When you need this
A good message can be acted on without a second call. Most messages fail because they're either too short ("Call me") or too long, with the important part buried in the middle. The listener might be playing it in a taxi, or reading it as a note on a colleague's desk. Keep it clear enough that they could act on it half-listening.
Use a fixed order: who you are, why you're calling, what you need, and how to reach you. Say your number slowly, and say it twice, because nobody can rewind a voicemail in their head. The same order works when you're taking a message for someone else. Repeat the details back to the caller before you hang up, so any mistake shows up while they're still on the line.
Phrases
record or pass on information when someone isn't there
write down a caller's information for a colleague
a recorded phone message, or the system that keeps it
names you and your company at the start of a message
says the purpose of the call up front
gives the number to call back
formal for "as soon as you can"
tells them they can call back later
a request passed through a colleague
repeats the details to check them
promises to deliver the message
Say it out loud
Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.
Practice · 3 min
Say the line that fits. Situation on the left, one natural line on the right.
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Say it today
Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.