Keep one telephone stocked with all your interview essentials. Must-haves include the following:

Whenever possible, don’t answer questions when the call comes in, but schedule an appointment for your telephone interview so that you can be ultra-prepared — you have to take your child to Little League, you’re repainting your apartment, or something. Find a reason to be the one who calls back.

If a recruiter insists on calling you back, do what you would do for any other interview: Be ready early. This may sound surprising, but as a reminder to interview as a professional, change out of your jeans and into the type of dress you’d wear in a face-to-face business meeting.

Recruiters rely on your telephone presence in deciding whether to call you in for a face-to-face, so make the most of your vocal graces:

Most importantly, put warmth in your voice. Smile. You should sound energetic and enthusiastic. A few rounds with a tape recorder will help finesse your vocal performance.

When the oh-so-important call comes, follow these tips to get yourself off the telephone and into the interviewer’s office:

The interviewer sets up a job-related scenario for a role-play. The interviewer may, for example, play a boss asking why a deadline was not met, a vendor trying to change the terms of a contract, or a disgruntled customer; your challenge is to try your hand at acting out the situations in the pretend problem. Interviewers say they’re looking for creativity and a cheerful spirit. They downscore you if you run out of talk early in the exercise or refuse to go along with the game.

Decide beforehand which questions can best be put off. You can use this tactic two or three times in the same conversation.

Remember, telephone interviews can screen you out of the running in the first leg of the race. Avoid getting skunked by stating only the positive and eliminating the negative.

Telephone screeners often ask you to name an expected salary. Play dodge ball on this one. You don’t know how much money you want yet because you don’t know what the job is worth. If the interviewer persists, flip the coin and ask the interviewer to identify the range for the job for someone with your qualifications. If pushed to the wall, give an estimated salary range with a spread between $15,000 and $20,000.

Are you psychologically ready to work a telephone interview as effectively as you would an in-person discussion You have the same challenge to establish a rapport with the caller and communicate effectively.

Be ready to use stories, examples, and anecdotes to prove your skills and sound believable about the contributions you can make. Have a list of your own questions ready to ask the recruiter. Preparation makes the difference in whether you’re invited to take the next step in the selection process.

Some people think phone interviews are easier than in-person ones. Often, those people are wrong.

In person, it’s easy to tell if an interviewer is tuning you out if you notice them staring off into space or sending messages on their BlackBerry.

On the phone, you (and the interviewer) are missing out on important visual cues. You can’t read the interviewer’s body language.

So, how can a job seeker really dial into an interviewer’s demeanor to tell if she’s bored, distracted or underwhelmed

In the absence of sight, hearing becomes sharper. And interviewers can easily hear distraction over the phone.

Once you’ve scheduled a phone interview, locate a calm, quiet place where you can focus. Make sure you’re not near a computer, TV or anything that will draw your attention away from the interview. Tell anyone who has access to the space that you are not to be disturbed unless catastrophe strikes.

Next, have a pen and paper handy to take notes during your interview. You should also have a copy of your resume so that when the interviewer refers to your experience, you can both literally be on the same page.

Finally, consider your attire, particularly if you’re interviewing from your home. It’s your prerogative to wear sweats, but may we suggest something closer to business attire You’ll feel more professional — and, thus, you’ll sound more professional.

As soon as you answer the phone, you’re on!

You want to start your phone interview off right. And, because the interviewer can’t see you, she’s listening even more carefully.

Make a conscious effort to sound upbeat and enthusiastic.

Smile. Interviewers can hear you smile — and smiling can put you in a better state of mind. (Don’t believe it Try smiling when you’re in a bad mood.)

If you feel your confidence wane, stand up. Standing can make your voice sound more powerful.

And always remember to breathe. It will help you stay calm and sound more relaxed