Richman: Don’t underestimate importance of the voice-mail message
Richman: Don’t underestimate importance of the voice-mail message
You know the story: A caller you don’t know leaves a long, rambling message that crawls along like an arthritic turtle and concludes with a sudden rush of vocabulary and an indecipherable call-back number. No matter how many times you replay the message, you can’t understand it.
A phone faux pas like that can have serious implications for job seekers who leave voice-mail messages for potential employers, leads or networking contacts. To avoid miscues, think about what you’ll say if your call goes to voice mail, script your message and follow that script. You wouldn’t think so many level-headed people could be thrown off balance when it comes to leaving voice-mail messages, but they are. So here are a few things to keep in mind:
• Slowly and clearly state your first and last name. You know what it is, but the caller may not.
If your name is unusual, say it slowly. When people stumble over your name or avoid using it, it’s unusual. If it is a common name spelled in an uncommon way, spell it slowly.
• Clearly state your phone number.
• Give the purpose for your call in one simple sentence. Practice this several times so you don’t get balled up once you’re on the call.
• Repeat your phone number at the close of your message, being sure it’s the same one you gave at the beginning, and again, say it slowly.
Now, what if they don’t call back? What do you do then? Wait five business days, script yourself and call again. Just make sure that what you say and how you say it are aligned. Meaning, you might think you’re saying something in a friendly manner, such as “I’m looking forward to speaking with you,” but if you’re frustrated because you haven’t heard anything from the person yet, it comes off sounding more like, “Why in the world haven’t you called me back?”
Or you might intend to say something like, “I am looking forward to an opportunity to prove myself to you,” but it sounds like, “Are you going to hire me or not?”
For especially important calls, do a test run first. Leave yourself the voice-mail message you intend to leave for the person you’ll be calling by phoning your own home answering machine or using your friend’s cell phone to call your own, or by simply reciting it on a recording device. Play the message back and listen for tone and content. Does it sound sincere and professional? If so, you’re good to go. If not, keep working on it. Trust me, it’s worth the effort.
Joyce Richman is a career coach conducting seminars and workshops throughout the United States, and is the author of “Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook for Career Success.” You can reach her at 288-1799 or JERichman@aol.com. Watch Richman’s latest career advice Wednesdays at 6:35 a.m. during “The Good Morning Show” on WFMY News 2. Read her blog at www.richmanresources.com.
