Did you know...
5 tips to leaving an effective phone message.
1 - Tell the person why you are calling. It simply saves time. If they know you are calling about x and not y or z, then they will simply be prepared for the call.
2 - Give your phone number at the front of the message. Then the person does not have to listen to the whole message to hear your number again.
3 - Even the simplest of voicemail systems know the date and time of your call. Don’t waste anyone’s time by saying when you called.
4 - If you really need to get a hold of someone try leaving a couple crafted and informative messages than a whole bunch. It shows you value their time

and demonstrates courtesy. If it’s an emergency then speak to the secretary or the front desk to see where the person is that you want. You may find out they are not in and that someone else can help you.
5 - It can be hard to do, but try not to cram in multiple topics into a message. If it is important enough for a call then it is worthy of its own message. Use email for complicated topics or issues and leave a voicemail telling the person to expect an email with further information.
Congratulations! You can now impress you clients and vendors with effective messages. It may sound funny but the phone is loosing ground to the computer and email everyday. Many are simply not developing great phone skills or even basic skills. Leaving a voicemail or simply just having a conversation on the phone is a very intimate form of communication that helps to establish business relationships. Email is great but the phone and what it can do is often underestimated.