Often when people have something very important to tell you, they tend to get excited and the message comes across as, “Icannotbelievewhatjust happened!” They are so excited that they just blurt out the information, and it all runs together.
Even if you have perfect hearing, most likely your response will be “OK, just slow down, take a breath, and tell me what happened.” While we see this occur on a regular basis in our day-to-day lives, if you have even a slight hearing loss, you might never catch what the person is saying.
One place this happens often is when leaving a voice mail message. When you find yourself in this situation, slow down and follow these guidelines:
- Say your name completely and at a normal pace.
- State the reason for the call.
- Clearly state your call-back number.
- Take a breath, and repeat steps 1–3.
The person will be grateful for being able to understand your message, and you should get a call back quickly!