Four ways to get people to return your calls
Voice mail is a nifty way to exchange information, but at the same time, it poses a terrible temptation to ramble way beyond your recipient’s tolerance. Here’s a QI strategy for your phone skills from Steve Kaye, president of Personal Quality in Placentia, CA. Try it and notice how it improves your connections.
1. Make it easy to reply. Write down your key points before you pick up the phone. If you suffer an unexpected attack of locked jaw when you hear the beep, don’t worry; just hang up. It beats leaving an incoherent or incomplete message. Organize your messages like this: Greet the person by name. Identify yourself and give your phone number (slowly). State your purpose. Avoid personal messages because they could cause embarrassment if they fell upon the wrong ears. Suggest times you will be there for a return call. Repeat your number. Then, close with an invitation to action, such as "I look forward to talking with you."
2. Use voice mail to communicate with callers. Prepare your outgoing message with care and update it often to reflect changes in your availability. For example, "During the week of May 17 through 21, I’ll be out of the office. However, I will check my messages frequently and expect to return calls every other day."
3. Short-circuit voice mail mazes. Find out, and use, your recipients’ direct lines or extensions whenever possible. Instead of doing the telephonic shuffle (press seven if you want to hear a message from the CEO), press "0" or "00" to reach an operator.
4. Practice professional courtesy. Call people back. Set aside a time each day for that purpose. It even helps to include in your outgoing message a clue regarding the time you typically make your callbacks.
[For more information, contact Steve Kaye, Personal Quality, Placentia, CA. Telephone: (888) 421-1300. World Wide Web: http://www.stevekaye.com. Also see: Kaye S. Attitude adjustments: Some proven ways to promote the exchange of ideas. Quality Progress 1999; 32(3):29-33.]
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