June '99 TIP
Make your message matter
(because it does!)
Phone calls route to voicemail more and more often in the workaday lives of corporate America, and that's fine. When used properly, voicemail can be a great time management or customer service tool: a guarantee you won’t miss an important call or a way to ensure that key details get passed along in a timely, convenient manner, regardless of your crazy schedule.
That being said, why don’t most people take the time, energy and care to record a greeting that represents them in the best light? Check out these examples, based on real-world experience (names are fictional, of course):
Example 1:
After an exasperated sigh and in a rushed monotone, Jerry's voicemail greeting tells me my call is important to him, so please leave a message and he'll return my call the same day. While the words seem carefully chosen, the tone and delivery tell me something completely different. (My perception is that this person is reading a script and is not genuine about service at all.) Worse, Jerry doesn't phone me back at all, much less in the same day, as his greeting promised. Am I going to trust Jerry with my next project? If I base it on the impression his voicemail gives me… probably not.
Example 2:
It’s 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 6, and I call Christine to get an update on our project. I get her voicemail and hear, "Hi, this is Christine. It’s Thursday, May 6, and I’ll be in meetings all day. I won't be checking messages until tomorrow, but I'll happily phone you then." I appreciate her clear, friendly greetings that tell me when she’ll be available. The next day, as promised, Christine returns my call, citing the specific information I left in my voicemail message. Christine’s properly dated greeting and responsive, timely return phone call gives me confidence about how well she'll manage the smallest of details. Can I trust her with the details of my complex project, and to provide a caring level of service? If her message is any indication, probably so!
Example 3:
After reviewing a tall stack of resumes from prospective job candidates, I select three and call to conduct an initial telephone screening. The first candidate, Erin, has done her interview coach proud by submitting a distinctive cover letter and picture-perfect resume. I get her home answering machine and my opinion changes. After thirty seconds of music more appropriate to a strip joint, Erin's voice screams, "I'm not here, so leave a message and I might call you back." After twenty beeps indicating twenty unchecked messages, the machine tells me it's my turn. This is a woman who's expecting calls from potential employers? Do I want her exercising this judgment with my clients? I don't think so. The resume gets shredded.
In a nutshell
No, your voicemail message isn't the only window into your work style and personality, and all of us have the occasional lapse. Yet, as with any interaction, your greeting is one piece in the puzzle that creates the perception people have of you (smart, goofy, professional, uncaring, service-oriented, self-centered, disorganized, etc.). And we know how quickly people form--and act on--first impressions. If an impression matters, give your communication effort thought.
Take a moment to craft a voicemail greeting that represents you the way you want it to:
• Take a deep breath and record your greeting as if it were the only contact you were going to have with the most important person you can imagine.
• Listen through it to ensure it gives a professional representation.
• Then, for goodness sake, do what your greeting promises you're going to do!
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