Leaving vague voicemails. "Hi, John, this is Chris. When you get a chance, will you give me a call?"
This is an example of a vague voicemail.
People leave these types of voicemails when they are too shy to be direct when asking for a favor, such as asking someone to put in a good word for you at a job you applied for. Or, they think they'll do a better job of explaining what they need once they have the person on the line. Others believe that they can get a hard-to-reach person to return their call by leaving out all the details and piquing their curiosity. And then once you have them on the line, you can nag or guilt-trip them into saying yes.
Whether you're shy or "sheisty," leaving a vague message to try to entice someone to return your call is one of the most irritating, least effective things you can do. At best, the person you're trying to reach will call you back with a surly attitude, annoyed that you didn't state your business when you left a message. At worst, the person will think you're trying to pull some kind of "Jedi mind trick" by omitting important details and will procrastinate returning your call or not call back at all, thinking you're probably going to ask them to do something really burdensome, or else you would have said what you're calling about.
There are a few instances when it's perfectly fine to leave a cryptic message on someone's phone, such as when there's been a death or an emergency of some sort and you don't want to alarm the person by leaving a message they may not be able to return immediately.
But in general, I've found that people appreciate when you're above-board and respectful of their time. We're all super-busy in this crazy, modern world we live in and no one has time to waste with tricks and gimmicks.
So, if you're going to ask someone for a favor and you get their voicemail, just be honest. Say something to the effect of, "Hi, John, it's Chris. If it's not too much of an inconvenience, I'd like to use you as a reference for a job I'd like to apply for at your company. Here's my number, and if you can give me a call when you get a chance so we can discuss it, I'd really appreciate it. Or, you can call or email me, if that's more convenient."
Simple. Straightforward. Import details included. I think most of us appreciate voicemails that have all these ingredients, so we know what to expect when we return the call.
Using acronyms and technical jargon in texts, emails and Facebook messages. Since we're all so busy these days, it's tempting to use shorthand in written communications. The problem is, not everyone is aware of all the acronyms that are constantly cropping up like dandelions in a freshly-mowed lawn.
If you're just shooting the breeze or joking around with a friend or close relative, it's perfectly fine to use an acronym such as "lol" - laughing out loud. But if you're trying to get in touch with someone you don't know all that well, or if you've got a serious matter to address such as asking a coworker for help with a project, using slangy acronyms or technical jargon that the person on the receiving end will have to either Google or look up in the "urban dictionary" not only wastes their time, it's annoying!
Let's say I want to ask a colleague that I don't talk to that much to help me with a report that has a looming deadline. Sending her an email that says, "Hi, Jane, this report is so tedious, I'm AAK and I could really use your help!"
Jane may or may not know that "AAK" means "asleep at the keyboard." While she may appreciate my attempt at humor in asking for her help, it may very well irritate her that she has to take time to look up an unfamiliar term.
And if I'm using an unfamiliar term in a short email, what will working on a report with me be like?! She may very well tell me, "Sorry, Chris, wish I could help, but I'm ADBB for the day."
"ADBB" means "all done bye bye."
No comments:
Post a Comment