On the Sly
Your Direct Line to Voicemail

A true man about town always cultivates an air of unavailability. 

Drawn-out phone calls, getting caught on the line with a "talker," emoting—these are situations that must be avoided at all costs. So allow us to quietly point out a new hush-hush operation that lets you skirt conversations.

Introducing Slydial, a service that allows you to discreetly send a voicemail without actually making a call, and the latest phone gadget in your ample bag of tricks.

The possibilities are limitless, especially if you're familiar with the seductive game of phone tag. Sometimes a check-in is required, but a voice-to-voice encounter will only add drama to a situation that would do better as a slow simmer. Instead of calling directly, call Slydial first and then dial the number. They'll route you straight through to voicemail, where you're free to communicate your unavailability as sympathetically as you can, without fear of a prolonged discussion.

Of course, the service isn't perfect quite yet, and your tag partner may get a "phantom call" when you ring them up (meaning your number will come up on their phone), but it's nothing you can't blame on phone company shenanigans. And when you're finished, you can use the same trick to get out of next week's meeting without getting caught up in too much conversation.

As always, leave them wanting more.