Five Most Frustrating Voice Mail Phrases

By Nancy Friedman

Voice mail remains a large frustration in this busy business world. And it’s not just voice mail. The automated attendant is also on the list. In an effort to help reduce voice mail frustration, here are the five most frustrating phrases that your callers don’t want to hear. These tips also apply to your cell phone voice mail.

1. I’m not at my desk right now.
   
   DUH? That’s a hot lot of news. What a boring statement. Live a little. Let your callers know where you ARE – not where you’re not. Tell them, "I AM in the office all this week" OR "I’m in a sales meeting ‘till 3 pm." Let them know if you do or don’t check messages.
   
   
2. Your call is very important to me.
   
   A big time waster. The caller is thinking, "Well, if I’m so darn important, where the heck are you?" And then again, think about it. Maybe the call isn’t so important to you. You just don’t need this phrase.
   
   
3. I’m sorry I missed your call.
   
   How dull. Of course you are. (Although, there are probably some that you’re not sorry to have missed.) Leave this phrase out! It’s a given. Use the time and space for something more valuable. Like where you are and when you will return! Or, who they can call for the information.
   
   
4. I’ll call you back as soon as possible.
   
   Not interesting and not fun. And based on Telephone Doctor surveys, probably not true. The truth is most people aren’t returning their phone calls in a timely fashion. If you’re telling your callers you’ll call them back, make sure you do. If you think you may not return the call...then try this: "Go ahead and leave your phone number and I’ll DECIDE if I’ll call you back or not." (Just kidding!) Unreturned phone calls rank high on the frustration list. "As soon as possible" is not an effective phrase. All you need is to say, "I will call you back." (Then do it! Or have it returned on your behalf.)
   
   
5. No escape.
   
   Remember to tell callers to hit ZERO for the operator if they need more information. Or better yet, give them another name and extension. Although for the most part, that voice mail may come on also. (Then you’re into what we call Voice Mail Jail!) Main point here is to offer an alternative if you’re not there. Plus, you’ve bought back some time to say something more interesting or helpful to the caller. (Escape may not apply to cell phones.)
   

Let’s talk about voice mail in general. Voice mail, per se, has three parts – the automated attendant, the greeting your callers hear, and the message you leave for someone on his or her voice mail.

The Automated Attendant – Or as many refer to it..."The Groaner." It’s that voice that is a large part of the frustration. Especially when you’re not able to get out of the system; i.e., no escape.

Is there anyone reading this right now who would argue against the fact that the first voice you hear when you call a company sets the mood, sets the tone for all future interactions? Then why on earth would you leave a robotic, monotone, dull voice to greet your callers? The voice (or digital chip) that came along with your system has a number of options for you. You can record it yourself or you can have one of your employees with a great upbeat voice record it. Or you can find a professional in your area that will be happy to help. Point being...you want a voice that says, "Hey, we’re so glad you called." You want a greeting that is warm and friendly.

The Greeting On Your Voice Mail – A reminder: People want to know where you are – not where you’re not! It’s pretty simple. Leave an escape for the caller. Some place they can get information if needed.

As for "dating" your recording with the day and date, you might want to think twice on this. I don’t say it’s wrong or bad. But I do say there are too many ways to slip up and not record each day thereby making your recording outdated. And an OUTDATED greeting was high on the list of voice mail no, no’s! You sound foolish and the caller wonders what else you might not be doing if you’re not updating the greeting. I’d play it safe and not use a day and date.

Which leads us to the message that YOU leave for someone. It’s your electronic business card and it needs to be GREAT.

Messages –There are 3 kinds of messages to leave: a poor, an average, and a great. The message you leave for someone needs to be GREAT. Here’s a sample of each. Which one are you?

Poor: Hi this is Bob. Gimme a call.

Average: Hi this is Bob at Acme Widgets. Call me at 291-1012. (Said wayyyyyy too fast. – You know exactly what I’m talking about!)

GREAT: Hi Nancy. This is Bob Smith, at Acme Widgets. I’d like to get with you to talk about the plan for the meeting on the 27th. I’ll plan on having lunch brought in at our office. I’m excited to get with you on this. I’m at 314 – that’s central time in St. Louis, Missouri – 314-291-1012. Again, that’s 314-291-1012. Look forward to it, Nancy. If I’m not in, ask for JUDY, at extension 42 and leave a message with her for me there. Thanks.

Let’s not make it any more difficult than it really is. Voice mail can and should be a productivity enhancer. The automated attendant was not installed to replace people. It was installed to 1) answer on the first ring, and 2) expedite a phone call. And it does do both. That being said...it's still a big frustration in the business world. Make it less frustrating for your callers!

Now that you’ve read this article, trying calling into your own voice mail system and see how many of these frustrating phrases you use...then eliminate them. REMEMBER – check your cell phone voice mail too. Good luck!

Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor®, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in customer service and telephone skills. She is a KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more information or visit the website at www.telephonedoctor.com.

Published in Networking Today, March 2005.

Executives Are “Ego Surfing”

By Barbara Bartlein

Wondering what’s new about you? Type your name into Google or Yahoo and see what comes up. Termed “ego surfing,” it has gone mainstream as CEO’s, corporate communication departments and executives are using the Internet to follow what is being said about them, their companies, and their competitors. Termed CEegO surfing when the CEO does the search, businesses are discovering important information on the Web that may or may not be accurate.

A recent search of the Fortune 100 CEOs for USA Today uncovered fascinating material on top executives. While much of the information is harmless, some can be damaging to careers and business. A search for Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, leads you to a 72-second video of him attempting to motivate the work force by wild gyrations and screaming on stage. Coined, “The Monkey Dance,” on the Net, there are multiple Web sites directing you to the “Original Monkey Boy Gyrations,” and a listing appears in the second line on Google.

There can also be a case of mistaken identity. Cynthia McKay, CEO of Le Gourmet Gift Basket, was surprised to learn that there is a British actress of the same name who has an established reputation in the porn industry. Kathy Peel, the CEO of Family Manager, found another namesake who won the Miss Plus American pageant for large sized women. Some CEO’s use their middle initial or full name to avoid confusion with others of the same name in a different industry.

Tracking exact numbers of surfers is difficult, yet according to the search engine Watch, there are 25 million to 50 million Internet searches each day using proper names. Many CEO’s either surf on a regular basis or have staff track Web activity for their name through the use of a Google ad. While there is a cost involved in this, Google then emails reports about who is searching on that name.

Some CEO’s and businesses are also creating blogs on their Web sites where they can post fresh material that is quickly picked up by search engines. It makes it easier to control the top listings on the search engines by “blogging” the Net with the material you want to appear.

Businesses often search on their name as this provides an easy way to discover potential problems, customer complaints, or erroneous information. There then is an opportunity to challenge misinformation before it becomes widely dispersed on the Web.

Here are some surfing strategies to help your career:

• Surf on your name. Make sure that your public appearances, articles, and press releases are accurately posted. Double check any information that is mistaken and contact the Web master to post corrections. Clarify whether there is another person of the same name that could cause confusion.
  
  
• Google/Yahoo your company. Are the press releases, information, and search keywords pulling up your company easily and quickly? Evaluate whether there are additional areas on the Web that you want your company to appear. Make sure that there are no unauthorized links or pop-ups that have been hacked into your site.
  
  
• Monitor hits to your Web site. On a weekly or monthly basis, review the hits to your Web site. You should be able to obtain information on entrance/exit pages, the number of unique visitors, number of page views, top pages, navigation paths, and what domain names are being entered. These reports give you valuable information to make changes to your site to increase effectiveness and drive the results you are looking for.
  
  
• Check out your competitors/colleagues. It is helpful to see how their Web site is linked, where their advertising is placed, and the sites that are giving them exposure. Evaluate how they are positioned and determine if some of the same strategies would be helpful for your business. What organizations are they connected with? What periodicals are giving them ink? Submit your own information to the same sources.
  

Surfing on a regular basis is more than just vanity; it gives you information. As playwright Thornton Wilder once said, “There’s nothing like eavesdropping to show you that the world outside your head is different from the world inside your head.”

Sign up for Barbara's FREE email newsletter at www.barbbartlein.com.

Barbara Bartlein is the PeoplePro™. She helps businesses sell more goods and services by developing people. She can be reached at 888-747-9953, by email at: barb@barbbartlein.com or visit her Web site at www.ThePeoplePro.com. Published in Networking Today, March 2005.

Five Ways to Motivate Yourself

By Karen Susman

We all need a kick in the rear sometimes. Here are five ways to get your own foot in swift contact with your posterior.

1. What ever your goal is, double it. Ask yourself what you'd have to do to accomplish your doubled goal. Do it. Then, reaching your original goal will be a breeze.
   
   
2. Get plenty of sleep. It's hard to function without your zzzzzzz’s. Without sleep your decision-making, creativity, sociability, and health will be on the skids.
   
   
3. Hang with new people with fresh ideas who are accomplishing or have accomplished what you'd like to accomplish.
   
   
4. Stay away from the nay sayers. They are often afraid to do what you are attempting. Your efforts threaten them so they try to stop you in order to relieve their own anxiety.
   
   
5. Shine your sink every night to start your day off right. At least you won't start your day off wrong. Waking up to dirty dishes and dried bran flakes pasted to your porcelain can de-motivate you. A funky sink produces a funky attitude!
   
   
6. Bonus! Book of Ten. Keep a small notebook by your bed. Every night, after you have shined your sink, make a list of ten things you accomplished that day. Your achievements don't have to be monumental. Flossing, returning library books on time, balancing your cheque book, making a dreaded phone call – these are all items worthy of the Book of Ten. You'll find you focus on making triumphs all day so you can add them to your Book of Ten. Review your Book of Ten frequently to motivate yourself and prove you are a go-getter.
   

Karen Susman is a Speaker, Trainer, Coach, and Author of 102 Top Dog Networking Secrets. Karen works with organizations that want to maximize performance. Programs include Humour at Work; Balance In Life; Networking Skills; Presentation Skills; and Building Community Involvement. Order new guidebooks on humour, networking, time management, and community involvement by calling 1-888-678-8818 or e-mail Karen@KarenSusman.com.. www.KarenSusman.com. Published in Networking Today, March 2005.

The Power of Being Right

By Janet Christensen

We all want to be right – whether that means having our views heard and agreed to, winning an argument, or knowing that ours is the noble or just cause. Feeling that we are right gives us a sense of power, and sometimes even a sense of superiority. As the saying goes, right is might.

I am currently witnessing a situation where two people who I care about, and with whom I have a close association, are having a serious disagreement that has continued for several weeks. Each of them thinks that they are right and the other is wrong. The more that they become entrenched in their own perspectives, using their inner voices to reinforce their positions, the more difficult it becomes to resolve the issues. This may be a situation where their relationship will end with a lot of hurt and ill will, however, each of them will know that they were “right.”

My observations of this situation are:

Whether or not they want to admit it, each of them had a part to play in the situation getting to where it is today. They each made choices and decisions that contributed to the current reality. They co-created it. Only when they are able and ready to acknowledge their part in bringing this about, can they accept responsibility for coming to a resolution. As long as they hold fast to the thought that they are right and the other person is wrong – that the other person is solely to blame – they will remain stuck, feeling right…and hurt and angry. As the saying goes, “They would rather be right than happy.”

The only hope for any kind of meaningful and sincere resolution to the issue is if they can step into the other's shoes and be willing to try to see the other perspective. There is always another side to the story. However, the more we think we are not heard or understood, the louder and more insistently we put forward our case. This happens for both people with the result that the gap grows wider and the barriers go up. We are busy saying “I am right – listen to me!” instead of saying “please help me to understand.” In order to bridge the gap, instead of widening it, we need to be willing to hear the other's perspective without being ready to automatically discount it or prove it wrong. Otherwise, what is the point of asking the question? You need to be willing to walk in the other person's shoes.

Every one of us wants to feel heard and understood. You may agree to disagree; however, you can only do that when you see both sides. Otherwise, you are just agreeing to be obstinate and choosing to be right at whatever cost. Once each person has an appreciation of both sides of the situation, there is greater opportunity to see what exists in common that will help bridge the gap and create a resolution, rather than just focusing on the differences.

In reality, it would seem that there is very little power in being right at all costs. However, there is personal empowerment in demonstrating leadership by being willing to say “please help me to understand.”

Next time you are focused on being right, you are invited to choose personal empowerment over power. Step back, take the lead, bridge the gap to understanding, and open up the possibility for resolution.

Janet Christensen passionately inspires potential as a professional speaker, Passion Map facilitator and writer. She can be reached through her company Unlimiting Potential at (519) 434-5397 or toll free 1-888-779-3061 fax (519) 434-8344 email info@janetchristensen.com Web site www.janetchristensen.com. Published in Networking Today, March 2005.