Responses to Voice Mail Messages: Have you been playing "phone tag?"  cutom voice tags

You're used to it: You call and leave a message, the other person calls back and leaves a message for you, and so on and so forth. You have left two or three messages by the time you actually speak with the person you were trying to reach.

Don't give up! Make use of each message to give the person listening another chance to see that you are the reliable advisor they want on their side.

The party on the other end has already formed an opinion of you based solely on your speaking voice thanks to those recorded messages. Through the tone of your voice, people "hear" your intellect, personality, and even manners. How can you make it more likely that someone will respond positively to your message?

Make it a priority to learn effective voicemail techniques if you want to make a lasting impression and achieve your goals. Preparation is essential if you want to build a strong relationship, close a big deal, get the job of your dreams, or impress a potential client. Your content and delivery are everything.

Here are a few extraordinary ways to leave compelling messages:

Know your audience's expectations. Record in one sentence what activity you need to kick off by your message. You can effectively state your request and move your process forward with a well-written action step, avoiding the frustrating game of phone tag.

Since you may be cut off at any time, arrange your message so that you state the information that is most important first.

Talk obviously and not excessively fast. If people may not recognize your name, clearly pronounce your first and last names and spell them. The individual you are calling could become irritated in the event that you make them replay the message since they couldn't figure out it. When you speak, placing your feet firmly on the ground will help you sound more authoritative and confident.

When leaving voicemail messages, look into a small mirror on or next to your desk. A message that sounds much brighter and has a 72% greater chance of being returned contains a smiling face.

Clearly state your telephone number, pausing briefly wherever a "dash" might be in it. It's not a bad idea to say it again.

Get down to business. Learn when to pause speaking. Your conciseness will be appreciated by people! The majority of messages are ignored because recipients are simply too busy. From dawn to dusk, many of us are frantically active. Your message must be so compelling to stand out from the 15 other urgent matters that require attention in order to be returned. However, many messages do not even come close to addressing the individual's specific requirements, desires, and concerns.

Try this method the next time you find yourself calling multiple times: Obviously and momentarily notice how your item or administration can determine every one of your audience's "torments." Every time you call, you'll talk about a different problem.

Incorporate exceptionally short delays in the wake of communicating significant thoughts. The listener has time to process and, hopefully, remember the concept as a result of this. When you are trying to get information from the person you are calling, this can be especially helpful. Give them ample time to record everything. You are more likely to get information that is accurate and reliable.

At the end of your message, make sure to include your name and phone number once more.

Being heard and achieving results can be achieved with a little preparation. When you leave a clear, practiced message with a lively voice, you significantly increase the likelihood that your calls will be returned and that you will achieve your goals.

Remember: When selling over the phone, a recent UCLA study found that 84% of your message is conveyed by your voice quality and speech intelligibility. Pitch, tone, inflection, and pronunciation all have the potential to make the difference between getting a message back and closing a sale.