As someone who talks very fast, I know how hard it is to slow down. To me it feels like slow motion, while to others it sounds normal. But, it's something we all have to work on - the clearer your message, the more likely you are to get the sale! Today sales trainer Kelley Robertson relays a story that makes this point perfectly clear.

The other day I received one of the worst voice mail messages ever.

The caller spoke so quickly I could barely understand her message let alone write down her telephone number. Her words ran together and it was difficult to decipher the company name even though I listened to the message twice.

It was obviously a sales call and she wanted me to return her call but that didn't happen because I didn't want to listen to her message six or seven times simply to get her phone number.

She couldn't end the call quickly enough. As soon as she spewed out her phone number, she hung up. I suspect this person has a high number of calls to make every day and it is entirely possible that she simply makes them as quickly as she can to get them over with.

Here are two key learning points from this call:

1. When you leave a VM message, make sure it is clear, articulate and easy to understand. Better yet, leave a compelling reason for your prospect to return your call.

2. Speak slowly so people can record your number. Better yet, leave your call-back number at the beginning AND at the end of the message.

Slow down, leave a great message and improve the odds of getting a return call.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. He specializes in helping businesses increase their sales, develop better negotiating skills, coach and motivate their employees, create powerful work teams and deliver outstanding customer service. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com