10 Ways To Better Use Voice Mail
10 Ways To Better Use Voice Mail
By Martin Cohn
Given everyone’s busy schedule, leaving voice mail messages is an unavoidable business practice. However, voice mail is a tool. Despite its widespread use among companies, government agencies and private residences, callers often are not prepared to leave a coherent, concise message. Many times the beep impels callers to prattle and digress.
Here are some suggestions I got from Diane Diresta, a professional speaker, coach and author of Knockout Presentation: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch, and Pizzazz, to make your voice mail more effective.
1. Plan your message. Think about what you want to say before you leave the message.
2. Get to the point. Stream of consciousness doesn’t work.
3. Be brief. Aim for a 15- to 30-second message.
4. Speak slowly. The recipient needs to process the information and write it down.
5. Enunciate clearly. Bear in mind that a telephone distorts certain sounds.
6. Be “up” in your voice. A monotone lacks enthusiasm. Smile as you leave your message.
7. Modulate your volume. Too loud is irritating. Too soft can’t be heard. Don’t cradle the phone between your neck and shoulders.
8. Monitor your tine. Avoid sarcasm and irritation if you want your call returned.
9. Avoid telephone tag. Give the recipient options as to when you can be reached.
10. End with the telephone number. Say your number two times slowly.
When used properly, voice mail can improve communications dramatically. Be sure you use it to improve communications, and not to avoid communications. You should answer your phone whenever you are available. After all, if callers are constantly answered by voice mail, they will suspect that you are avoiding your calls.
10 Ways To Better Use Voice Mail - To learn more about this author, visit Martin Cohn's Website.
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10 Ways To Better Use Voice Mail
By Martin Cohn
Given everyone’s busy schedule, leaving voice mail messages is an unavoidable business practice. However, voice mail is a tool. Despite its widespread use among companies, government agencies and private residences, callers often are not prepared to leave a coherent, concise message. Many times the beep impels callers to prattle and digress.
Here are some suggestions I got from Diane Diresta, a professional speaker, coach and author of Knockout Presentation: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch, and Pizzazz, to make your voice mail more effective.
1. Plan your message. Think about what you want to say before you leave the message.
2. Get to the point. Stream of consciousness doesn’t work.
3. Be brief. Aim for a 15- to 30-second message.
4. Speak slowly. The recipient needs to process the information and write it down.
5. Enunciate clearly. Bear in mind that a telephone distorts certain sounds.
6. Be “up” in your voice. A monotone lacks enthusiasm. Smile as you leave your message.
7. Modulate your volume. Too loud is irritating. Too soft can’t be heard. Don’t cradle the phone between your neck and shoulders.
8. Monitor your tine. Avoid sarcasm and irritation if you want your call returned.
9. Avoid telephone tag. Give the recipient options as to when you can be reached.
10. End with the telephone number. Say your number two times slowly.
When used properly, voice mail can improve communications dramatically. Be sure you use it to improve communications, and not to avoid communications. You should answer your phone whenever you are available. After all, if callers are constantly answered by voice mail, they will suspect that you are avoiding your calls.
10 Ways To Better Use Voice Mail - To learn more about this author, visit Martin Cohn's Website.
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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