Making the most of voicemail. Voicemail could be the most misused form of communication in the business world. There are countless ways this could be accomplished. Here is a list of possible offenses. Caller hears voicemail greeting and waits until the beep to hang up, leaving a recording of the hang-up. Caller leaves a message to call back with no background information. Caller is obviously unprepared to leave a message and is thinking out loud and rambling on and on. Caller begins leaving information without first warning you, causing you to have to replay the message. Caller leaves way too much information in their message. Caller lacks common courtesies like please and thank you. These are just some of the abuses committed when leaving a voicemail. Voicemails should be well-planned and professional. You may be asked to leave a message for a senior vice president or important client. Being prepared is the key to well-executed voicemails. Taking a systematic approach to making phone calls and leaving voicemails will make the process more efficient and make the best use of the time you are investing in making that call. Here are some of the steps you can take to ensure you are making the most out of your voicemail. Plan times during the day to make your calls instead of being random. Before you make your calls, summarize the nature of each call and write it down. Have a prepared greeting with your name, time of day, and contact information. Make your message short. Before giving instructions or information the recipient has to write down, tell them to get a pen ready and pause for a few seconds so they can prepare. Always be professional and use common courtesies.
