Brimming with confidence over a phone interview isn’t as difficult as you think. Here are five tips to help you sound confident over the phone and ace that job interview!

Nothing beats the feeling of being called up for an interview for your dream role in a great company.

You have been contacted for an interview over the phone, and you are anxious and probably wondering how best to approach a phone interview.

Considering the extra effort put into preparing your resume, cover letters and creating a convincing portfolio, it’s safe to say congratulations for scaling the first hurdle.

This may be your first time having a phone interview, or it may be that a phone interview isn’t just something you enjoy.

Whatever your situation, my five recommended tips should help you gain that desired confidence to approach that phone interview.

5 tips to sound confident on the phone interview

1. Prepare for likely questions

The first step to boosting your confidence over the phone is to prepare and rehearse for your interview by providing your answers to some likely questions.

The truth is, no matter how well you master the other steps, if you fail to try to understand some of the common interview questions and answer them accordingly, you are likely to lose confidence as a result.

Founder of Phone Interview Pro, Paul Bailo, in his book, The Essential Phone Interview Handbook, recommends you prepare for at least three days in advance.

Failure to prepare ahead can be likened to a student hoping to pass an examination he didn’t study for.

So, conduct your research. Study the company’s competitors, and understand the company’s pain points.

This ensures that you confidently make a valid and exceptional contribution when the question “What do you have to offer this company” is thrown at you.

So, prepare your answers to common interview questions, especially those related to your role.

For instance, if you are applying for a ‘content writer’ position, a common general interview question would be, “Tell me about yourself.”

Taking a step forward, a niche-specific interview question would be “What is your best method to identifying your target audience?”

The single thought of knowing that you have done your homework makes you feel less pressured to get on that phone interview.

Avoid memorizing the questions as you may get caught off guard if they decide to ask the questions in a dynamic or reverse order.

2. Be professionally dressed

Paul Bailo told Business Insider that by dressing in your business attire, you get pumped up for the phone interview

To him, this gives us the confidence to believe that we can achieve anything.

“Your responses will feel more confident and will come through during the interview,” Bailo said.

Interviewees assume that since the meeting is over the phone, how they look or dress is less important.

So they show up for the phone interview in their pajamas or wrinkled T-shirt.

Studies have shown that dressing well boosts our performance and increases others’ impression of us, improving our self-confidence.

So, get out of that pajamas and fix yourself up like someone going for a physical meeting.

Avoid wearing sweatpants and wear an outfit that makes you look and feel ready for the job.

Trust me; your confidence is going to shine through.

3. Exercise your breath and voice

If you want to sound confident in that phone interview, you need to exercise your breath as this provides the much-needed air required for your voice to function at its best.

By mastering breath control, you avoid possible inconsistencies in your pitch which could impact your confidence.

Bailo advises you to practice different tones and pitches.

To him, singing stretches our voice muscles, giving us the much-needed energyto approach that phone interview confidently.

4. Maintain good body posture

Even though your interviewer may not see you, it’s essential to give attention to your posture for the sake of your confidence over the phone.

It’s easy to sense the posture of the other person through the sound of their voice.

So, maintaining a good and proper posture when speaking with your interviewer over the phone plays a role in how confident you sound.

Learn to sit up straight or stand when on a phone interview, as this makes you sound confident and feel calm.

Avoid bending sideways, walking, or lying down while on a phone interview, as that may communicate anxiety or nervousness to the interviewers.

Remember, your non-verbal communication skill is equally as important as your verbal communication skills.

5. Give calm and slow answers

To better demonstrate your confidence to your potential employer, you need to avoid rushing your words.

Do not blurt out your answers, and avoid talking too quickly.

Where you are asked a difficult question, do not be afraid to pause to think quickly.

Since talking faster may make you come off as nervous or anxious, you need to speak slowly and calmly. When you are able to control your pace in this manner, you will sound more confident.

Take a pause if you need to, and do not be afraid to say something like, “Great question, I am going to consider that for a second.”

According, Career Launchpad, there are 3 three significant benefits of pausing before answering an interview question.

• Helps build confidence
• Allows you more time to think about what to say
• Allows you time to think of how best to deliver your answer

So, learn to take your time before answering your questions, and you will be perceived as being confident by the interviewer.

Besides, a great question deserves a great answer.

Related: 5 Questions You Should Never Ask in an Interview

Conclusion

Sounding confident over a phone interview isn’t as difficult as you think.

You only need to understand the psychology and physiology around it. In other words, how your actions and body contribute to a calm and confident voice.

Master these skills, and you will be well on your way to exhuming confidence throughout your phone interviews.

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