How to Make a Social Phone Call

Steps

1. Put on some music in the background that will relax you during the call and make it seem as if you're having fun. Don't choose anything too loud, annoying, disturbing; keep it chill. Try to aim for the light pop music and possibly R&B; but not anything that is stressing such as todays Top 40 radio.
2. Make a list of topics to discuss if the conversation lags. You'll be happy to have them for those awkward silences that typically happen in conversations between new friends. (For example, "Wasn't that Spanish test hard?" or "I saw your performance in the school play. Do you sing a lot?")
3. If you can, come up with a reason for calling. It can be weird if you actually call with the sole purpose of talking. (For example, "I'm calling to thank you for inviting me to your party," or "Can you tell me what the homework was?" or even "Did you see that episode of Supernatural?")
4. Take a moment to close your eyes and envision yourself having a successful conversation with the person. Think of all the reasons they will be happy to hear from you.
5. Take a few deep breaths. Inhale through the nose for seven counts, hold for four counts, and exhale for eight counts. Do this three times.
6. Dial the number. Make sure you do it slowly and concentrate.
7. When the person picks up, say something along the lines of, "Hey, it's (your name.) What's up?" This gives them a chance to tell you it's a bad time.
8. State your reason for calling. It can help spark conversation. (For example, "Thanks for inviting me to your party. What gifts did you get?" or "Can you believe what Summer did on the OC?")
9. Take any conversation that the person is interested in and run with it. Ask any possible question that pops into your head. (For example, "Thanks for inviting me to your party. What gifts did you get? Who gave that to you? What was your favorite? Were you hoping for anything else? I have one of those...")
10. Bring up the topics you've written down. A little preparation can go a long way...
11. If you run out of topics, just give the person a compliment and/or ask the person about themselves. People love to talk about themselves and this is sure to be a big conversation starter. (For example, "You are a great soccer player. Do you play outside school? How long have you played? Do you watch soccer on television? What's your favorite team? What position do you play? Do you play any other sports? Is soccer hard? Do you train a lot?") Or just start telling your life story, but don't make it a five hour long life story.
12. Try to relax. Enjoy your conversation rather than thinking about what you're going to say next. With enough practice, it will just come to you.
13. If the person has to leave, you have to leave, or you're simply done talking, say goodbye and remind the person to feel free to call you anytime. Hang up the phone.
14. Evaluate your conversation for a moment. What topics sparked interest? What did you find out about this person? How long did you talk? How did you feel? Think of any ways you could make it easier to call this person again.
15. Plan your next call and start thinking of a new list of back up topics.