ANLA Management Clinic Quick Hit: Be sure to update the voice mail when you travel

You've likely experienced this at your store: You go out of town on business and return to a bevy of voice messages, almost all tied to some seemingly high-priority issue you need to address the day you get back. During a session called "Surviving at the Speed of Life" at the ANLA Management Clinic in Louisville, consultant John Kennedy offered a remedy that should lighten the post-trip load:

Be sure you adjust your phone greeting prior to the trip. Instead of leaving the usual, "Hi, this is Yale Youngblood. I'm away from my desk right now, but I'll get back to you as soon as I can," Kennedy suggests getting specific about why you're away from the desk right now and when you'll be able to get back to the caller.

Example: "Hi, this is Yale Youngblood. It's Wednesday, Feb. 3, and I'm away from the office attending the ANLA Management Clinic in Louisville, Ky. I'll be back in the office on Monday, Feb. 8. If you have some urgent matter that needs to be addressed, you can call my colleague at work, Sue Smith, at 555-555-5555. Otherwise, I'll be checking my voice mail later today and will be sure to get back to you as soon as I return from my trip."

If you're a clever voice mailer, you can craft the message in your own innovative way. The point is to make sure the caller knows that you're out of the office and knows when you'll be back -- and knows when you're likely to return the call. "Most of the time," Kennedy said, "the caller won't even leave a message. They'll just wait until you're back to call you again."

And that means a lot less to do while playing "catch-up" when you get back to bidness.