Home Business Voice Mail

A Home Business Article Contributed by Fiona Mclaren

Five Reasons Why Your Home Business Messages Might Not Get Answered

If you run a home based business, the likelihood that you will have to leave someone a voice mail message is pretty high. But what happens when you leave a customer or client a message and they don't get back to you? Why does it happen?

For home based business owners, using voice mail is a fact of life.

When you call a business client, a colleague, or a supplier, you expect to be put through to a voice mail system at least some of the time. It follows reasonable logic that you expect the person to return your call. If they neglect to do so it can leave you feeling annoyed, offended, and a little bit confused.

No matter what the real reason the person never returned your call is, your gut reaction is to think that they have ignored you on purpose. But that's a huge assumption to make. It's also a big mistake.

Reason One for Not Returning Your Home Business Call

If you call someone from a cell phone and you need to leave a voice mail message, the chances are that your connection might not be that good.

Because there isn't anyone on the other side of the phone telling you that your voice is becoming distorted, you continue with your message regardless.

So when the business colleague (or customer) receives your message, all they will hear is a series of crackles in between fragmented sentences. So, they might not be able to return your call, even if they wanted to.

Reason Two for Not Returning Your Home Business Call

Another popular reason for not getting your home business calls returned is because you have made your message unclear. Many people spit out their name, company, position, telephone number, email, mobile number, and the purpose of their call, all in about ten seconds. This overload of information can cause the recipient of your business call to become confused. They may have to replay the message many times in order to decipher it. Sometimes, people say things so quickly that no amount of replaying can make their message clear.

Reason Three for Not Returning Your Home Business Call

The mystery caller. This is when you call and leave an urgent business message. You demand that the recipient calls you back as soon as they get back through the office door. You have urgent business for them to deal with. However, so intent are you on getting your purpose across, you forget to leave your business contact details, the nature of the problem, and where to contact you. If the recipient doesn't know these things, then they may not be able (or willing) to return your call.

Reason Four for Not Returning Your Home Business Call

When you call your business contacts or your customers, you must be prepared for the reality that they might not instantly recognize your voice and know who you are. By failing to leave your name or number, and assuming that the person a) knows who you are, and b) knows how to contact you, you leave yourself open to not having your home business calls returned.

Reason Five for Not Returning Your Home Business Call

If you have a strong accent, make sure that your messages are particularly clear. It can sometimes be difficult for people to understand foreign accents, especially on voice mail.