I recently read an article on TechCrunch titled “Think Before You Voicemail” which basically contributed to the recent bandwagon chatter of “voicemail is dead!” and so forth. Though I agree that there are sometimes better ways to communicate certain types of information, I disagree that voicemail is ineffective, dead technology. Rather, I feel that many people simply don’t use voicemail effectively. Here are some tips for getting greater benefit from voicemail.

As the sender:

Speak clearly and leave your callback number (with area code) at the beginning and end of the voicemail. This may seem obvious, but so many times I get voicemails from people who speak almost inaudibly, rush through the phone number, and only leave it once in the middle of the message so I have to replay it over and over. Usability applies not only to web sites and software, but to other kinds of information input, as well. The easier your message is to deal with, the more likely it is that the recipient will act on it.

Make your message compelling. If you are leaving a voice mail for a potential client and you leave a message that says you are just “following up” and would like a call back, what reason does the recipient possibly have to call you back? Instead, try leaving a message for your prospective client explaining that you discovered a way to save him $500 a year by using your solution and you would like to run the details by him. Perhaps you saw an article in a recent publication about his company and you have some questions about it. Perhaps you would like to invite him to be a guest on your next podcast episode. Make it interesting. Voicemails that are just “following up” will get deleted.

Give the recipient options and be specific and actionable. Some people don’t like to return calls but they will email. If you feel that an email could work as a response, leave your email address in the voicemail and encourage the recipient to use it. If you want a call back, leave some good times to reach you. If you don’t need a call back but you would like a specific outcome, say that in the voicemail. The voicemails I hate the most are the ones that simply say “call me back.” That tells me absolutely nothing about the call and gives me no way to decide how to process it. Be clear and specific and make it easy for the recipient to digest, process, and act on your message.

As the recipient:

Batch process your voicemails. Don’t try to haphazardly write notes from your voicemails every time you get one. Wait until you have the tools or materials necessary to capture the information from the voicemails into your personal productivity system. If you have 5 voicemails to deal with, give yourself 15 minutes after lunch to listen to them all at once and decide what the next actions are. Return any calls or perform any actions that will take 2 minutes or less, place the rest on your todo list, and delete the voicemails. Basically, follow Inbox Zero but apply it to voicemail.

Move beyond phone tag. If you get one of those voicemails that says “call me back” and then you get the caller’s voicemail when you call back, leave a message requesting specific information. When this happens to me, I leave a message such as “Hi, Bob… it’s Michael Reynolds at SpinWeb returning your call. My number is 866.SPINWEB. I received your message but there was no information in it about your call. If you get my voicemail when you call back, please leave a detailed message that specifically outlines what I can do to help you. You can reach me at 866.SPINWEB, or by email at michael@spinweb.net. Thanks!” This helps move the conversation forward and keeps both parties from wasting time.

Clean out your voicemails after processing them. This also may seem obvious but I’ve met so many people who have hundreds of voicemails in their inboxes that they never delete and then they end up losing track of which onces they’ve responded to. Get voicemails out of your inbox and into your personal productivity system – then delete them. If nothing else, this keep your voicemail box from getting full. Imagine how embarrassing it would be for a client call you and be unable to leave a message because your voicemail was full. How unprofessional!

By being mindful, careful, and systematic about how we use voicemail, we can increase the usability and effectiveness of our messages, turning it into a powerful tool for sales, networking, and productivity.