Effective Voice Mail Saves Everyone
By Adeodate Czink
All of us, at one time or another, have picked up our phone messages only to find a cryptic voice mail such as this:“Hi, it’s Jane. You know my number.” We are left scratching our heads. Jane from the gym? Jane from that networking event last week? Jane somebody else? And we have the number?? Maybe. Somewhere.
Jane is surprised when she never gets a call back but she shouldn’t be. When leaving voice mail, it’s important to be clear, concise and informative.It starts before you even pick up the phone. Know in advance what you will say if you get voice mail instead of the person.When the beep sounds, start with your full name (first and last) and company name. Leave your phone number but say it slowly so that each number is clear and the recipient has time to write it down as you say it. Then get straight to the point with a message that is short, relevant and constructive.
For example, “I would like to have lunch with you on Wednesday or Thursday to discuss the Murdock situation.” Or, “I wanted to know on which side of the dinner plate you should place the bread plate.”In both of the above examples, the recipient can take action and get back to you with a specific answer without having to call you up to find out what you wanted.
If the message is of secondary importance, you might say, “No need to return this call; I just wanted you to know.” Or, “This is not urgent, but I thought you might want to know.”
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