Dr Edward Hallowell, author of the time management book Crazy Busy, has a term he calls E.M.V. E.M.V. stands for Email Voice and its that monotone, death like tone one’s voice takes on when it becomes apparent they are checking email while they are talking to you on the phone.

You can usually spot it by the tone, but you can also spot it when someone gives you certain out of place verbal cues like “Right” “Yes” etc Note: You can test if they are paying attention during out of place cues by simply asking “Are you a total tool?” If they answer, “Right” then you nailed ’em . At that point it really doesn’t matter if they are checking their email or they are having an outer body experience, you lost the son of a bitch!

Whether we like it or not, the world is moving at the speed of light these days, people are forced to do more with less and multitasking has become a standard process.

Here are a few tips for you on the whole E.M.V. thing:

• First: Don’t you dare do it! An integral part of your personal brand should be a concept experts call giving a shit. If you can’t give someone your undivided attention, talk to them later. PERIOD!
  If you believe you are a victim of E.M.V., Use the other person’s name. When our names are called we respond. I would suggest adding that to a sentence or two in your dialogue anyway. Dale Carnegie once said that the sweetest sound to a person, in any language, is the sound of their own name!
• Ask a question: Questions are an important part of communication anyway and will help you maintain control. Questions also bring people back from whatever the hell Island they visited on their outer body experience! Call their attention to something specific such as a document, page and paragraph of a proposal, ask them to crunch the following numbers etc. Doing so regains control.
• Follow The 2-5 Minute Rule: The 2-5 minute rule is simply a reminder to keep your communication interactive every 2-5 minutes by doing any of the things mentioned in this post.

Today’s play is simple; give everyone your undivided attention. Should you experience someone zoning out on the other end of the phone, regain control and bring them back to your message!