Flatmate Advertisements – Making A Great Impression When Replying By Phone

Have you ever hung up the phone after answering a share accommodation advertisement and thought the conversation could have gone better? Join the club. Many people blurt out the wrong thing, get tongue-tied or leave out important details when talking to a potential flatmate for the first time.

The key to being a good phone conversationalist is building a strong rapport with the other person while getting your message across. You can do this by taking a few minutes before ringing the advertiser to prepare a few notes that you can refer to during your conversation. Preparing notes lets you think more clearly which means you’re less likely to say the wrong thing or loose your train of thought. This lets you gain self-confidence, which in turn helps you create a free-flowing conversation and make a good first impression. Your notes, for example, might include how you would like to answer different questions or respond to various scenarios during your phone call.

So, now that you know to how a build rapport with the advertiser, your next challenge is to let them know that you could be their perfect flatmate. Here are 5 steps that can help you get to the next step, the flatmate interview.

Create An Answering Machine Message

You should prepare a short message that you can leave in case you reach the advertiser’s answering machine or voicemail. This includes your contact details, the time you called, where you saw the advertisement and that you would like to be called back.

Prepare For Question Time

During your phone interview, you may be asked a few questions about your history of living with flatmates, why and when you’re looking to move and the flatmate qualities that are important to you. For this reason, it’s important that you prepare how you would like to answer each of these questions so that you don’t get caught off guard. You may also like to prepare some questions you would like to ask if you’re given the chance.

Suggest A Meeting

If you feel the advertiser could be the right flatmate, you may like to take the lead and suggest to meet in person. This lets the advertiser know you are seriously looking for a flatmate and genuinely feel that they could be the right flatmate for you. When you meet your potential flatmate, it should be in a public place like a coffee shop or shopping centre.

Give Your Contact Details

Sometimes when you’ve build a good rapport with an advertiser, it can be easy to forget to give your details or alternatively the advertiser could misplace them. For this reason, you should make sure that the advertiser has your name and phone number so that they can contact you.

Make Notes About Your Phone Call

You should write down the topics covered during your conversation to help you prepare and jog your memory before or during your next phone call or meeting. If you receive a call and you can’t remember that you called the advertiser or details of your conversation, your potential flatmate may feel you are not serious or interested in becoming their flatmate.

By taking the time to prepare before each phone call, you can become a good conversationalist and build the rapport you need to get your message across. More importantly, you’ll be able to avoid making any blunders, create a great first impression and find the right flatmate for you. To learn more, check out these top 10 do's and don'ts for answering flatmate advertisements.

Good luck and happy flatmate hunting!