Monthly Archives: April 2009

5 Tips for Better Voice Messages

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First off – voicemail is so twentieth century.  My email address is easy to find yet people insist on leaving me voicemail.  Oh well.  I have nothing against talking to people it’s just that email is so much more efficient for leaving messages.  john@johnarobb.com in case you needed it :-)

I’m a bit of a stickler when it comes to using the phone.   I may have call display but you won’t know it.  The only thing call display tells me is what phone is calling, not who is calling.  Too many people assume the latter.   That’s just one of the things i’m particular about.  The other is voicemail messages.  I spent 15 years in sales.  I’ve left lots of voice messages over ther years.   Here are my five tips to help you leave better voicemail messages.  Or think of this post as an easy way for you to share tips with those people you wish would leave you better voicemail messages.

  1. Speak slowly and enunciate.  It is not a race.  You are leaving me a message because you would like me to know or do something.  Don’t make it hard for me to help you.
  2. Tell me who is calling at the beginning of the message and at the end.  Say it at the beginning so I know not to delete your message and then at the end when i’m writing your phone number down.   Can you see why email is much better?
  3. Leave your number even if you think the person already has it on file.   This is doubly important if you actually want a call back.   If he purpose of your call is to have someone call you back then why make them look up your number?  And when you leave me your number pretend you are learning it for the fist time.  That’s the speed I want to you give it to me at.  So many callers have uttered their phone number so many times they forget it might be the first time I’m hearing it.
  4. Tell me why you are calling.   I’ll warn you right now, if all you do is leave me your name and number you’ve only got a 50/50 shot of ever hearing back from me.   Don’t waste my time and yours with phone tag.  If I know why you called perhaps I can leave the answer on your voicemail when I return your call.
  5. Dates and times.  Tell me when you called and when would be a good time to call you back.  I prefer email so I don’t always get to voicemails right away.   Some information is time sensitive.  Your location might be time sensitive.  Help me help you by telling me when you called and when I should call you back.
You can see from the tips above that what I’m suggest is the basic:  who, what, where, when and why.  It’s a simple idea.  I’m sure these tips don’t apply to you.  They most likely apply to your friends and family.   Feel free to send them the URL to this page so that perhaps they can get a clue!

Twitter @johnarobb Weekly Updates for 2009-04-05

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  • Substitute mummy for daddy and this video becomes very apropos http://ping.fm/pSFg8 #
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A letter from Zachary to Nana

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My mother in-law Bonnie King passed away last week. Here funeral service was today. The following is what her son Rick King had to say at the service. He wrote this as a letter from his son to his much loved mother.

Feel free to share this with your loved ones. And hug your mother.

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Dear Nana, 

My dad told me the other day that I wouldn’t be seeing you anymore because you had been drafted by the Heavenly Angels – I asked him if that was a hockey team and he said no it was an elite squad of angels whose job it is to look after all the children in our family……a big job he tells me but since your spirit is everywhere I should be happy because now you are with me everywhere I go. Sounds like a lot of work for you but now since you have angel wings I guess that will make it easier…….but I sure wish I could have hugged you one more time before you left. 

You know I knew something was up when I saw you floating around my crib the other day and I was wondering why you didn’t come to me when I said “Nana I’m over here”. You looked so beautiful and just smiled and then I realized you knew where I was and that you were looking over me. But I still wish I could have hugged you once more before you flew away…. 

When I asked my dad who was going to take care of Papa and Auntie Tracey after you were gone and he said Papa and Auntie Tracey will be fine because your spirit lives inside of everyone including everyone in our family and that spirit is strength enough to support a thousand souls so we’ll be ok. But I’ll tell you what – if you promise to keep swinging by my crib to check in I’ll pony up to help out where I can – but don’t forget I’m only 23 pounds so I am a bit of a light weight – so make sure you don’t go too far….we will still need you for those big jobs…..I bet you Papa and Aunt Tracey wishes they could hug you one more time before you go. 

You know, Nana, although my Dad tells me that genetically you are the reason I am here today I think it was those angels you work for now that sent me down here to give you a hug before you had to leave. I thank the heavenly stars that I got the chance to meet you, hug you, play with you and feel your spirit before you had to go. 

One thing I know for sure is that when we did hug I could feel the warmth of your soul and the love you had for all little (and big) people and not just me. I bet they all wish they could hug you one more time. 

Now seriously – I have no idea what genetically means but what I do know is that soon I will learn how to read and talk and when I do you can be sure I’ll read all those books in your house, and watch all those VCR tapes and DVDs of those cool Disney characters that Rachel and Cate tell me you loved so much. (Papa assures me he has a VCR – somewhere near his 8 track tape deck he said) Maybe I’ll ask Rachel and Cate to come over to watch since you can’t make it. They love you so much. I know they wish they could hug you one more time. 

Words somehow don’t seem to capture the message I want to send to you Nana – but what I have learned from you is that whenever I hug anyone – part of it will be from you… part of everything I do will be from you….everywhere I go and everyone I meet – I meet with you. So Nana, I believe, you have not really left – you have just taken a different seat on our ride of life and I feel blessed that you are with me everyday and everywhere…..so I will not dwell on that hug anymore instead I will look in the mirror and thank the Heavenly Angels for letting you play with us for a short while. My Dad tells me we are all ONE – and that everyone and everything is connected and will ALWAYS be connected. Past, present and future are with us everyday in the NOW – so I will take you with me in every instance of NOW as I move through my life and grow and will send a smile whenever the Heavenly Angels bless my life – knowing it was you who was watching over me, connected from afar but connected, in love, forever.

I love you Nana.

Forever Yours,

Zachary