Does your day start and end with having to talk to people over the phone that it trims down your time for work? Here are a few tips on how you can reclaim those precious minutes instead of spending your work hours talking over the phone.

Time your calls. If you are calling another party who you know as someone who blabbers away endlessly, time your call in such a way that he/she will be cutting the call by himself/herself. Call before the person has lunch or leaves for the day.

When you need someone to call back, suggest the best time to call. In fact, schedule return calls at designated times say before 9AM and after 3PM. This way, you can avoid repeated interruptions and you can go about your daily business.

Don’t wait. Demand that the other person to call your back if asked to be put on hold. Be more productive in those moments instead of listening to some cheesy tune.

Spot crucial calls. Maximize technology today. Have those more advanced caller IDs installed so that you can weed out calls from important people and offices. The rest you can divert to voice mail.