The phone is still the single most powerful business tool ever. Without its glorious ringing sound we would have nothing. But because of the phone's cash register like qualities some people give in to the temptation of answering every call humanly possible which can end up in lost, unproductive days.

The one common theme amongst all of you who so kindly contributed your phone management ideas is the daily changing of the voicemail greeting. This simple 30 second task can be a huge timesaver all day long. Besides who gets anything out of the standard "I'm either on the phone or away from my desk" message? I'd say they are both pretty safe assumptions since you didn't answer the phone at your desk anyway right?

Also, please be careful with the "Brian Buffini" style of voicemail greetings that say "I return calls at 10:00, 2:00 and 4:00 or whatever" because it can and does make some people feel put out. Besides, every day is unique so why would anyone return their calls on such a rigid daily schedule?

By letting people know that you are working, that you have a schedule, and when they can expect to hear back from you, you will properly set customer expectations and discover newfound productivity.

So make your phone ring as much as possible, just don't answer it every time!