How to Formulate Clear Voicemail Messages

I work for a debt-relief service, and I often leave messages for clients. I realize the importance of leaving a clear message - most people receive messages and simply delete them. If the message is not clear, I will have wasted my time and wasted my client's time. If I do not leave a clear an accurate message, and we lose the account, I will have wasted THOUSANDS of dollars of my company's money.

Not only that, I don't want to waste my client's time with a confusing message.

I try to imagine a client receiving a voice mail message and what is going through their mind when they listen. Here is a good architecture for a voice mail message:

1. INTERESTING GREETING - Instead of just saying "Hello, this is..." try saying something catchy, or interesting, like "Happy day, this is..." or "Great news!" After all, you WANT someone to listen to what you are saying.

The risk is that a client may simply delete the message with a button. Make sure that they actually hear what you're saying.

Secondly, you may want to begin the message in the middle of a sentence. Overtly, this does not give the client an opportunity to delete the message immediately. It's disorienting.

"- is ______ from company X, just a follow-up reminder."

2. NAME - Say your name. If you have a unique name, you may want to spell it out for the person.

Clients will remember one thing about the client representative - make sure that you are a real person.

3. WHY - Why you are calling. If this information is EXTREMELY pertinent, then leave it twice. Or, better yet say "You may want to write this down..." That way, when the client hears the message, she can be forewarned, this is the important part.

4. REPEAT ALL PHONE NUMBERS AT LEAST TWICE - If you're like me, you don't write very quickly. It's a good idea to let the person listening have a few moments to grab a pen and write the information down.

5. DATE AND TIME - Depending on the situation, you may want to declare when you are leaving the message. It's not a bad idea, if you have to prove the time you called, in time-sensitive situations.

6. REPEAT ALL PHONE NUMBERS AT LEAST TWICE - Again, for impact. Also, it is a commonly held idea that people only remember 30% of the information they hear.

If rapport is an issue with the client, I suggest including a rapport-building message:

"So, who are you rooting for in the Superbowl?"

"It's a slow day over here."

Give the client something to grab onto when they respond. It's important for clients to feel like you understand them. They have to have at least a small emotional connection with a client representative.

These helpful suggestions should provide a decent structure to leave messages.