I think small talk is so very important, finding commonalities. You can never go wrong with "How's your day going so far?" or "I really like your earrings/necklace" You can try to make connections by trying to find mutual interests ie: do they like sports? do that have kids? what hobbies do they enjoy? It's nice to have guild lines without having to follow a cold script. Smile when you're talking on the phone, joy can be sensed even on a phone call.
