That probably sounds weird, so let me elaborate. I have an extremely hard time talking to people on the phone or via voice chat. And it's not an anxiety thing either. It's like my brain doesn't realize that a conversation is going on because I can't see the other person. I'll hear what they say and then not respond, resulting in really long pauses.
So talking over the phone is actually hard for me and kinda stressful. The problem is I come across like an idiot for taking so long to respond. How do I fix that?
>>17251084
Not at all uncommon. Face-to-face, we rely a lot on watching the other person's responses and body language, to sense whether we're impressing or just whether we're being clear.
A lot of people will travel to talk face-to-face rather than use the phone.
A couple of aids. For business or formal calls, write yourself a script in advance, with all the questions you want to ask or points you want to make. You don't have to follow it exactly, but you can check off each item as it gets said, and thus be confident you didn't forget something.
And practice chatting on the phone with a friend, someone you know feels warm toward you and won't ridicule you if you get a bit tonguetied.
>>17251084
Hahaha, I'm the same way. I thought I was only one. This is why I like 4chan.
>>17251285
>>17251291
Practice makes sense. Now I just need to find someone who is willing to practice talking on the phone with me, preferably in English. Sounds weird. It's especially bad in English, by the way, since it's my third language and I need to concentrate so I don't sound like a blithering idiot in the first place.
I experience this as well. I only feel comfortable communicating remotely with people via text and email. Instant chat feels too mentally taxing, and on the phone I end up sounding bored and angry even when I'm not. But I'm also very phone-shy. Part of it is likely because I had no privacy and parents would always comment on things I said on phone, and how I often overhear phone conversations in public. I always try to find ways of doing things online or in person rather than having to make a phone call.
>>17251751
As I said, it's not an anxiety thing for me. It's like my brain can't process the fact that I'm supposed to talk to someone without the visual cues. It's worse when I need to concentrate on something else, like speaking English or while I'm playing a game.
