Subtle, Unintentional Messages

News flash of the day--Cell phones are important to business. Everyone in real estate has a cell phone that is the nerve center of their business. Because of this, voicemail is a necessary evil and is, sometimes a tool of convenience. The crux of this blog is to get you thinking about what your outgoing (answering) message actually says to people. I know your goal is to get them to leave a message with relevant info but what message are you giving that potential client, that friend, your mom, whomever gets your voicemail and then decides what to say back?

I received an interesting voicemail last night. The caller (who never identified himself) was (probably) calling to get information on one of my listings but never got to the purpose of his call because he was so put off by my outgoing message.

That message states, "You've reached Jonathan Harmon, please leave a message with a clear phone number and I will return your call at my earliest convenience..." Apparently the part about "at my earliest convenience" set him off. The message he left me was, "I'd rather not have you call me back. When I hear a person saying, as me a customer, you're going to call me back at your convenience, I'd rather not deal with a person like that." I went through a range of emotions over this message. 

First, I was shocked. I listened to the message about 5 or 6 times. 

Then I was kind of mad. How could this guy pass judgement on my willingness and ability to serve clients from this small, seemingly insignificant message? I mean, if there is one thing I think I do really well in my job, it is returning communication and being accessible by clients and potential clients. I always return calls and usually within a very reasonable amount of time. In fact, I am so diligent about returning calls that it sometimes irks my wife because I return calls that could really wait until morning. I do this because I serve my clients. This guy will never take the opportunity to know the level of service I provide simply because of my word choice in that outgoing voicemail message. 

That lasted about 3-4 minutes. Then I moved into panic. Do other people feel put off by this message and just don't have the guts to leave a message like that (most people choose to avoid, rather than confront)?

Finally I started to think about this and ended up sort of feeling sorry for the guy. My guess is he has had an experience in the past that has sort of jaded him. He has a chip on his shoulder. He won't know good service from me because of his perception of my message. At the same time, I started to think about my message. Is "at my earliest convenience" really the best way to word my message? It may be acceptable but is it the best? I decided it is not.

For some, that voicemail message is the first impression and it is a 15 second opportunity to sell myself. The subtle message communicated in that 15 seconds can be incredibly valuable. In my experience last night, I did not get the lead because of the 15 second message. Perhaps I didn't want that person as a client but that's not the point. The point is, my message communicated something to him that I did not intend and it was negative, at least to him.

I am working now to evolve my message and am open to suggestions.

My phone etiquette "plan" or "rules" go like this:
1) sense of urgency--I WILL call you back as soon as I am able to do so
2)  The most important person is the one in front of me and I am generally not inclined to interrupt with them for anyone

3) I know Realtors are notorious for not calling back. That's just not my style. I am not typical.
4) I am trying to work on "being present" with my family. Honestly, it is a struggle for me. If I have decided I am off the clock, I may not call you till tomorrow--especially if you call after 6 or 7 at night.

5) If you ask a bunch of questions in the voicemail, I will try not to call you back until I have the answers. If I think it is going to be a while before I have those answers, I will call you back to tell you I got the message and then call you again when I have the answers.
6) I have a business partner, Taylore, that is very capable and willing to help also. She can answer most, if not all, questions about my listings. If it is just a price/square footage/can I see it? type question, you might get a faster response from her.

Obviously I can't put all that into the outgoing message. Here is what I currently have on my voicemail, any input or examples of great outgoing voicemail messages would be appreciated!

Hi, you've reached Jonathan Harmon. Please leave a voice message or text me, with a clear phone number, and I will return your call as soon as I am able. If you have a question about a listing and want an immediate response, please call Taylore at 615-557-2240, 615-557-2240.

Lunch

Lunch is an amazing thing in business. Lunch gives people an opportunity to connect better than they ever would by sitting in an office. People let their guards down a bit and display habits they can otherwise conceal. So much information is communicated at the lunch table that cannot be communicated elsewhere. You can learn a little bit about the person's tastes (literally), their manners, the way they treat people that serve them and even how they approach unknowns.

When you take someone to lunch and it is already understood that you are paying, what do they order? If they find out you are paying after you get to lunch, do they change their order or demeanor? Are they cautious not to order something somewhat messy? Do they order something complicated, like fajitas? Something spicy? Something boring? Do they order alcohol? Do they order water? Can you tell if they are health conscious? All of these questions speak to the person's tastes and preferences. The answer to these questions will communicate different things to different people. The point is, these are valuable things to watch--and to be aware of. What do these communicate about you if someone is paying attention?

Manners are also very important and absolutely show up at the lunch table. Does the person place the napkin in their lap? Do they eat "continental style" or "American" or with no etiquette at all (Check out the difference here)? Do they rest their elbows on the table? Manners also enter in in the way they converse. Talking with mouths of food, being curt with the waitstaff, interrupting, beginning to eat without everyone at the table, etc.

One other key factor that is very easily overlooked is how you talk to the person or people serving you. This is perhaps the most telling aspect of the lunch. Does the person talk down to the server. Does the person treat the server as an underling? Are they grateful to the server for serving them? How does the person tip (if they are the one tipping)? If you are interviewing for a job, this is a golden opportunity to really blow it.

The last one is something I heard about in my management class. We were studying a famous business leader that always conducted interviews over lunch. One of their tactics was to watch what the person did with the food. Specifically, they watched to see if the person salted the food before tasting it. For this leader this simple action spoke volumes. If they automatically assumed the food needed salt before they tasted the food, would they also automatically assume whatever task they were being assigned would need to be changed before they even "tasted" what was already there? Would this middle manager try to implement changes before even seeing what was already in place?

I think it is pretty cool how something as simple as sharing a meal can tell so much about a person. Its why we take dates out to dinner. Its why churches have meals together. Food brings people together and allows them to relax. If its a business meal, however, pay attention. Remember what you could communicate to an observer.

What do you notice about people during meals? What messages do you pick up on? Have you been accidentally communicating the wrong thing during meals?