Despite my constant exhortations to my clients, those I come in contact with, and others at large, I am amazed at how oblivious most are about how they come across. Let me explain what I mean: Just the other day I received an urgent message from someone, who was clearly in distress over her job (sounded like she was about to be let go!). She left a voice mail on one of my office numbers telling her story that was long and was also in a frantic voice, which was hard to understand. She mentioned just her first name, Mary, at the beginning of this long message and at the end urged me to call her immediately, regardless of what time of the day it was! Unfortunately, I was not able to call her because she forgot to leave her number! That Mary is probably still sitting there wondering how rude it was of me not to return her call!
This happens often in my business: I get such voice mails when people are calling on their cell phones, which have a notorious tendency to drop chunks of your message as you are talking. They leave garbled, long messages, with their numbers at the end of these long messages. When the number does not clearly come through I have to keep playing the entire message back until I am able to decipher this barely audible number. Despite my caller-ID feature, not all callers’ phone numbers appear on that window.
The same thing happens with emails: I get several emails from people who want to work with me, again, with long and urgent pleas for help. At the end of the email message they sign their name with just their first name or a nickname: Charlie, or Smugie. One woman (I think) signed her name simply as “Baby,” (poor Baby!). The email addresses often do not give you any clue about a person’s name, yet complete strangers sign just their first name or nickname at the bottom with an expectation that I respond to their urgent pleas for help. In most cases there is no phone # given, so when I respond back to them asking for their phone number for a brief chat, I often do not hear back, most probably because my response lands in their SPAM folder! Once again, they are sitting there thinking how rude of me not to respond to their urgent pleas!
Not having your phone number in your email signature can often delay getting a response. A couple of weeks back one person wrote to me about how she was being treated by her bosses in her new job. In that email she asked me if she should quit her job and find another one. Not knowing anything about her situation (or even her last name) I responded to her email with a request for her phone number and her full last name, to which she responded immediately (I quickly looked-up her Profile on LinkedIn). The only problem was she had transposed two digits of her phone number and I kept leaving messages on that number to no avail (the greeting on that phone was a generic one with just the numbers announced, but no name). When she finally responded to my email I sent after not hearing back, she realized that she had transposed two numbers causing about a week’s delay in our connecting for the first time on a matter that was urgent (to her)!
So, once again I am taking this opportunity to re-educate everyone (at least my readers) on simple tricks that can make your life (and those who come in contact with you) a little more hassle-free. These tips are not just for my convenience, but they are presented as useful in any email or phone communication that you may encounter:
eMails:
1. Keep the emails brief with the Subject Line clearly stating what you are looking for. In my case, Urgent career help needed; Losing my job over miscommunication; Need resume help, etc. are typical subject lines that get my immediate attention from a cataract of 300 or more emails I get every day!
2. Start your email with a summary action statement and then write a short narrative to explain your situation. For example: Please call me today about this urgent matter, followed by some context about the matter, so I can call you as soon as I get a chance. In the signature block have your complete name (having a link to your LinkedIn Profile would be ideal, so I can look you up on LinkedIn!) AND your phone number. Having this as a template saves time and potential error of transposing numbers inadvertently!
3. Do not go into too much detail in the first email. No matter how much you write about your situation I cannot get a handle on it unless we are able to talk and I am able extract from you the relevant information the way I want to digest it. So, save yourself some time and me by being concise about your problem statement.
4. When you are sending someone a new email (first time), make sure that you “white list” that address. Otherwise, any response from that person is going to land in your SPAM folder.
5. Do not send any attachments with the first email. Not knowing who you are is going to stop me from opening those attachments. Attachments are best sent after the initial handshake is made, best through a follow-up phone call.
Phone Calls:
1. When calling someone, always announce your full name, not just your first name. I cannot tell you how many times I get a call from a Dave, or a Raj, or a Mary, expecting me to recognize them in the first few seconds after they announce their name. To get me plugged-in and oriented to the caller takes me some time after I know who the caller is. Expecting me to instantly recognize you with just your first name and voice is misguided and wasteful.
2. Immediately after announcing your name, state why you are calling. First, ask if it is a convenient time to talk for a few minutes. Just because someone answered their phone does NOT mean that they are free to talk to YOU! They could be waiting for someone else’s call! If you are calling to set an appointment then there is no need to tie up the conversation with a long story of your needs. Just summarize it and then requesting an appointment is efficient. It keeps the call brief and to the point.
3. When leaving a message on voice mail, announce your full name and time of call AND your phone number for calling back. Continue with the message and REPEAT your phone number at the end. That way if the connection drops a few bits of information it can be picked up the second time and I do not have to play the entire message many times to get that number. In case of short messages it is best to state your number and then repeat that same number. Leaving your number as a part of your message, even though you know I have your number from before ensures that you will get a prompt call return. Looking up numbers takes time and is not always possible, especially when calling for messages remotely. This simple courtesy will get your call returned with alacrity!
4. It is efficient to send a short email immediately after leaving a message on the voice mail. In my own case I have five different phone numbers and voice mails. Catching up on all these voice mails is time consuming. But, I am in front of my email client most of the time and I can catch that email and call you back, no matter where I am. Many of my clients tell me that when they use this technique while contacting others it works with equal efficiency.
5. For your phone greeting erase the store-set robotic enunciation of your phone number (otherwise, it comes across as you are too lazy to change it!) and replace it in your own voice announcing your full name and a brief message about how you want the caller to leave you their message. That way it leaves no doubt in the caller’s mind whom they have reached. About 10% of the population is dyslexic, which means it is easy to misdial and also to misstate your phone number as it happened in the case of this person I cited above. When a person hears your name in the greeting they are at least assured that they have not misdialed or reached a wrong number.
Making everyday communication (email, voice mail) is not rocket science. By being mindful about simple courtesies you can make your everyday chores much more efficient and leave a good first impression on others!