The future is voice messaging, not voice mail. Voice messaging only comes into its own when matched with "presence" applications like Skype. It's an important distinction, for voice messaging will be used differently.

Links in the forums and some recent press comment around Skype have included reference to voice mail. It's probably a natural reference as we talk about "left a" and "getting voice mail" all the time. However in Skype's case what they are soon to implement is not really voice mail. Rather it is voice messaging. It's a subtle yet significant difference and I hope their language comes to reflect it.

Here's why.
Voice Mail is typically a voice message that was left when there was a communications failure. The intended recipient either wasn't near the phone or didn't want to answer your phone call. You leave a voice message you have no sense of timing. We call this telephone tag.

By contrast the "voice messaging option" on Skype doesn't require that you try calling the person first. You have their presence, you know at what level of importance you want to put the interruption. In this world the voice messaging function is different. A voice message is less invasive, less disruptive to workflow.

As a long time user of Skype I seldom get "out of the blue" calls. If I do, these calls are from people not on my buddy list. Frankly it is better they all go direct to a voice mail preferably with a different message from the one I leave my buddies. The message for the "unknowns" is probably no soliciting, state your business etc. If you pass these hurdles etc. and it is important then text me.

Thus for the most part my buddies text first. As they / we have a crude sense of each others presence there is no need for failed voice mail. Most dialogue starts with chat. It may or may not escalate to voice. Thus voice mail is for the most part superfluous. More importantly forcing me to leave a voice mail when I know they are there is a little silly. Messages aren't supposed to play tag by design. Thus the context changes from voice mail to voice messaging.

I probably haven't made myself clear. Coming up. Send a Skype voice message without ringing the other person's Skype client. That is a major difference to the telephone.

In Skype, voice messaging is for the occasions when I don't want to interrupt someone's workspace. It's perfect for update messages, invites to the weekend party etc. Messages that will benefit from a vocal / personal touch. Yet they don't have to interrupt the work flow. Let's face it... if I work with someone all the time and they aren't on Skype, then leaving a voice mail isn't the best place to try and reach them or deal with an urgent problem. I either have to now deal with it myself, postpone until we are mutually present (text can work well here) or call their cellphone.

Voice Mail

Since the earlier days of answering machines and devices connected to phone lines, voice mail systems and applications have become complex workhorses of everyday business. Computer telephony has made new voice mail features available that add power and flexibility to the simpler answering device model.

Voice mail today can include auto attendant and follow-me capabilities so that your callers can have a better variety of options. They can leave longer and more detailed messages. You can easily access your messages and change system options from the road when traveling. Call back features enable you to automatically call back the individual who left a message. Some applications allow group mailbox lists to be created for sending the same message to multiple recipients, and so on. Mailboxes can be set up that are "listen only" for organizations that need to make special announcements such as power companies that must warn of outages during storms.

Computer glitch muddles D.C. voice-mail message

Published July 30, 2005
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
    Callers got an odd voice-mail message yesterday on some City Hall phones.
    "Please leave a voice message for 7,248,068 midget," the computerized voice intoned when folks called the District's John A. Wilson Building.
    Or was that "7,248,068 maggot?"
    Whatever it was, it wasn't a D.C. agency or official.
    Vincent Morris, spokesman for Mayor Anthony A. Williams, said the message was an error that resulted from the city government's transition from Verizon's lines to DC-NET, a fiber-optic telecommunication network.
    Only a few of the government's 20,000 phone lines bore the strange voice-mail message, which did not affect any city services, Mr. Morris said.
    He couldn't decipher the message's disputed word, but he was sure it wasn't "midget."
    "The new phone lines, the new fiber lines are working perfectly," Mr. Morris said. "Any resident who has tried to get through has been able to after a short amount of time.
    "Fortunately, our public safety network has been intact and continues to have extremely fast response times."
    Deidre Samson, chief of staff for the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, said the problem was almost "65 percent fixed" yesterday afternoon.
    "And they are expecting to have the remainder of them fixed right away," she said.
    Verizon spokeswoman Christy Reap said the phone company is investigating the matter.
    The Wilson Building began its transition to the new network this week.
    -- Robert Redding Jr.

Monday, July 18, 2005

Use Voice Mail for Reminders

By HELOISE

Special to the Register

Dear Heloise: I have been reading the column since your mother started it here in Hawaii, and I make it a point to check each day's hints.

I have learned a great deal and would like to offer one I discovered. After writing many reminder memos to myself on paper, etc., I finally figured out a way to give myself a message. If I have to bring something from home to work, I call and leave a message on my home recorder so I remember when I check my messages in the evening. Likewise, if there is something I need to do at work, I call and leave a message on my office phone. I hope this helps others who have to remind themselves.

- Iris Nitta, Wailuku, Hawaii

Careers - Leaving That Voice Mail

Seattle, WA, USA--(Jobwerx News)--Using voice mail to make a great first impression with Recruiters. Job Search Information Job seekers know there is more to a job search than want ads and e-mails. But when it comes time to make that phone call, are you really prepared? You might think leaving a message isn’t a big deal, but it really is. Look at it this way; first impressions are always important, and sometimes a phone call is the first impression people have of you. So make the most of the phone calls you make. Job searching is a process, so take every aspect of it seriously. You never know what just might seal the deal.

Speak With Confidence

There’s not a lot you can do on the phone to sell yourself, so set out to perfect the basics. To start with, prepare what you’re going to say and then make sure you feel confident saying it. The phone call should be brief but factual. You want to leave the most informational message possible without talking their ear off. If they’re bored of you on the phone, they probably won’t want to wait to see what you’re like in person. Be clear and concise and tell them what they need to know. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Leave a message for a specific person. Anyone can call and say they’re simply calling about a job or possible opening. If you do a little research to find out who you should speak to, it will only pay off. It will show that you have a sincere interest in the job and you’re not afraid to go the extra mile to get what you want.

Always know your employer. Find out about the company you’re applying for so you can communicate to them how compatible you are as a candidate.

Practice what you’re going to say. You don’t want to sound like you’re reading a script, but the more prepared you are, the more confident you will sound. Not to mention, if you’re prepared to leave a message and you get a person instead, your delivery will be that much better. Whatever you do, don’t let an answering machine or voicemail scare you. You may be eager to get the ball rolling, but don’t think of it as a blockade. Instead, consider yourself lucky. If you don’t get a “live” person, you’ll have more time to prepare what you want to say. This will give you time to get all your thoughts in order and make little or no mistakes.

If you’re not getting as many leads as you think you should, try using the ResumeDirector service. It lets you get your resume posted on over 90 job sites at once, including Monster, HotJobs, CareerBuilder, etc. To find out more, visit: http://www.jobwerx.com/resume_director.html

To find out about ResumeArrow, a service that can get your resume sent instantly to thousands of recruiters specializing in your industry and geographical location, visit this web address: http://www.resumearrow.com/def.php3?pc=13CS756

Emergency voice mail link eyed for overseas residents

Staff report

The government will set up an international voice mail service next April that will allow overseas residents to contact their families and friends in Japan during emergencies, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The ministry decided to set up the system to reduce the flood of calls it receives every time an emergency crops up, including December's tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean and the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on Sept. 11, 2001.

The ministry will first set up the system in the U.S. and Canada, where about 380,000 Japanese residents are registered, and gradually expand it to other regions, they said.

Although the main target of the service is Japanese nationals, non-Japanese residents in Japan can also use the service to listen to recorded messages from family members and friends living abroad, they said.

To use the new system, people in the U.S., for instance, will dial a toll-free number, punch in additional numbers -- such as the birth dates and telephone numbers of the people they want to contact -- and leave a message.

To listen to the messages, people in Japan will call the toll-free number and go through the same process.

"If the system is introduced, people will not need to ask the Foreign Ministry for information . . . they can directly listen to the voices of their families and friends," the official said.

But the system will not let users in Japan record messages targeted at overseas residents.

The Japan Times: July 1, 2005
 
July 31, 2005, 7:55PM

HINTS FROM HELOISE
Answering-machine etiquette
King Features Syndicate
Dear Heloise:

I found that your advice informing people not to leave intimate or detailed phone messages, lest they fall into the wrong hands, reminded me of another important point in answering-machine etiquette.

When recording your greeting on an answering machine or voice mail, always indicate whom the caller has reached. The "Hi, I'm not here, leave a message" leaves callers wondering if they dialed the right number. Personally, I won't leave a message on an unidentified voice mail for that reason.

A FAITHFUL READER in Kansas

You're right. It's a little aggravating wondering if you have reached the right number or not.

However, some people don't want "Hi, this is the Smiths" on the outgoing message for security reasons. That being said, a business or office greeting should say "You've reached John Doe at XYZ Company."

HELOISE

P.S. If you leave an important message, especially one that is time-sensitive, call back in a day or two if you have not heard back.

Heloise@Heloise.com

HELOISE
P.O. Box 795000
San Antonio, TX 78279-5000