We're all busier than ever before. Our time management skills are being challenged, as are our travel budgets. But we still need to do our research. How can we get more efficient? One thing we can do is conduct some of our research meetings via the telephone. 

There certainly are tradeoffs as compared to traditional research meetings. We miss out on the face to face contact that is so valuable in an interview, and we can't see the contact's reaction to our questions. On the other hand, we eliminate travel time and expenses. We can conduct more meetings in a shorter amount of time. We can also refer to a list of questions as we conduct the meeting for quick reference.

A couple of ideas for making the most of these opportunities:

Schedule the research call just as you would a face to face meeting. This allows you and the contact to set aside time and prepare for the meeting. Utilize email and voicemail to schedule the call in advance;
  
Prepare for the call just as you would a meeting - write out your objectives and the questions you want to ask. Think about the flow of the meeting and what questions you can ask to get the contact engaged quickly;
  
Listen "verbally", letting the customer know that you are following along and are interested in their answers;
  
Conduct the meeting in a setting where you can focus and take good notes. This would not be a good call to conduct from the expressway! 
More than ever before, we have to do more work in the same amount of time. Leveraging the phone to supplement our research efforts is a great way to improve our own personal productivity.