In previous blogs, I’ve mentioned the importance of making a good first impression on a potential client. Most of the time, the first contact will be over the telephone. Since we are often in session, it is very likely that the first time a client hears our voice is on our voicemail greeting. This is why a professional greeting is so important. Identify yourself because you need to reassure the client that they have called the correct number. Clients will be a lot less likely to leave a message if they wonder who will get it. Use a warm friendly voice to say something like, “You have reached xxxx, licensed mental health counselor.” Tell clients what to do if they are in crisis. Although it seems obvious to us, clients may not realize that it could be several hours until we can return their call. I suggest something like, “If you require immediate assistance, please dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.” Ask for what information you need. Yes, the obvious name and number, but if it would be helpful to get their insurance information, ask for that, too. Give clients an idea about when you’ll return their call. Common business practice is within 24 business hours. Any extra messages or information you’d like clients to know. For example, if you are no longer accepting a particular insurance plan, the end of your voicemail greeting is a great place to convey that information.
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You should script out your greetings, rehearse, and find a tone of voice that is reflective of your professionalism and your company’s personality. If applicable, your tone and your message should take into account that certain industries and companies are more conservative than others.
If you persistently can’t save your greeting, you may need to reset your phone’s network settings. The iPhone needs to access your network’s data connection to save changes to your voice mail configuration, and if it can’t connect to 3G or 4G, it won’t save the changes. Start the Google Voice app. Tap the three horizontal lines at the top left of the screen (sometimes called a hamburger menu), and then tap “Settings.” In the Voicemail section, tap “Voicemail greeting.” Tap “Record a greeting.” How do I access my voicemail? To call your voicemail on an Android phone, simply open your phone’s dial pad and hold your finger down on the “1” key. You can also call your voicemail from a different phone by calling your own number and tapping the pound key. How do you check your voicemail?