Real Estate Self-Promotion - How's your message machine voice?

Real estate self-promotion - How's your message machine voice?

Real estate clients today can get acquainted with you before you have any personal contact. They read your agent bio, they look at your website to see how you present your listings, they read your blog and get a sense of your personality.

And then... they either call or email asking you to call them. So the phone becomes your first personal contact, and your voice may be the deciding factor in whether or not they choose you as their agent.

In this busy world, sometimes it takes a little "phone tag" before people actually connect, so you might be leaving a message for your future client.

I got to thinking about message machine voices because of a message that came in yesterday.

When I hit play I heard a woman say "Hi, I'm......." Later on I caught the words "short survey" and deleted the message. Afterward I wondered who she was and what company she represented.

She was one of those people who speak in what I term a "machine gun" voice. (I know - that reference is probably not politically correct these days, but it still fits.) Their words come one at a time in short little clipped off bursts.

My brain just won't follow that, so I have no idea what those people are saying. Usually the speaker is a woman - perhaps mens' deeper voices don't lend themselves as well to this kind of "speed talking."

When a client or would-be client leaves this kind of message I simply hope that I'll be able to understand the phone number to return the call. (Sometimes my phone records it, and sometimes not. Don't know why.) Of course I don't look forward to the call, because it's embarrassing to have to keep asking people to repeat themselves.

But... quite often the person who left the impossible message speaks normally in conversation.

Other phone voices can also be off-putting.

Some people sound meek and unsure of themselves. They speak so softly that some of their words disappear. When it's a would-be client I replay the message several times trying to catch their name and phone number. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. That bothers me - I don't like people thinking I didn't return their call on purpose.

Some use enough volume, but mumble. I often get their names wrong, and sometimes their phone number too. Google can help with the phone number if I get the name and perhaps the city. Again, it bothers me when I simply can't return a call.

Some come on too strong. Like the satellite salesman who left a message yesterday. I guessed that I wouldn't like him if I met him in person.

Some sound arrogant. Yuck. I'll return the call, but will usually decline the work.

And then there are the callers I love...

They speak clearly in a friendly tone, state their name and the reason for the call, and repeat their phone number twice.

(Nothing to do with voice, but I also don't enjoy those messages that are simply a name and phone number. Why should I return this call when it might be someone trying to sell me a warranty on my refrigerator?)