These days, voice mail is ubiquitous. But like so many things in this category—mugs and baseball caps come immediately to my mind—it’s rare to come across a voice mail message that’s really appealing, much less knocks your socks off.
Why is this important? Because your voice mail message is often the first contact a new person has with you. Consequently, it’s an opportunity to impress someone right from the start. Despite this, however, I hear far, far too many voice mails that are less than memorable, and more than a few that do the person active disservice.
Here’s an example:
One day I got a call from a client who had just promoted a midlevel manager to a top spot. I asked her if there was anything in particular I should be aware of. Well, she said, he’s smart and enthusiastic—which is great—but we’re worried he doesn’t come across as “manager material.”
Next, I called his office to make an appointment. Here’s what his voice mail message sounded like:
“Hi, this is Joe. I’m not here, leave me a message, or call Lewis at 212 … ”
Instead of sounding competent, calm, and in command, he sounded like he was trying to find his way out of a burning building. Was it Joe’s goal to come across this way? Of course not. It was simply that no one had ever told him how important this seemingly
small detail was to the overall impression he left behind. Although we worked on a lot in his session, we began by re-recording his voice mail message. Now, should you call, you’ll hear a message that’s authoritative, warm, and welcoming—manager material, which he is.
So how should you go about recording your voice mail message?
- You want to record it while standing and smiling. This will give your voice warmth and energy. If you sound even slightly flat/tired/anxious/impatient/distracted/drunk/flirtatious or like you are speaking to children, redo it.
- You do not want any background or ambient noise. No cars, music, dogs barking, telephones ringing, etc.
- You want to inhale before you begin to record and speak on an exhalation as you begin to leave your message. This gives your voice resonance and authority. Note please that you want to inhale before you begin to record. We don’t want to hear you sucking in a big breath before you start speaking.
- You want to be sure that your name and any alternate numbers and—should you have one—your assistant’s name and number are distinctly articulated. If you, or they, have an unusual name, you will want to speak even more slowly.
- You want to make sure it is current. Updating it should be the first thing you do on returning from a business trip or vacation. Among the many benefits of doing this is the fact that once it is done, you will always have that recording of you as your best self—even on days when you might, perhaps, not be.
