Voicemail or Email? When and How to Use Them

It seems that no matter how much experience office staff has with voicemails and e-mails, protocol is not a common practice. Ineffective habits are quite pervasive and rarely addressed. It's a subtle skill to know when to leave a voicemail or e-mail message and determining what kind of message should be sent to the recipient. We've all gotten the e-mail that goes on for days and days that we dread finding in our e-mail boxes. And how about that long-winded voicemail message that rambles on so long it causes you to drift into la-la-land? And when you hang up, you still don't know what the caller is requesting from you.

Processing e-mails and answering voicemail messages are time-consuming tasks and take up a great deal of the workday. No one knows this better than administrative professionals who respond to requests throughout the day via telephone and e-mail. You'll certainly see the benefit in shaving off unnecessary time and energy by focusing on the purpose of your message and what response you are requesting from the recipient.

Simplify Your Voicemail Messages

Voicemail is an appropriate communication method for introducing yourself to someone, requesting a meeting, or providing and requesting information. According to allbusiness.com, the length of a voicemail message should be 15 to 40 seconds. Lengthy voicemail messages tend to slip through the cracks and often go unreturned due to the hectic pace of the workplace. Here are a few techniques that simplify your message and increase the chances of someone returning your call:

1. Speak clearly and have enthusiasm about your call. Smile and your voice will smile.

2. Don't speak too slowly or too fast, but project your voice.

3. Don't ramble. Formulate in your mind three phrases that you want to say in the message. Take light breaths at pausing points.

4. Repeat your name and phone number at the end of the message. If the listener didn't register anything else, it's likely that this information will be written down.

5. Don't leave a message with just your name and phone number. Be specific about the nature of your call, so the recipient can respond with the answer to your request.

E-mail is King

How many times have you heard someone say, "The best way to contact me is through e-mail?" Nowadays, e-mail is the ruling form of communication. In fact, it could take months before you hear the voice of people you do business with as they virtually live by e-mails. All the more reason why your e-mail messages should be effective enough that time is not wasted searching for e-mail data; and again, the purpose of your message and what you are requesting from the recipient should be clear and concise.

Let's review some e-mail dos and don'ts that make work life a little easier:

1. Always put a clear description in the subject line. Be specific with dates, numbers, and name of a person, place or thing. This will catch the reader's eye and tell them exactly what the e-mail is about. For example, 2008 Expense Reports Jan-Feb.

2. Organize the body of your e-mail so that it reads well. Use bullets or numbered lists to specify the information given or requested. Check spelling and grammar to ensure the intention of the message is understood.

3. Lengthy e-mails should ONLY be used when the recipient has requested it as such. If you need to send lengthy data, put it in an attachment with paragraph headings.

4. Never use all capital letters in an e-mail unless a proper name is spelled that way. This is perceived as a harsh tone in your message.

5. Never send an e-mail to someone when you're angry or to criticize another employee (unless it is through an official procedure). This could come back to haunt you and should be handled in a confidential manner.

6. Don't send an e-mail when a matter is so urgent that it requires direct human contact. It could take hours or days before the recipient reads it.

The Voice and E-Mail Combination

Once you know the habits of people you do business with on a regular basis, you can make good judgment about how to best contact them. Sometimes you will need to use every means possible to get the right response from certain contacts. Aside from their preferences, you may want to use a combination of e-mail and voicemail. If you want to be sure an e-mail was received, call the person briefly stating your request and let them know you've sent an e-mail with more detail. If you leave a voicemail first, follow it up with a detailed e-mail. This combination works well with information that is fairly detailed yet needs a quick response.

Does anyone else have anything to add? Any other voicemail or e-mail tips?