How to Leave a Voice Mail Message

In today's society, where everyone is busy and rushing from one thing to another, it can be difficult to get in touch with someone on the telephone. You will probably find yourself leaving a voice mail message quite often. However, it is crucial that you leave a good voice mail message to increase the chance that the recipient will actually return your call.

Instructions

1. Speak clearly and slowly enough that they can understand you. Many people make the mistake of talking too quickly, especially when they're reciting their callback number, thereby making it nearly impossible to understand the message.

2. Leave both your first and last name. If you leave only your first name, it may create some confusion. The person might know five people with the same first name as yours. If your name is unusual, do them a favor by spelling it, just in case they're writing it down.

3. Recite your phone number twice. If the person you are calling misses your number the first time, then they will have to listen to the entire message over again unless you say it twice. Generally, you should recite the number at the beginning and the ending of the message. On the other hand, you can say the number, then say, "Again, my number is" and say the number a second time.

4. Keep your message short and concise. Try to tell the person why you are calling in only one sentence. If you happen to be a salesperson, don't actually try to sell anything in your message. Simply give them a good reason to call you back and hang up.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't use minimizing words in your message. Some examples are "just," "nothing," "not important" and "little."