GREAT 67 IDEA: Make the Most of Voice Mail

I love voice mail. For a few pennies a day, you can change your outgoing message, receive multiple messages while you're on the phone, and call in for messages from anywhere on the planet.

It can be your best friend when you have to finish a project without interruptions.

Unfortunately, most people don't take the time to update their greeting daily or even weekly. (My friend Pam Engebretson, a land use planning consultant based in San Diego, updates her outgoing message daily, which I love.) Show you care by telling callers when they can expect a return call. Remember, not everyone tracks business associates on Facebook or Twitter.

Best of all, voice mail helps reduce or eliminate telephone tag. (See Great Idea #175 for tips from the “Telephone Doctor.”)

I always leave detailed messages, including my phone number, even if I think you know it. I also mention the best time to reach me live. Voice mail is great if you don't want to engage in a long conversation. Just leave a message after hours on the person's office line—if they still have an office phone.

Voice mail is extremely effective when you are working on projects with people in multiple time zones. Through the years, I have relied on voice mail to execute six-figure projects without ever meeting certain members of my client's team.

A robust, professional voice mail system can forward a message to the right person so problems can be resolved quickly. Individual mailboxes make it easy for callers to leave messages. No matter how great your voice mail system may be, make sure callers can reach a live person by pressing 0.

Remember, businesses lose millions of dollars in sales because frustrated callers hang up when they can't speak to a company representative.

If your staff needs to put callers on hold, consider adding a “messages on hold” feature to your phone system. These systems allow you to fill the hold time with music, product information, or even trivia games (see Great Idea #98).