VoiceMail... the untapped speaking opportunity !

This post ( click here) by Brian Armstrong is titled "How To Instantly Sound More Confident The Next Time You Make A Phone Call" but it could just as easily be called... "How to apply Toastmasters Skills to Voicemail for fun and profit!" (Actually, I threw in the "for fun and profit" part... just to spick it up a bit.)

Brian's main idea regarding voicemail is ...

The next time you leave a message on someone’s cell phone, press ‘#’ when you’re done. On 99% of cell phone carriers you will then be given an opportunity to listen to your message, and if needed, delete it to record a new one.

He also has some very Toastmaster-like suggestions...

Some common problems you can try to eliminate from your speech are:

* Saying ‘um’ and ‘ah’ more often than you should

* Saying ‘like’, ’sort of’, ‘maybe’, ‘you know’ or other filler words which can make you sound unsure or immature

* Raising the pitch of your voice at the end of a statement (as if
you were asking a question), which sounds child-like (try saying “My name is [your name]” and raising the pitch at the end)

* Speaking constantly in the same tone of voice, which can make you sound boring and tired

Who would have guessed.... Voicemail... the untapped speaking opportunity!