Ask The Miracle Worker Q . It seems like nine out of 10 times when I leave voice mail messages, no one calls back. You're definitely not alone. The number of people who consistently fail to return phone calls is apparently increasing faster than the federal deficit. No one likes to have his or her calls ignored.
Many people even perceive it as a sign of disrespect.
It's always wise to clarify your objective prior to taking any action, and phone calls are no exception. Although it's important to be specific about certain aspects of your message, it also can be effective to seem a bit mysterious about other points. This is especially true if you need to speak directly with the person instead of just getting a message back. Be sure to have something of interest to back up your tease, or this tactic could backfire. But do your best to control both your tone of voice and your choice of words when you call them yet again.