To help you remember the important elements of your message we’ve put together an infographic with 5 tips to remember when leaving a professional voicemail message.
A is for academics, B is for beer. One of those reasons is why we’re not here. So leave a message.
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Knowing what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it before hopping on the phone is key to getting calls back.
Sorry I wasn’t able to take your call, but please leave your name and a detailed message and I’ll get back to you.
“Hello! You’ve reached the voicemail of [your name], [your job title]. I’m currently either away from my desk or on the other line. Please leave your name, telephone number, and a short message after the beep, and I’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as I’m available.”
A voicemail greeting is a simple message that plays before callers leave a message. It may play either when you don’t answer or if your phone is off. A professional greeting may encourage people to leave messages, which in turn makes it easier for you to get back in touch. Keeping that communication open and efficient may lead to better business relationships. It also helps you put forth a professional image for your business.
The above section details types of phrasing to avoid; however, it doesn’t detail what users should NOT say on their greeting. Though this is a bit loaded, as there are hundreds of combinations of things one shouldn’t say, there are some key components users should ALWAYS avoid. a. Forget About Slang: You should strive to be as professional and welcoming as possible in your greeting. While this may steer you towards using slang, in an attempt to make callers comfortable, it’ll most likely work against you. As a professional, your demeanor, tone, and speech should be clear cut and well articulated. Using slang undercuts this and works against you. b. Don’t Even Think About Profanity: This is a no-brainer. Never, under any circumstances, curse in your greeting EVER! c. Keep Your Sentences Clean, Don’t Ramble: Introduce yourself and give your caller specific direction. Avoid long diatribes detailing tangent thoughts. Keep it simple and quick. d. Always Return Your Calls: It’s important for callers to feel they are valued. Nothing dissolves this quicker than a greeting that doesn’t stress this. For example, “I’ll call you when I can,” “If I don’t return your call, please call back”—these phrases are terrible and completely destroy any good will you may have with a caller.
Hi, we aren’t in at the moment, if you are trying to sell us something please start speaking now and hang up at the beep, everyone else start speaking at the beep and hang up when you’ve finished.
37. Hi, this is [company name]. Sorry we missed your call. Leave a message and we’ll get back to you shortly.
Whether you are trying to be funny or want your friends to know your favourite song, chances are your Placement Consultant or Hiring Manager will not be impressed by an unprofessional voicemail. You should ensure that you record a professional voicemail message (with no background noise) such as, “Hi, you’ve reached [say your full name]. I’m sorry I missed your call. Please leave your name, number and a brief message after the tone and I will call you back as soon as possible.”
2. “Hi! We’re glad you called [company name]. We’re happy to help but we are either on the line with another client or on the go! Please let us know your name, number, and reason for your call today. As soon as we become available, we will call you right back. Thanks!” Ask your callers to leave a short message so you can determine when to return their call.
Hi! John’s answering machine is broken. This is his refrigerator. Please speak very slowly, and I’ll stick your message to myself with one of these magnets.
Consider for a moment how your phone is currently being answered. Professional courtesy is quite often not the standard for many college students. An abrupt "Yeah!" could be listed among the more courteous greetings. The more outrageous remarks will often buy you a major black mark in the professionalism category—even if it was your roommate answering your phone and acting crazy. A simple "This is ____" is always a pleasant change for a college student call. Make the change today, before the next (or first) employer phone call. If you have a landline, you should also encourage your roommate to do the same.
Leave out excuses like “I’m probably with a client right now” or “I’m unable to answer the phone right now” – it’s obvious you can’t answer your phone if a caller is listening to your voicemail greeting!
• This is XYZ. I’m sorry I cannot take your call right now. Please leave your name, phone number, and a detailed message, and I will contact you as soon as possible. Thank you.
Ever had someone leave you a voicemail and you can barely understand a word they’re saying?
Note: If necessary, delete an existing greeting (limit of 2 greetings) to make room for the new greeting: Tap the Menu key, tap Delete greetings, tap the check box next to the desired greeting, and then tap Delete. Tap the Record icon to record your greeting. Tap the Stop recording icon to stop recording.