How to Be Successful When Making a Phone Call Having a Brain Injury

Many things become difficult after a brain injury. We take our ability to perform everyday tasks for granted until after our brain becomes damaged. Simple things become a challenge. For me, simply frying an egg and turning it over was extremely difficult and exhausting. A phone call was a multi-day undertaking.

Making an appointment was very challenging for me since speaking, comprehending, thinking, and processing visual input was difficult. I would prepare a day ahead by looking at my calendar and figuring out which days I could potentially go for an appointment. I had to consider also how I would get there since I couldn’t drive. I would note which days and times would work. I would write down what it was I needed to ask and the phone number. Just this process by itself was overwhelming and left me unable to actually place the phone call. Usually the following day I would review my notes and make the phone call. I was often successful when I followed my process, however, if the appointment times that worked for me were not available I couldn’t think through alternate dates while I was on the phone. I would write down the options I was given for appointment times and tell the person I would need to call back.

Here are some tips for being more successful when making a phone call. During the extremely challenging years of my recovery, I did this to help myself get through a phone call and accomplish what I needed to do.

1. Prepare before making the call. What do you need to accomplish? Are you trying to make an appointment, are you trying to find the answer to a question you have, are you trying to purchase something? Prior to calling, write these things down so you can stay on track during the phone call. Remember there are many things that can lead you off track like the phone menu system of the business you are calling, or the person who answers may ask all sorts of things of you before you can get to what it was you were calling about.
2. Write the phone number on the same piece of paper that you are writing your notes on. This way you don’t have to search for the number right before you call. If you get interrupted, the phone number and your notes are in one place so you don’t have to go through the effort of re-thinking and locating information.
3. Review any paperwork, like an invoice or catalog, you need to be familiar with prior to making the call. With a brain injury, it may be difficult to have a phone conversation at the same time that you are reviewing written information.
4. If making an appointment, have your calendar ready. Review your calendar prior to making the call so you know which days will work for you and which ones will not. Write down the days and times that will work or circle your calendar. Remember there’s a lot going on during a phone conversation. Prepare yourself ahead of time with the information you need.
5. Prior to making your phone call, you may want to look at the business’ website to be better prepared and informed about their product, business hours, location, etc. This may help you to know what questions to ask during the phone call. It may be difficult to think about all these details when just calling an office and not being prepared.
6. Make your phone call from a quiet location that is free of distractions.
7. If you can, make notes during your conversation to keep you on track with what you are learning and what you need to ask.
8. If the person is speaking too quickly for you, ask them to please slow down.
9. If the phone call doesn’t end up like you rehearsed just tell them you can’t make a decision now or aren’t sure if that appointment date will work. Tell them you’ll call back. Give yourself time to think through the problem that presented itself during the phone call and call back when you are ready.

I still do this but can now do it right before I make my phone call. My brain needs all the help it can get so I know that by preparing in advance I can be more successful. What about you? Do you have some suggestions to add regarding making a phone call with an injured brain?