I'll never forget going to visit one of my branch recruiting offices and watching a rookie recruiter dial and hang up, over and over again. I walked over and asked her why she did not leave her client prospects or candidates a voicemail message and she told me, "I never leave messages because nobody ever calls me back."

So how do you get call backs? Why do some people get a ton of incoming calls to the office in response to their messages while others are forced to just make outbound or cold calls?

What are the secrets of a leaving good voice message that will get you a call back?

1. You have to Set the Hook
Leave a message with a breif message that leaves them wanting for more information along with your name and number. Curiosity can be a very powerful motivator. My recruiters often leave messages that state the purpose of their call is highly confidential so they do not want to leave the information on a voicemail...

2. Be Important
Never say "I was just calling to check in" or "I'm just following up on my last message"...Don't set yourself up to be rated as a low priority

3. You Can't Close a Deal with a Message so Stop Trying
Most people these days answer the phone and expect to be approcahed by someone selling something so they put up their guard. Relax and be yourself, give them a good reason to call you back and they will.

4. Slow Down
You often catch people out of the blue with your purpose for the call so speak clearly and slow down from your typical pace of conversation. If I can't understand you then I delete your message and figure you will just call me back if it was important. Also vary your speed and tonality to keep people interested in what you are saying like telling a story to a child. He huffed and he puffed and blew the house down!

5. Spell your Name and Repeat your Number Twice
Sometimes names of people or companies are hard to understand. Saying your name clearly and spelling it when you leave your message along with repeating your phone number (once at the beginning and once at the end) can help make certain the message is received properly .

6. People Gravitate Toward Winners
I like to stand up when I leave a message. This helps me to sound better and I try to leave powerful messages that others will want to call back. You should smile when you dial. People who sound confident and strong will get more call backs than those who sound meek or unsure. Use hand gestures and powerful body language. Listen to your message by using the playback option if possible before it goes out to make sure it sounds good!

7. Be a True Professional
You want to come off as as an expert who is sincere, honest, and hard working so don't leave a message that makes you sound tired, bored, defeated, or like you have a bad attitude. Start by writing a script. Writing it down can help you to say exactly what you want to say. Practice your message and leave it a few times on your own recording before before you go live with clients and candidates. Ask a friend or co-worker for their opinion of how you sound. Be proud of your message and expect a call back from every message you leave.