NFIB

Want Your Voicemail Messages Returned? Make Sure People Can Understand Them
04/ 15/ 2002

This morning I retrieved a message from my voicemail -- but the caller spoke so rapidly and indistinctly that I had to play the message back three times just to decipher the telephone number. Even after four playbacks I couldn't make out the name and company of the caller.

Most people aren't as forgiving. If they can't determine who's calling after listening to the message the first time, they'll simply erase it and move to the next one. In today's Workshop, Jeffrey Moses offers a few simple but frequently overlooked tips to consider when leaving a voicemail message.

1. Enunciation is key. Remember that not all voicemail equipment is created equal -- some provide clear, audible messages, and others make your voice sound like you're underwater. Speak each word of your message distinctly and slowly. If there is one single way to make sure that your message is clear, it's to slow down while you speak. This is especially true when leaving a phone number. Don't just rattle the number off. Remember that the person you're calling will be writing the numbers down one by one, and won't be able to keep up unless you consciously speak slowly.

2. Make sure that you leave your name and phone number when you call. Too many people simply say, "Hi, it's me. Call me back." What if the person you called doesn't recognize your voice?

3. Leave these four specific bits of information in any message: Your name, the reason for your call, the time and day of your call and your phone number (or any other details of how you wish to be contacted). It's also helpful to include any specific time when you'll be available.

4. Always be aware of the possibility that the person you're calling may not be the person checking messages. For this reason, keep your messages short and to the point. If you don't, the exact information may get lost in the translation.

5. If you have an unusual first or last name, it's a good idea to spell it out.

6. If you're calling from a cell phone, speak with special care. Cellular and digital transmission often is sporadic, or may be obscured by static.

7. If the answering machine or voicemail suddenly ends before your message is complete, simply call back and repeat your message. This can happen when machines are set to take only 30-second or one-minute messages.

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