How to Hang Up a Call in Humor

Learn how to end a phone call humorously.

Talking on the phone remains a huge factor in building strong relationships and a social life, and ending a phone call in humor helps people feel comfortable. Ending phone calls positively keeps family and friends excited to receive your calls. Whether aiming to impress a new girl or end an argument on a lighter note with your boyfriend or spouse, ending a call in humor leaves a lasting impression.

Things You'll Need

• Pen and pad
• Arsenal of jokes or funny stories

Instructions

1. Act with confidence through the entire call. Likable people tend to exude confidence, making them fun to hang around. Conduct the call from the perspective that what you have to say holds importance, and your listener will remain interested in what you have to say.

2. Tell a joke to liven up your phone call and get your listener laughing. Telling jokes remains one of the best method of entertaining listeners. Recount some of your funniest jokes and practice them prior to your phone call. According to Larry Getlen at Toastmasters International, practicing jokes before the phone call helps nail the punch line. Borrow jokes from others if you have nothing funny to tell. Many individuals borrow their jokes from friends and comedians but give credit to the original jokester.

3. Share a funny story or embarrassing moment to get your listener going. Only relay the essential details to maintain your listener's interest and get to the point of the story.

   Enhance certain details to add to the humor of the story. For example, when telling a funny story about sliding into home base during a baseball game, tell your listener how you dove for the base as if diving into a swimming pool. However, avoid embellishing your story as your listener may detect untruthfulness and miss the story's humor.

4. Save the good part of the joke or story for the end. Tell the funny joke or account in the order it happened. Never start with the story's ending. This approach usually results in a you should have been there statement and losing your listener's attention. Surprise your listener with your conclusion by letting him experience the joke or story in the same manner you experienced.

Tips & Warnings

• Write the joke or story down ahead of the call. Forgetting the important point of a joke becomes easy under pressure, especially when telling new jokes or jokes you have not told in a long time.

• Avoid derogatory jokes and stories because they rarely end well. Unless you are certain the person involved will not become offended, refrain from ending calls with jokes or stories that surround sensitive topics.

References

• NLCast Podcast Network: How to Tell a Funny Real-Life Story
• Toastmasters International: How to Tell a Joke