Going hand in hand with preparing and thinking your message thoroughly before calling, there’s now the need for you to speak slowly. This doesn’t mean talking very slow as if you’re talking to a child to get your message across. Rather, it simply means enunciating every word carefully and practicing the right spacing, so your listener is able to understand you.
In certain situations, it’s a good idea to let a call go to voicemail. If you’re in a loud area, unable to spend 10-15 minutes talking, or are otherwise distracted, don’t answer. Recruiters who cold-call candidates will understand that you’re simply unavailable – but make sure to return calls in a timely manner. If possible, call back during regular business hours.

A secretary in a doctor’s office creates a voicemail greeting that says, “If you have a scheduled meeting with us, we could use copies of all your medical documents from last year, so come prepared.” Using the word “could” gives patients the impression that they don’t necessarily “need” last year’s documents. See the difference between “could” and “need”? Your word choice can impact a future meeting significantly. If you want a customer to perform a specific action, you need to pay close attention to how you express your calls-to-action.
9. Holiday Help Line. Thank you for calling [Company Name]. In observance of [holiday], our offices are currently closed. We’ll be back to normal operations on [date].