Think your company’s marketing ends with the ads you place and the networking you do? Think again. Did you ever stop to wonder if maybe your company’s phone etiquette might be a marketing tool? If you didn’t think it’s important to answer the phone a certain way, leave a message on your away phone correctly or even leave a voice mail message considerately, you might be missing out on a great marketing tool.
Here’s a 5 step plan for leaving an effective voice mail message:
1. Identify yourself and your company
2. State your phone number (yes, at the beginning of the message, hold on, I’ll tell you why)
3. State the reason or purpose for your call
4. State the action you want the person to take (call me back, check your email, remind of an appointment)
5. Re-state your phone number
Throughout the process make sure you speak clearly and at a normal speed. Try organizing and practicing your voice mail messages before actually making the call. Now… here’s the reason for stating your phone number up front, it’s simply a convenience. How often have you played back a message multiple times in order to get the caller’s return phone number written down? If you leave your number at the beginning of the message, it shows your consideration for the person you’ve called, as they won’t have to play through the entire message to write down your number.
You should develop a phone etiquette policy for your company which includes the expected greeting when answering a call, voice mail recording speech outline, and the proper way to leave a voice mail message. That way everyone in your company represents your brand with consistency, courtesy and professionalism. And that’s a marketing tool your clients and prospects will remember.