I read these two tidbits in a productivity email newsletter from David Allen (originator/author of Getting Things Done):
A couple of courtesy reminders that (based on my current experience) deserve repeating: (1) When you leave your number on someoneâ??s voicemail or answering machine, speak it slowly, and then slowly REPEAT it. Put yourself in the shoes of the person listening to your message. They may not have pen and paper quite yet. They have to hear it, understand it, and write it.
And (2) take the time to edit subject lines in replying e-mails. Most folks have huge e-mail volume, and being able to scan for the thrust of relevant communications on the fly makes a difference.
These are two huge pet peeves of mine. If everyone took an extra second to think about the person on the other end of their message, they could actually increase the speed with which they get a response. Sometimes it’s the simple things.
Additional related tips can be found here for those interested.