By Caroline M. Cole

The omnipresent smartphone is making tweets, texts and, when necessary, emails favorite modes of conveying information, requiring less oral communication on the go. In fact, many people say they no longer check voicemail, or listen to messages in full; they either tap “return call,” send a text, or find other channels to see what the person wanted. Yet despite claims that voicemail is obsolete, it’s still in play for some generations, industries, and offices.

Recognizing that the messages we create as well as those we leave can affect the impression we make on others, this discussion examines ways to build and enhance our reputation through voicemail.

Outgoing Messages
Outgoing messages are what callers may hear when someone does not answer the phone, and while fewer people have answering machines nowadays, they may still have a phone service that allows callers to leave a message.

Some people never change their system’s default message, so callers hear something like: “No one is available to take your call. Please leave a message after the tone.” Though perhaps overly mechanical, this message gets the job done. Brief and to the point, it indicates that no one is available and gives the caller an option to leave a message to move any subsequent conversations forward. Depending on the forum and recipient of the calls, such messages also offer a measure of safety for people who live alone or for those who may feel vulnerable to unknown callers compared, say, to voicemails that convey more information through a message’s content, tone, or gender of speaker. Nevertheless, default messages can make it unclear whether the caller has, in fact, dialed the correct number, thus some callers may be hesitant to disclose too many details—including their name, phone number, or reason for calling—in case they misdialed.

For those wanting to clarify who will receive the message, some voicemail systems offer the option to insert a name into the default message: “You have reached the voicemail of <insert name>. Please leave a message after the tone.” As with the default version, these messages do the job and go one step further by verifying whether the caller has reached the correct number. The downside may be the impression left by such messages, primarily due to the artificial pause that typically prefaces the person’s name, as well as the sudden shift in the message’s tone, register, and pitch when a human inserts a name into an otherwise digitalized message.

On the flip side are voicemails that convey the recipient’s personality—perhaps too much personality. Consider, for example, calling a number and a hearing a message like:

“Hi. I’m screening calls to avoid people I don’t like. If I don’t call you back, you know why”. <Beep>

“Voicemail. Talk. Now.” <Beep>

“I’m not here. You know what to do…”. <Beep>

“Hello? (long pause) Hello? (long pause) Is anyone there? (long pause) Hel-lo? (long pause) Oh, right. You’re supposed to leave a message.”<Beep>

“You have reached the <surname> residence. This is Trixie the dog. Clearly I can’t take a message, so call back later.” <Beep>

“Hey, it’s me. If you’re a friend, leave a message. If you are soliciting money, selling goods, or otherwise in need of something, #%*@!” <Beep>

While family, friends, and acquaintances may have context to treat such messages as tongue-in-cheek, others may not. And though some people claim they don’t care how unknown callers responds to their voicemail since “they’re mostly solicitors anyway,” these individuals may care if it were a recruiter or headhunter, a loan officer following up on an application, a doctor’s office, a prospective client, or someone else getting a first or different impression from their voicemail.

The overriding questions for all effective communication are: What is the purpose, and who is the audience? Because voicemail aim to help the caller and recipient connect in the absence of one of the parties, the following consideration can enhance the communication in this and subsequent forums.

• Identify the recipient(s) of the call and whether a message is possible. Voicemails should recognize and streamline the caller’s effort to make a particular connection, so outgoing messages should verify who is receiving the call and invite the person to leave a message if the system accepts recordings. Thus, a basic voicemail message might be:

“You have reached <insert name>. I am unable to take your call at this time but, if you leave a message, I will return your call.”

Although hearing content similar to that of an automated message, callers who hear an outgoing message in the recipient’s voice can feel more connection with and affinity for the person on the other end, even those whom they have never met. If, then, you want or need to convey warmth and receptivity as part of your image, using an outgoing message recorded in your own voice is one way to do so. From this basic version, you can decide to offer more, or different details, depending on other characteristics you may want to promote.

Some individuals, for example, add conventional (or unconventional) conversational openings, such as:

“Hi. You’ve reached…”

“Hello.…”

“Greetings! You’ve…”

Or, they may vary their message’s closing:

“…I will return your call. Thanks.”

“…See ya’!”

“…Ciao.”

“… Have a wonderful day!”

There is no right or wrong, but each variation will increasingly affect the caller’s interpretation; therefore, when crafting a voicemail, remain attentive to those who might be calling your number and the impression you want to leave upon them should you be unable to take the call immediately.

Whatever choices you make, however, you should offer a “voice” that’s consistent with those you project in other forums. If, for instance, if you would never say “Howdy!” or “T-T-F-N!,” you might reconsider whether to include such references in your voicemail.

• Consider safety. Individuals should be cautious about the outgoing messages they create for landline-affiliated voicemail systems. For example, messages should not say “no one is at home to take your call… .” Similarly, families should be cautious about providing individual names—especially those of children—which give callers the number of residents in a household, or otherwise provide information that could compromise safety in other forums.

• Indicate message record time, if limits exist. While callers should be attentive to how long they talk on a voicemail, depending on the context, even mindful callers can be cut off mid-discussion, prompting awkward call-backs in an attempt to fill in details. Therefore, if your incoming messages stop recording after a designated time frame, alert callers to that fact so they can adjust their message. For example:

“If you would like to leave a message, you will have 30 seconds to do so after the tone, and I will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you.”

• Redirect, if necessary. There may be times you are unavailable for a few hours, a few days, or even a week or more. In such contexts, you might alert callers to such absences and, if possible, redirect them to someone who can help them in a more timely manner. For example:

 “ This is <insert name>. Today is < date >, and I will be in and out of meetings all day, but if you leave a message I will return your call as soon as possible.”

“ This is <insert name>. I am currently out of the office until <date>. If you need assistance, please call < name >, < title > at < number>.”

“This is <insert name, title>. If you have questions about your order, please leave a message after the tone and I will return your call. If you need technical support, please call <insert name> at <number>.”

Such messages let callers know that you value their time and are trying to get them the information they may need in the most efficient manner, even in your absence.

By the same token, resist bringing callers into increasingly elaborate phone trees that promise to direct callers to the most appropriate person only to abandon them in an endless loop of press-related commands or leave them indefinitely on hold with an occasional a message thanking them for their patience and professing how important their call is.

• Speak slowly and enunciate. In the absence of body language, facial expressions, and other conversational cues that can help face-to-face conversations or real-time phone conversations, callers give more attention and weight to the sound, pitch, tone, and pace of an outgoing message—especially when calling someone they may not know. Yet even acquaintances can struggle to understand quickly spoken, garbled words and sentences. Therefore, speak at a slower pace than you might in a face-to-face conversation and enunciate words that may not transmit as easily in sound recordings. In doing so, you help callers verify that they have reached the correct number and guide them in doing what can be of service to you both.

• Minimize background noise. Music, other conversation and so on make it harder for callers to hear names and further instructions, if any. Moreover, the type of noise on a voicemail can affect the caller’s impressions. Therefore, when recording your outgoing messages, make sure you are in space where your voice is the primary, if not the only sound in the message.

Although these considerations focus primarily on crafting an outgoing message, many of them likewise apply to leaving a voicemail message.

Incoming messages
Assuming the caller hears a voicemail for the party he or she aims to reach, the caller should leave a message that allows the other person to take the next step, if any is required. How much information the caller should leave on a voicemail, however, depends on the context.

Voicemails are often interim communication, meaning that they should be understandable in an abridged, potentially decontextualized form, or they should serve as a placeholder for further conversation. As such, you should remain attentive to what you need to say and how long you need to talk on a voicemail; if you need more than a minute to contextualize or explain information, it may be more strategic to leave a brief message asking the person to return your call as time permits.

Leaving messages like, “Please call me back,” or “Call me ASAP,” however, are equally problematic. Giving context—even a topic—will help the person know whether to be in a more private forum or one where they may need to access files or other information during the call. For example:

“This is <name> from <office> calling for <person>. We have reviewed the numbers you gave us and would like to talk more about your options. Please call me at 415-987-1234 so we can arrange a time to meet; if I am unavailable, you can call my assistant, <name>, at 415-987-1235 to schedule a time that works for you. Thank you.”

“This is <name>, <title>, calling from <organization> in regards to your order, invoice #7648X. Because we have questions about the options you requested, we need to verify your order before shipping. I’ve put a note in your file about the information we must confirm, so please call our sales division at 1-800-555-1234, Mondays through Saturdays, 7:00am–7pm (EST) with your invoice number so we can ship the materials with the appropriate configurations. Thanks.”

“This is <name>, returning your call. I will be in my office until 5 PM tonight, Friday, October 2, and will be back in the office on Monday, October 5, starting at 8 AM. Thank you.”

Regardless of your message’s purpose, you should always identify yourself at the beginning of the call (that is, give your name and, if calling from a business, your company’s name) and briefly note the reason for your call in the most neutral manner. After all, voicemails can be retrieved by other parties, or played back for wider audiences than you might intend.

You should also speak slowly into the mouthpiece, enunciating words and repeating key information as necessary. For example, you might repeat and, in some cases, spell out your name. You might also repeat your callback number, perhaps exaggerating pauses between each chunk of numbers. For example:

“…Again, my name is Charles Douley, that’s D, as in ‘dog,’ O-U-L-E-Y, and my phone number is: area code 3-1-2 (pause) 5-5-5 (pause) 7-1-7-1.”

To further enhance the clarity of their message, callers might consider the possibility of needing to leave a voicemail message before calling. The time it takes a voicemail message to play out may be sufficient for some callers to plan their own message; others need more time. By preparing a 1–2 sentence summary of your call’s purpose, just in case you get voicemail, you can ensure the most concise, articulate message.

Finally, voicemail should never be a substitute for difficult, face-to-face conversations.

Voicemails have become increasingly common for avoiding particular discussions: declining offers, canceling meetings, quitting, laying off someone, and even reporting someone’s death. Although potentially easier for the caller, receiving such news on a voicemail undermines the human connection people expect or need at such moments. Therefore, rather than use voicemail to deliver sensitive or difficult news, leave a message indicating you’d like to talk further in real-time, even if a face-to-face conversation is not possible.

Although people argue that voicemail is dying, it remains a viable forum for connecting in some contexts, and the messages people hear on either end of the phone speak volumes, shaping subsequent conversations. By being conscientious of and purposeful in your outgoing and incoming voicemail messages, you add to the forums in which you create and reinforce your reputation.

Working toward Areté…
Share your comments and observations about voicemail messages—as both a crafter of or listener to such messages—in the space below.