Listen to yourself. It will be worse than Sir Bob Geldof’s attempt to sing at the Brit Awards, but hearing yourself in action is priceless. You are legally obliged to tell business people that you’re taping them, so practise with friends then learn to eradicate the inevitable “ums” and “ahs”.

Be assertive. Some prize fools, who are usually hate-filled males, conspiracy theorists or press officers, will rant all day if you let them. Aimless, meandering calls waste more work hours than office gossip about the boss’s love life. Be clear about the purpose of your call; jot down a list of questions before you start and stick to them.

Surprise people. Hours in call-centre queues have lowered people’s expectations of business calls to the same level as Tottenham’s Champion’s League prospects, so a good experience really gets noticed. Use verbal nods to show that you’re listening and summarise what you’ve heard to show that you’ve taken it in.

Take responsibility. The best way to impress callers is to “own the call from start to finish”, says Bobbie Lee, course director at Keystar Training (www.keystar.co.uk). “Do not pass the buck and do not keep them hanging,” says Lee, who, you may not be surprised to learn, dislikes the I-have-to-pass-you-to-my-colleague approach adopted by many companies.