While many do not pay much heed to their voice mail message, it is a manifestation of your professional identity. In fact, it may be the first impression that you make with a new client. Follow this quick guide to success.
First Impressions Last!
Your outgoing voice mail message should be simple, positive, and professional. State your name and company followed by concise directions. It helps to leave a daily message because it gives clients the impression you check your voice mail on a daily basis. You may want to try something like "Hello, this is Damian Silver, Account Executive for Great Business Ideas. 'Tis Wednesday the 19th and I will be out on field work till Thursday the 20th. Leave a message and I'll call you back Friday." This message lasts nine seconds.
Make sure that your outgoing message is unencumbered by music (turn off the radio), rustling papers (sit still), and background noise (close the door). Also, you will want to avoid engaging in vainglorious attempts to show off with credentials, cheesy poetry and (likely) off-key singing - face it, you're not getting that Golden Ticket to Hollywood. These appear unprofessional.
Practice Professional Courtesy
Some people check their voice mail to filter their calls. Remember, though, it is rude not to reply to a message, although it is certainly understandable if you want to minimize unwanted callbacks. The message may not be important to you, but it might be to somebody else. They wouldn't call you for nothing.
Free up your schedule by earmarking a time for returning calls. If the messages were left by people whom you do not want to talk to, have an assistant return the calls. Or call back when the other person will be away from the phone and leave a message. The brief moment that you spend on a return message helps the caller continue business and frees you from receiving additional unwanted calls. You may try something like, "Hi, Fred. Damian Silver here, I have just received your voice mail. I'd like to be taken off your list as I am not interested in having more money now. Thanks, though, for the offer," which would take all of eight seconds.
Make your system look professional.
Even your voice mail system should smack of professionalism, so do not overlook. Avoid systems with long strings of beep tones, mechanical voices, or poor sound quality. You may be running a small business or a large one, but the bottom line is, you need to emphasize professionalism in all of your dealings, including your outgoing voice mail message.
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