After my third attempt to de-code the phone number from my voice mail … I gave up. Seems Frank Janson … Johnson …  Jorson or something like that from some company in Mauzoula or Missouri wants me to call him back. His number is 269-6 something, four, 36 or maybe it’s 3 zero then 6, 8 then something. Whatever! Point is, I’m not calling him back. And if he ever does get a hold of me, I’ll be less than enthusiastic about dealing with him since he’s already wasted my time and caused me a fair amount of frustration by leaving a message I can’t understand. He has what I call a “Verbal Legibility” factor of zero.

Where I come from, the whole point of leaving a phone number is so people can call you back. But too often, the person leaving the message is too bored, tired, lazy or busy to put a cohesive, understandable sentence together. Or they try to be cute with the way they say 55 triple 4 oh 2. Is that 50 then 5 or is it 55? And by the way, it’s a zero not an “oh”.

It seems silly to tell people to speak clearly and slowly. But an enormous number of people talk way too fast, way to soft, talk “mush-mouthed” or combine 2 or more of these traits to create a message they themselves couldn’t possibly understand. So yes, while it seems silly … I’ll do it anyway. “At the tone, PLEASE, speak clearly and slowly.”

As far as the number goes, here’s a tip I use. While you’re saying your number — write it … neatly.  Say your number NO FASTER than you can write it. Then repeat it. If you have no writing utensil, pretend to write it in the air.

Another tip, leave your phone number at the beginning of the message. In the event your target doesn’t get your number the first time they hear it, they don’t have to listen back through your whole boring message to get it.

How’s your verbal legibility when leaving messages? Record yourself some day when you’re busy returning phone calls. Listen to yourself … you just might learn something.

Stumble it!