you ask the other person when it will be a good time to call again. Instead, tell him or her that you'll be texting or emailing him or her next week to see when he or she can talk again.
   • If you don't know when you will have time again, you can suggest a vague moment. For example, say, "I'll call again later this week or on the weekend."
   • If the person is someone you don't speak to on a regular basis, say something like, "We need to do this again soon!" By doing this, you indicate that you want to keep in touch but don't limit yourself to a specific time limit.
4. Suggest an alternative way to communicate. If you don't like talking on the phone, say you would like to Skype, text, or email to keep in touch.
   • You can tell colleagues who often talk for a long time that you will be able to respond to e-mails more quickly than by telephone. The other person may be more likely to email if he or she replies to an email you have sent, instead of having to send the first email. Email him or her the same day as a follow-up to your phone call, and encourage him or her to respond via email.
   • Sometimes personal phone calls go on for a long time because the other person feels like he or she needs to tell you about everything that has happened in their life since you last spoke. If you keep in touch via social media (such as Facebook), SMS, or email, he or she will feel less pressure to stay up to date.
   • Tell the other person that you will be texting or emailing him or her photos of something you talked about over the phone. You will extend the communication, but within your own timeframe. Texting or emailing as a follow-up to the conversation can also open up a new communication method.

Part 3 of 3: Schedule your phone call

1. Call in between activities. If you know that the person you want to call is often very talkative, call in between scheduled appointments, meetings, or activities. You can say that you only have ten minutes to talk, but you really wanted to make the call while it worked. At the beginning of the conversation, tell your friend or family member about your time limit so that he or she is aware of the situation.
   • Talkative people often "still want you." a thing 'when you try to wrap up the conversation. Telling the other person that you only have a few minutes to talk will help them prioritize the most important things they want to tell you.
2. Be aware of his or her schedule. Think about your friend or family member's normal routine. If you know that he or she is going to eat at a certain time and will not have endless talk time, call at that time. For example, you can call during his or her lunch break or before he or she usually starts eating. That way, the pressure to end the conversation is on the other person (and not you).
   • Show attention to the other person's schedule. When you call, say something like, "I know you're on your lunch break now, I just wanted to call and talk if you have the time."
3. Call him or her back. If the person calls you when you don't have time to talk for an hour, don't answer. However, make sure you call him or her back the same day so he or she doesn't think you're avoiding him or her.
   • Be honest about why you couldn't answer. Maybe you were working on a project, exercising, doing homework, and so on. Let him or her know you're sorry you missed the call.
   • Call when you have enough time to talk so that your friend or family member doesn't think you're dismissive. You want to confirm that you respect him or her and that you care about what he or she wants to tell you. By not responding to the first call and then calling back, you indicate that you now have the time to give your full attention.
   • If you know you won't have time later that day either, answer the first call. First ask him or her what's going on; maybe he or she has an emergency or important news to share. If he or she just called to chat instead, just tell the caller what you are doing and that you have a busy day ahead of you. Ask if you can call back later in the week when you have more time.
4. Make a list. If you are calling a talkative person for a specific reason, write down what to tell or ask him or her before calling. This will help keep the conversation going.
   • Writing down a list of topics you want to discuss will remind you what you want to talk about with the other person if the conversation goes elsewhere. If you can, try to redirect the conversation to one of the topics on your list by linking it to what the other has told you, for example, "Oh, that reminds me! I just wanted to tell you about what happened yesterday! "

Tips

• It's always best to be honest. If you use the same excuses every time, the other person will feel like you don't appreciate him or her, or he or she may even think he or she has done something to offend you.
• Be very polite and assertive. If he or she ignores your question and keeps talking, you may have to reiterate the need to end the call.

Warnings

• Be sensitive to the needs of others. Perhaps it is more important to spend some extra time on the phone with someone who needs to talk than to do what you think you should do.
• Don't use silly excuses (like, "I have to eat my cake now," or, "I'm sorry, I have to wash my hair"). This will irritate and upset the person you are talking to.