Voicemail 101 simple steps that may save you hours
Voicemail is a tricky beast. When you hear the voicemail prompt, it can often feel like an invitation to ignore it or be disappointed by your voice. But with a little bit of preparation and discipline, there are some simple steps that you can take to make the voicemail experience a lot more pleasant for everyone involved.
Don’t worry about making mistakes. The truth is that most people are too embarrassed to leave a message when they’re not sure if they would be understood. So here is how to make your voicemail more effective to save you hours of waiting for a response:
- Be prepared
Endeavor to have a summarized blueprint of what you intend to say when you are about to drop a voicemail. Don’t stutter and start thinking of where to start, and then end up having white noises destroy the flow of the message you are trying to deliver. So before taking up the phone, you can practice your presentation and have the words smoothly go out of your tongue as soon as you hear the voicemail prompt.
- Eliminate background noise.
You should have a background devoid of noises and chatter, preferably in an empty room or your private workspace. You don’t want the receiver to struggle to hear what you have to say and end up replaying your voice message over and over again due to external noise or voice interference.
- Speak smartly.
You should also speak clearly without beautifying your voice, thereby making it sound unnatural or robotic. Clear your throat before jumping on the call, deliver your message, and don’t be in haste. Instead, be calm. Speak gently and go straight to the point.
- Make a brief intro.
Always remember to do a quick intro of yourself. Remember to drop your contact details so that the recipient can quickly know how to get back to you. You should leave your phone number or email address at the beginning. Also, remember to state it clearly so that there is no chance for ambiguity. If your email address contains not-so-common words, you should take the pain of spelling it out slowly in the voicemail.
- Keep the length between 20-30 seconds.
The average person would only prefer to listen to a voicemail of about 30sec on average. This implies that you have to be concise and clear on the message you want to pass. Open with a short greeting, introduce yourself, state your contact details, state your purpose for the call, and end with your desired call to action. You don’t have to rush through all of this, be outspoken and go through the parts one after the other seamlessly.
Summarily, voicemails are a great way to reach someone who has a busy schedule. They allow the person to respond to your message at their convenience. When done right, you will be able to get a desired response from the receiver. Follow the steps stated in this post to save hours of wasted time from getting answers from recipients of your voicemail.
