Do you give good voice mail?

Let's face it, there's a whole lot of marketing that is done over voice mail.  Whether we want to or not, we end of leaving a significant number of voice mail messages throughout the day.   Just like you'd want your sales letters (read this example of a horrendous one) to leave a strong, branded impression -- you want your voice mail messages to do the same.

Over at the Art of Manliness blog, there are some great suggestions for leaving the perfect voice mail message.  Here are some that I think particularly impact the listener's impression of your brand.

Plan ahead so you do not "umm" yourself to death.  If you want to sound like an expert or at least a credible adult -- have your VMM ready to go, long before you hear the first beep.

State your name.  Tell them who you are and if you have a connection, identify it right away.  "Hi Bob, this is Drew McLellan.  My friend Tim Johnson said that your logo was a sorry sight and you needed my agency's help."

Give it up right away.  Do not make them suffer through your entire rambling voice mail just to get your phone number.  Cough it up.  Twice.

Cut to the chase.  If you didn't follow the first bit of advice, odds are you are not going to score big points in this arena either.   Nothing you have to say is worth enduring 3-5 minutes of voice mail blather to get to the nugget.    Be clear.  Be  articulate.  But even if you can't muster either of those -- be brief!

In many cases, your voice mail message is your first impression.  Don't blow it. Be sure to reflect on your brand and how you could best deliver it in 60 seconds or less. 

The good news is, most people are horrible at leaving voice mail messages.  So if you can master some key skills -- your voice mail will stand out and you'll be the first one they call back!

Comments

[Geoffrey James]

Drew:
Interesting article. I caught it because Technorati picked up your link to my blog. Leaving good v-mail is an art. It's nice to see somebody lay out a solid plan for doing it right.
Geoffrey

[Geoffrey James]

Drew:
Interesting article. I caught it because Technorati picked up your link to my blog. Leaving good v-mail is an art. It's nice to see somebody lay out a solid plan for doing it right.
Geoffrey

[Drew McLellan]

Geoffrey,

Agreed -- voice mail is sort of like PowerPoint. Almost everyone does it wrong! Glad you discovered the blog.

Best,

Drew