* Be prepared with your message. This is a unique opportunity to have someone’s attention but only for a few seconds. If your energy is low and you ramble, people aren’t going to be eager to talk to you. They may not even listen to the whole message.* Please be brief. Learn the art of leaving succinct messages. It will pay off over and over again. This isn’t the time to tell the 5 minute recap of your skills, experience and accomplishments. It’s ok to write out what you want to say. You only get a few seconds, so you want to make sure you’ve planned to get maximum benefit. Call your own number and leave a message, just to hear how you sound. You may be surprised to hear how your recorded message sounds and the impression it leaves. * Remember to use their name in the message. Hearing their name always makes people pay more attention.* State your name, how you know the person or who referred you to them. What you are calling about. What you would like, e.g., have them call you, let them know you’ll call back at a specific time, etc. As you may know by now, I like to take responsibility for getting the call to happen and make it easy on them. That means I don’t usually ask them to call me if I’m calling to ask for their assistance. So pick someone to call, get your script out, and dial.Let me know how it is going, and never hesitate to give me a call if you have any questions.Wishing you the best!* P.S. one last tip: Always leave your number unless you’re calling your mom! PPS: To get your copy of my free and terror-free 17 word networking scripts, click here.
