5 Frequently Asked Questions About Voice Mail
1. What do I do when I reach a voice mail message?
The secret is to prepare yourself, before making the call. There is no need to be stumped by an electronic message. You should have a plan of action and a specific message already in place in case the person is not available.
2. Should I bother to leave a message?
To not take advantage of the capabilities of modern technology is a waste. If you had a legitimate reason to make the call, then you owe it to the recipient and to yourself to leave a message.
3. How many messages can I leave without turning into a pest?
The answer depends on the type of message you are leaving, how often you are leaving the message, and the urgency of the message. If the recipient is out of town and has left the message that he or she will call in frequently, then give him or her the chance to return your call. No one wants to receive the same message repeatedly without having had a reasonable amount of time to respond. If the recipient is unable to respond or you find yourself playing telephone tag, you may leave a message requesting the name of another contact person whom you can call. Sometimes, people are just plain busy.
4. Should I vary my message each time?
There is no advantage to leaving the same message over and over again. Try providing more information or increasing the emotion in your voice to communicate a sense of urgency.
5. How can I break out of the voice mail cycle?
Unfortunately, some people leave the wrong message and/or attempt to contact the wrong person. The real reason you’re having difficulty getting a return call is you have not left the right information that would enable the recipient to answer you. Also, you may have asked the kind of question that the recipient is not capable or ready to answer. You did not give him or her a reason to call you back. Simply saying you called is not good enough. The other person may be busy or may not feel obligated to call you back if he or she doesn’t know you.
In a new business situation, leave some information that is of benefit to the recipient. Give them a reward for listening to the message and an incentive to return the call. To break the voice mail cycle, you can ask the recipient to call you back and let you know the best time to reach him or her. The goal of the call is to make future arrangements for a phone appointment.
Voice mail can provide many advantages to the savvy marketer. You have the ability to deliver an electronic voice message throughout an organization practically anywhere in the world. Recipients can replay your voice mail message over and over again at their convenience, enabling them to think about its meaning before they determine their next course of action.
Voice mail has a distinct advantage over assorted forms of paper communication that normally move information through an organization. Although faxes and personalized e-mail messages or videos and e-brochures are also great new forms of communication, only voice mail enables you and the recipient to quickly and easily inject emotion into your messages. The recipient can hear the emotion in your voice and respond accordingly. This added benefit allows both you and the recipient the opportunity to demonstrate how each of you feel about the project or the new product or service. Your feelings of concern, enthusiasm, or excitement for a new idea may motivate the customer or prospect to take the extra step and meet with you.
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