In this post, I’ll share what makes a good voicemail greeting — and the best voicemail greeting scripts you can use.
Here are some proven techniques for how to leave a voicemail message that gives you the best chance of getting a call back: Say the person's first name ONLY. Say your first name only followed by your company name. Keep your voicemail brief and urgent. Leave a reference name of a person and company you've worked with. How do you answer the phone professionally? Promptly answer calls. The average ring takes 6 seconds. Be warm and welcoming. Introduce yourself and your business. Speak clearly. Do not use slang or buzz words. Ask before you put people on hold. Don't just put calls through. Be prepared for your calls. How do you greet a client over the phone? Answer your phone with a "Hello" if you don't know who it is. Greet the caller by name if you know them. Use informal language with family and close friends. Introduce yourself by name when you call someone else.

We’re keeping it simple with this one. Just a few basic elements to help you get started. As long as you know who your audience is, the message you wish to convey, and the information you need from the caller, the rest should fall into place quite nicely. Let’s face it, a voicemail greeting for a lumber company will probably be different than that of a psychologist’s office. One greeting is aimed at securing potential customers, and the other is geared towards appointments, more or less. Once you are certain who your caller is, the better your voicemail. Center on your audience, first and foremost. Knowing what to relate ensures that your caller will leave the right message. For instance, if you’re a retail store, you would include your hours of operations, and perhaps any specials that you’re running. If you are a therapist’s office, then you’d need to include an alternate number in case a patient is having an issue and requires immediate help. Again, this will vary depending on the business. Here, a therapist would definitely request the caller leave their contact information. However, a retail store chain might not request that. There are also complex voicemail systems such as those used by mobile phone services, which ask you to press a certain number on your phone, where you are asked to leave your account information. Again, as you can see, it all boils down to the demographics of your callers, and what you need from them to conduct the best business possible. Depending on the situation, your caller might be in a good mood or not. In either case, they’ll probably be eagerly awaiting your call. So, it stands to reason that you only promise them a call back if you can deliver. In other words, if you’re a small shop and you’ve decided to close due to a much-needed sabbatical, then don’t leave a voicemail greeting where you promise them to call right back. However, if you have an active customer service staff, then you can promise to return their call within the same day.
4. Vacation Day Voicemail Greeting. If your business is off for a holiday, it's a common courtesy to update your voicemail to acknowledge the closure. Mention the closure in the beginning of the message, convey when your business is reopening, and don't forget to wish the callers a happy holiday if the occasion calls for it.