Doesn’t it drive
you crazy when you get a voice mail and then you have to wait two
minutes to get the phone number? Or how about when the caller trails off
at the end and you can’t understand the last two numbers? No wait! The
worst is when the person forgets to leave a phone number at all. These
are the things that drive people crazy in the day-to-day business world.
Leaving messages is not something you automatically do well although
you’ve been doing it for over twenty years.
What’s the solution? Follow
these tips to ensure you are leaving the best possible message for the
person you are calling.
1. Say your name, your company, and
your phone number at the beginning and the end of your message – just
in case they missed it the first time.
2. When you say your phone number the last time, try writing it as you
say it so you can slow down and give the person a chance to write it
down.
3. Leave a message that is no longer than 45 – 50 seconds long. Give
the caller an idea of what you want to talk about, but don’t hold a
conversation with the machine.
4. Speak a little louder than usual and enunciate as you speak. Voice
mailboxes sometimes don’t pick up your voice as well as you think they
do.
5. Be nice. Say something like, “I’m looking forward to talking with
you.” Or “I appreciate your phone call.”
