Scarcities of resources, time, and budgets have increased the popularity of telephone interviews. Many corporations frequently use them as the first stage of screening and selecting candidates. Employers find this a cost effective method of making an initial assessment of a candidate. They can get a sense of the following:
What level of interest does the candidate have?
Does he/she possess the basic qualifications for the role?
What type of effort has he/she made in researching the company?
How good are his/her communication skills?
What is the reason for leaving his/her current and past job moves?
 

These are all very rudimentary questions, but if you are not well prepared, the interview process will end long before you have had a chance for a face-to-face meeting. Your goal as a candidate is to get beyond this elimination round and be placed on the short list. The short list is a list of candidates that gets to move on to the next round of interviews. The job market is extremely competitive due to the amount of qualified professionals that have been displaced. To increase your chances of making it to the next round consider the following:
 
Communication skills are paramount. How well do you communicate by phone? Are you able to describe your skills and responsibilities? Are you interested and enthusiastic?
Do you sound confident, or are you groping for answers?

You really can increase your communication skills through simple preparation.
Preparing will enable you to give clear and concise answers and will eliminate stumbling gaps and long silences.
You must anticipate questions that will most likely be asked and think through your answers. Typical questions to anticipate are:
Describe your current role and responsibilities.
What are the greatest challenges you face within your organization?
How is your organization currently structured?
Why are you the best person for this job?
Give an example of a difficult situation and your approach to its solution.
How do you manage under performing employees?
Why would you consider leaving your current employer?
What attracts you to this position?
 
After reading these questions a few things become evident. First is you must have done some due diligence about the company before this initial interview. You must understand the nature of their business, their competitors and the details of their job requirements. Without this basic knowledge, you will not be able to formulate the answers that will persuade the interviewer to continue the process.
 
When you do answer the questions it is important that your answers are clear and concise and actually answer the direct question that was asked. Many times a candidate will give answers that do not address the question even after it may be rephrased. This leads the interviewer to two conclusions. First the candidate does not possess good listening skills and second he must not know the answer to the question.  Listening skills are paramount during a phone interview. You do not have the benefit of observing the interviewers body language or other non-verbal cues.  Restate the question and ask if they need further clarification after you have given your answer. Realize that you are also depending on the interviewers listening skills to evaluate your performance. One of the most positive influences you can have on the process is to be enthusiastic! You do not want your interviewer to lose interest half way through the interview. Express your enthusiasm through the speed of your speech and the tone of your voice. Interviewers want to hire people that are excited by the opportunity offered to them. I can’t stress enough how important this is. Based on interviewer feedback, enthusiasm ranks high as a qualifying factor. Many competent candidates have been turned away because the interviewer doesn’t get a good sense of their motivation or level of interest. These candidates are often amazed when I tell them that the interview didn’t go well.
 
One of the best ways to show your enthusiasm is to engage the interviewer in the conversation. Ask pointed questions base on the research you have done on the company, the knowledge you have about the position or the information the interviewer just presented to you. 
 
When answering questions, it is extremely important that you express yourself in a positive way. If you badmouth your previous employer or co-workers it will be ultimately be viewed as your own weakness. The interviewer will assume that you don’t work and play well with others. It is also extremely important that the information you provide is accurate and verifiable.
 
One of the advantages you have on a phone interview is the ability to have notes in front of you. Use these notes as a prompt, not as a speech. I advise writing down key points and ticking them off as you include them in your conversation.  Make sure that your preparation includes the expression of situational examples relevant to the opportunity you are discussing. Interviewers like to hear war stories. Don’t make them to elaborate, but ensure that they depict an issue or problem, the actions taken, and the resolution.
 
Finally as the interview draws to an end ask closing questions. For example:
Is there any other information I can provide you?
What are the next steps?
 
By stating, I thought this interview went very well, what are your thoughts? It gives the interviewer an opportunity to express any doubts or concerns he may have. If you are able to get him to do this, it will give you a chance to address those concerns right then and there and clarify any misunderstanding or misinterpretation. This will prove to be an invaluable step in moving forward.
 
Following the above simple suggestions will provide you with the competitive edge you need to make it to the next round.