I am certain that leaving a proper voice mail message is a gift. It is a gift I unhappily do not have. Usually I am all ramped up for a "real" person to answer so when I get the voice mail I freeze in my tracks like I have been stunned with a stun-gun. How does one deal with that? I seem to attempt to leave my message but can't figure out how to end it---so I ramble on and on and on......finally ending up with something nervously stated like, "Um, yeah...I look forward to hearing for you." I hang up and want to go bang my head on a wall.
I do have a pet peeve about voice mail. Those who leave a greeting which begins with "Hello!" and then a pause...just long enough for us to think you actually answered the phone...so we begin talking to you just in time to hear the rest of your greeting. We feel like idiots. Please change that greeting or I'll be forced to find you and kick you in the shins.
Seriously...I would never kick someone but you cannot believe how frustrating that is. For those of us that are like me, "voice-mail challenged" there is nothing more astoundingly bizarre than that greeting on a voice mail. In some way that is the equivalent to all caps on an internet message...you are screaming "GOT YOU!" and people hate that.
The only thing worse is leaving a voice mail for someone I don't know very well. The other day I left a message inquiring about a job interview...I was nervous already and not wanting to push the envelope of good business sense. I had taken about an hour to get up the nerve to make the call--without even considering what I may do if I got a voice mail. That was a vital mistake. There can't be anything worse than being nervous and rambling nonsense--nervously laughing like some idiot--and trying to gain control of what is rapidly becoming a train wreck.
I was faced with the fact that I was not offered a selection or option to delete / review / change my message which I left. Afterward I sat there and stared into space thinking "What have I just done?" I couldn't sleep that night because I was obsessing over it. I couldn't eat the next day because I was overwhelmed with a feeling of just ridiculous stupidity. I am an adult with 20 years of experience but I can't leave a proper voice mail?
OMG! Finally I resorted to an email. I wrote her the "Thank You" note which recruiters tell us is so vital, carefully wording it to represent the "professional me" and then decided to just be honest about the flubbed voice mail and asked her to consider my nervousness as a compliment.
Whew, I finally thought I might be able to sleep...except now I was laying in bed wondering if I did spell check before I sent it. OMG. What if I didn't? This one voice mail had become a mechanism of terror and obsession. I got up, turned on my computer and waited....and waited...Finally---WHY did my computer pick THIS time to de-frag?
Exhausted and frustrated I went in and used my husband's computer. I managed to get to my "sent" mail and checked it with spell check. No mistakes. Yippeee....now I can sleep. At least I tried. Now I am wondering if I should have ignored the whole voice mail fiasco and pretend it didn't happen.
I can't though. I can't because it is taunting me.
Voice-mail taunts me.
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melissa
L.a.p.a.
Deeeeep Breathe. And good luck with the job hunting.
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"I will marshal all the forces of darkness to hound you to an assisted suicide." - In the Loop
LMAO!
2I have been there, done that and bought the t-shirt and I am great at leaving messages. I just did it recently to establish a connection with a company to GET a job interview. She never called me. I don't think I sounded like a dolt, but I wasn't perfect. Que sera . . . GOOD LUCK!!
3Honestly, I talk on the phone all day. I hate listening to voice messages. I can assure you cheeky, your message was fine. Whomever you left the message with wasn't nearly as intent on the message as you are. Good luck with the job search, but honestly you don't need luck. You have skill.
4For 20 years in my job, I always spoke to people NOT recordings or voice mail. You don't call a Dr to tell them their patient needs emergency surgery or is going to die and leave that as a message. I always spoke to real people. It never hit me until after this happened. I just don't have much experience with leaving messages.
I suppose I had a rare job that demanded immediate reply. Just never had to deal with doing this...I guess I will have to practice.
5It's harder to talk to a voice because after the voice stops, you don't get any more prompts. Essentia;lly it says, "Tell me everything I need to know about your call in short order." Who is ever prepared to respond to that?
FWIW, when I have to talk on the phone, I always leave my number twice. I say who I am at the beginning of the phone con with my number and then say why I am calling and then repeat my name and number at the end very clearly as if speaking to an unusually stupid child of ten, separating first and last names. I have a standard close I learned long ago which seems to be relatively effective which I will pass on: "I look forward to speaking with you soon."
6Thanks for all your insight. I need all the help I can get. I already do the tips in paragraph two when contacting someone I don't know. I suppose I just need to practice...and my nervousness was just ridiculous but human.
During my medical career I never had to interview for a job--they sought me out as my reputation preceded me. Later in my career I was adept in interviewing others but the shoe had never been on the other foot so-to-speak. Now returning to work after being semi-retired, ghost writing for medical journals, I find myself suddenly faced with things I never had to deal with before.
7You know CheekyRH - why don't you send her that here on Sugar to make her see how you feel?
Regarding nervous: when too nervous to sleep i pray: GOD pls take all my problems tonight and believe me i sleep like a baby
YOU WILL GET A JOB - if not that one then A BETTER ONE
BTW: Eleuthera that is a brilliant way to reply to Voicemail
very clever - i will
consider it myself 
cause my prob = i am too short and too harsh with Voicemail
- so we all "LOVE VOICEMAIL"
8I sound like a total moron when I leave a voice mail, especially for someone I don't know. For those poor unfortunate souls whom I do know, bless their skinny little hearts, my messages go on. And on. And on. Apparently. My sweet daughter, youngest of the bunch and about to turn 20 this week says, "Mama, please don't leave me a vm. Just send me a text." Hm. Like I can't text as much as I talk? Well, yes I could! If I wanted to.
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9"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." Ronald Reagan
3 things I have learned for VM's. Sit up straight and smile when you speak. Also take a breathe when you are about to speak - it slows down your speech pattern for the system.
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"I will marshal all the forces of darkness to hound you to an assisted suicide." - In the Loop
Great advice Sam.
11Wow..it is nice to know I am not the only one that struggles with VM. Thanks For all the tips!
12GRRRRRR I hate VM.
13I only dislike voicemails because sometimes people just do not want to call you back. Plus sometimes I have people literally filling up my voicemails with their stories so when i call them back they have nothing to say anymore because they said it on my voicemail.
14Don't you love the "Oh I never got your voice-mail" excuse?
15I like for people to leave messages for me, being my schedule. But I would never tell someone that I never got their voice mail when I actually did. That's just rude. And I use to get a little nervous when I had to speak on voice-mail too. When I hang up I usually feel like I should have said something else or said what I said, a little better. Or I just forgot something, in which I will never call back to leave a second message
Then I felt I odd....weird
huh.
16I seem to always feel like a complete idiot unless it is someone I know well.
At times I wonder if I should just hang up and try again later but I know I hate it when I have a ton of "hang-up" calls --- especially if I am not familiar with the number. I have a vivid imagination, so I start thinking someone is desperate to get hold of me so it must be important...then when it turns out to be a telemarketer I want to scream.
17Monique, that sounds like me... maybe.
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18"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." Ronald Reagan
Ah, voice mail! I hate leaving messages....
19What do you guys think about silly messages on people's voice mails? It is hard to take someone seriously when they have a recording of "Hot Blooded check it and see" prior to "Hi...leave me a message...ciao"
Sorry--it leaves me speechless.
20I am doing better...I have been practicing on my daughter. I leave her messages on her cell.
"Miss______, your room is dire need of cleaning. Please respond immediately."
21Agree, it is a gift. It gets easier with practice. I am forced to do it for work, and have become more comforstable with it.
at the ones that make you think they really answered the phone. A friend of mine used to have
one that kept repeating the hello, so the person just thought you couln't hear them. Could be funny if you were home when they called! 
22comfortable*
23That "hello........" thing drives me nuts. I am so glad I am not the only one that hates it. Good grief change your message already!
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