I
love technology. I am not a technical person but I admire the techno-things
that have helped my business, productivity and profitability. Things like
laptops, the Internet, and email have cut costs and boosted productivity and
profits dramatically during the last decade.
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With almost all new technological breakthroughs, there is a period that
is heralded as the answer to all our problems followed quickly by a learning
period during which we figure out how to best capitalize on this new way of
working.
Voicemail fits this paradigm. Voicemail-the culprit that heightened “telephone
tag” to an art form.
Ten years ago, I had to pay the salary of a receptionist or acquire the
services of an answering service to handle incoming telephone calls. Or I
might use an answering machine with a limited recording limit. I opted for
the live receptionist. More personal, more real, I thought.
Then along came voicemail, a way of accepting incoming phone calls at a
low cost with more options than an answering machine and a way of more
effectively handling phone calls than before, giving the caller the
opportunity to receive answers to their inquiries without talking to a real
person.
Multiple menu options surfaced (if you would like sales, press 2, if you
press 2 and would like to receive a copy of our catalog, press 4, if you
press 4 and would like our winter catalog, press 5, but if you would like
our spring catalog, press 6…..). I actually timed a menu option thing
recently and it took over a minute and a half to get to the option that I
wanted to get to the information I needed.
Voicemail also creates a new opportunity for people to duck your calls.
Many people rarely answer a phone when it rings waiting until you have
slogged through their voicemail menu, then to play your message and decide
whether or not to call you back. Of course, when they call you back, they
get your voicemail system and then you have to listen to their message and
decide whether or not to return their call. Hmmm. Telephone tag and you’re
it!
We need a better system. Here are a few suggestions to better deal with
voicemail and avoid telephone tag.
Use an
alternative to telephone.
Look, people you call are going to duck your call via voicemail so use a
different mode of communication that might have a better rate of success of
getting through. Fax your message or email it or even use a first class
letter. Some of those “old” methods are better than the new
technology.
Don’t spill
the beans. Want someone to
call you back? Don’t give them the entire spiel in your voicemail. Less is
more. A little intrigue. Teasers. “ Debbie. Please give me a call to talk
about how to maker your job easier” v “ Debbie. I found a new online
course for only $259 that will show us how to get a lot more done in less
time with a lot less stress. The problem is I can’t afford to buy it on my
own. Would you be willing to kick in half of this and we could share the
program? Let me know if you want to do this.”
Be specific.
If you want a return call, don’t end with “Call me as soon as possible”
or “Call me soon” or “Call me when you can”. Everyone has “too
much to do”. You are then just one more thing to do. Those vague requests
wind up in the “as soon as possible” pile of Never Never Land that
rarely gets acted upon. Instead, give a specific day and time to call back.
Don’t give two or more choices because that will necessitate a call back
from that person to confirm which date and time is best to return the call.
For example: “Joe, this is Don. I need to speak to you about how to
make the Anderson research run more smoothly. Give me a call back on
Tuesday, the fifth at 9:00 a.m. I blocked that time for you. If this doesn’t
work for you, please give me a call to reschedule and leave a message on my
voicemail with at least two alternate dates and times for us to talk. Gutsy?
Offensive? Well, 95% of the time you will not hear back from this person to
change the date and time you have selected and you will accomplish what you
intended to do on the date and time you have selected. Invite a Friend to
Subscribe now:
-- Dr. Donald E. Wetmore is a professional speaker and creator of
Productivity Institute Time Management Seminars 127. Visit his web site
at http://www.balancetime.com
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