Tips for speaking on the phone?

[Anonymous]

As we all know, one of the greatest fears that PWS have is speaking on the phone. So how did I go from dreading the phone to absolutely LOVE speaking on it? Well for starters, I use a lot of hand gestures and speaking like a Queen. What do you guys use to prevent stuttering on the phone? Let’s try and give other PWS some ideas!

[Javier]

Speaking softly works great too! Since we have the phone really close to our lips, we can speak softly, the person that we’re talking to will hear us just as well. I have shown this a lot of times in my coaching sessions. The same applies to Skype/Zoom conversations, when we have a mic or a headset.

[Stuart]

I treat speaking on the phone to strangers as an opportunity to practice! Majority of the I will never meet or see this person again so I practice my crutches like a boss!

[Anonymous]

I have actually started writing down words that I fear I may stumble on. Writing them down takes my focus off of stuttering and on to writing and reading out the word. The best part? Nobody can see me writing down what I am saying, so it is not out of the ordinary at all!

[Adam Werth]

Speaking on the phone??? I simply speak over the person as they are speaking to get that choral effect going…and it’s not meant to be rude to them. It’s to help me out.

I simple start out by not holding the ear piece of the phone into my ear….I hold the ear piece of the phone away from my ear, and start to speak excitedly and speak over the other person—–that’s gets words out easier!!! If folks think it’s rude for me to speak over them when in fact it helps me…..that’s their problem…not mine!!!

Come on-we all text!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ya know what I hate….most of the world texts….but someone knows you MAY OR MAY NOT STUTTER and they call you anyway!!! when they could text!!!!! Only call when it’s an emergency!!!!!!!!! Some people I know do that to me..call me when they could text..and they know who they are!!!

[Javier]

Hi Adam! Some people simply prefer to speak on the phone rather than texting (it can save a lot of time), and I’m sure that they weren’t thinking about what you said when they called you.
When I was really close to becoming a PWSS, a friend of mine that I hand’t seen in ages invited me to his house and have a beer. We talked for hours, and I didn’t sutter during that time. The last time we saw each other was months ago (when I stuttered severely). Do you think he praised my speech, or even commented on it? No. I’m sure he didn’t even realise it. He didn’t remember the way I spoke. People have more important things on their mind. That’s what I learnt that day.

By the way, I sometimes prefer to make a phone call rather than texting for 2 reasons: it saves time, and I also enjoy hearing the voice of the other person.

[Author]

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