Blue Flute Software- 'In a NutShell' Newsletter

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                    In a Nutshell
   Information and Tips for your Image Consulting Business

8/02/03                                          Issue #16
Linda Gerloff, Editor, linda@blueflute.com
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   IN THIS ISSUE
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    =>  Inventory Updates for August
    => Blue Flute News
         NutShell class during Celebration
    => ‘In a NutShell’ archives
    => Feature Article
         At the Sound of the Tone—the Art of the Phone Message
    => NutShell Tip - Enter Celebration Product Package
    => Computer tip – Don’t get caught by a genuine-looking
        Hoax… but don’t let it paralyze you, either
    => Subscribe/Unsubscribe information

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Inventory Updates for August
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Your inventory updates for August are ready. If you have
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Blue Flute News
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NutShell Class during Celebration – The NutShell Class will
be August 7, 2003 at 5PM. More signup details are available
here: www.blueflute.com/NutShellClass.htm. If you have
signed up and have not received final detail information,
please let me know.

August NutShell Price – The NutShell Combo is available to
all consultants in August for $114.99. This is a great
value! It will provide your consultant with everything
she needs to get her business organized and keep it
organized!

At Celebration, there will an be additional discount along
with a free Sam Moon’s gift item with purchase!

You can view the order page here:

by Tracy Turner

Using the phone to build relationship and give people the
sound of our voices can happen even on a phone message.
Sometimes leaving a verbal phone message is preferable to
reaching the actual person. For instance, voice mail:
• Avoids interrupting the person
• Conveys a message using voice, so tone comes through clearly
• Can be left after-hours and at the caller’s convenience
• Is effective for conveying information that might be too
complex when put in writing

When we intentionally reach voice mail by calling after
hours, being prepared with the content of the message helps
the message be clear and accurate. This helps the receiver
get the content swiftly while listening to the message only
one time.

What happens, though, when you want to talk to the real person
but can’t reach the person by phone? Then you’re forced to
leave messages. Irritating phone messages are those that are
fumbling and hesitating, those where the caller doesn’t plan
ahead, speaks too quickly, sounds bored, and is rambling. The
better way to handle this is to consider each call you make
as one where you’ll have to leave a message. This helps to
prepare in the event you do need to leave a message and helps
keep you from being caught off guard. Here are some pointers
to help you prepare:
• Know before you call the reason for the call
• Start by saying your full name and company or department
connection
• State the reason for the call
• State clearly what you want (a call back, a message left
for you, to have them send you an email, etc.)
• Leave your phone number clearly and slowly

A simple strategy for leaving your phone number is to write
it as you speak it. Consider those messages you’ve had to
listen to three or four times just to get the phone number.
I make a habit of pausing for a breath between each set of
numbers. For instance, I say: “My number is … 775…544…84…79.”
I say the last four numbers in pairs. Grouping the numbers
in pairs helps the person writing the number do it faster
and more accurately. Another simple strategy is to give
your number, in the same fashion, twice. First when you
state your name; second when you ask them to call. This
again helps prevent the person from having to re-listen
to the message.

Establish Your Credibility in a Snippet

While on the topic of phone messages, another thing to
consider is yours—the one you have on your voice mail right
now. I become very irritated when I have to listen to
lengthy, nearly minutes-long phone message just to leave my
message. If their phone rolls to voice mail, it is obvious
to me that they are “either away from [their] desks or on
another call.” Callers prefer to hear brief messages that
identify you and what information you need in order to get
back to them. For example, your phone message can be as
simple as this: “Hi, This is Tracy Turner. Please leave your
name and phone number, and I’ll return your call within 24
hours.” Anything longer than that (leaving website addresses,
personal philosophies of life, bits of wisdom for the day,
etc.) is irritating and time consuming.

By the way, it’s always appropriate to give a time frame
for returning the call. In my message, I say I return all
calls within 24 hours. It’s a matter of courtesy and respect
to return phone calls—all that request and require it—and to
return those calls in a timely manner. Never make callers
wait more than 24 hours for your call back.

Use Voice Mail to Get What You Need

When I leave messages, whether I initiate the call or am
responding to someone else’s, I always leave a time when I
can be reached. We waste too much time playing telephone
tag with others that to solve this problem, I leave a window
of time when I know I’ll be by my phone (“I’m in the office
today from 11:30 a.m. till 2 p.m. You can reach me then.).
If I have to leave a message, I ask those I call to leave me
a message telling me a good time to reach them. That helps
eliminate playing telephone tag and its accompanying
frustration. Leaving a time frame is especially important
if the matter needs attention right away. Most people give
up calling after 3 or 4 unsuccessful attempts to reach a
person. If the topic of the conversation needs to be dealt
with in a timely manner, we don’t want to run the risk of

the caller giving up.

Start Leaving Impressions Today

Protecting and projecting your credibility and
professionalism with every opportunity you have to
communicate helps present you in the best possible light.
Paying attention to something as simple as your phone
message strategies can be a vehicle for projecting the
professional image you want your coworkers, clients, and
supervisors to see.

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Copyright 2003 Blue Flute Software Creations, Inc.

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A note about referrals and your email address – Being an
avid hater of email spam as much as you are, I have
never (and will never) give, sell or rent your email
address to anybody who could possibly spam you! However,
I will give your email address to consultants who list
your name as their referral. I will give her address to
you, as well. This is so that you and she can be ‘NutShell
partners’! If you would rather not have your email address
given to your referrals, please let me know:

mailto:privacy@blueflute.com
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Linda Gerloff
Blue Flute Software Creations
linda@blueflute.com
P.O. Box 77882
Fort Worth, TX 76177
817-439-1081

Blue FluteSoftware Creations, Inc.