If I don't know you, leave more than your name and number. Leave me a brief indication of who you are and why I should call you back. Otherwise, I have to assume your reason for calling wasn't important enough to warrant a call back.

Some tips, especially when there is no prior relationship:

• Let me know why you are calling and, if relevant, how you got my number.
• Let me know what action you expect from me (especially for us GTD folks). Are you going to call me back, or should I call you? Do you want me to reply to your e-mail?
• Leave your number at the beginning and end of the message. I shouldn't have to listen to the entire message to get the number to call you back.
• Keep it short. I got a 3+ minute voicemail recently about, I think, some opportunity a recruiter had. If he said I am a recruiter and I have a great opportunity in such-and-such you may be interested in, I may have called him back. Sometimes too much information is worse than not enough.

These tips are especially important if you want me as a client (lawyer, recruiter, whatever). If you can't get your point across to me in a straightforward, concise manner, how can I think you will be a good advocate for me?

Here are some tips on leaving good voicemail and some advice on how to leave an enticing message. Also, see ten rules of good voicemails.

Tags: marketing, phone, productivity, Lifehacks, Tips, Business