Don’t you hate when someone leaves you this obscenely long voicemail, and then once you’ve finally reached the end, you STILL don’t know what they wanted from you? Yeah, well, I hate that. The same goes for emails. The whole point of these communication devices is for the point to be made quickly, and a reply expected soon.

For Voicemail

• Name – Always first, say who it is, so the recipient isn’t bouncing about trying to find out who called.
• Brief – Make your messages short and to the point. Establish what you’re calling for and why, and do it quickly.
• Number – Say it clearly, and say it TWICE (2x), Twice… Let them know who they need to call.
• Request – Make sure the recipient knows what you want from them, so when they call you back they know what the discussion will be about. if they don’t know, why would they call you back?

For Emails

• Short and Brief – Same with Voicemails, cut out unnecessary comments and phrases. Make the points plainly obvious so that the recipient can read and go on to the next email.
• Replies – Replies should only be used if there are unanswered questions in the email, or if an attachment is needed etc. If you don’t NEED to reply, Don’t.
• Signatures – Always include a formatted signature with your: Name, Position, Email, and Forms of telephone contact, ie: Voicemail, Mobile, Office etc. That way the recipient knows multiple ways in which to contact you, and it’s included automatically in all emails. For example my signature reads:

Greg de Lima
gregdelima@gmail.com
Mobile: 1.xxx.xxx.xxxx