Whoopee, a call. I wonder who this could be? No…wait…don’t tell me…Oh yeah. Sorry, you bore me.
Tip: If you are a larger business and this is a voicemail that pertains to the general business number, then you want to sound professional and provide as much information as you think is necessary for a potential client. Usually, the company website URL or the company email is a good way to get the customer to contact you through other means.
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While straightforward is always the safe bet, certain entities can go to the humorous side of voicemail greetings. Before taking this route, consider the type of callers and the persona the recipient is trying to convey. Since (insert name) isn’t available at the moment to take your call, but will promptly return it should you decide to accept your mission and leave your name and number, we have a very important question to occupy you in the meantime. Why did the chicken cross the road? Voicemail Greetings For Vacation
To improve a a business voicemail greeting, keep these eight rules at the forefront of the creative process: Avoid turning customers off with overused and impersonal phrases like “your call is very important to us..." Avoid leaving customers unsure by not immediately telling them the business, department, and/or person they’ve reached. Avoid leaving customers confused with too many details and complications; just keep it simple. Avoid messages longer than 25 seconds. Do apologize for being unavailable at the moment. Do invite the caller to leave a message. Do tell the caller when they can expect a return call and actually follow through within that timeframe. Do tell the caller about any applicable alternative options of contact and information- website, live chat, email, social media, or emergency numbers. Voicemail Greetings 101
33. Hello, you’ve reached [X company]. We’re currently closed to celebrate [X holiday], but we’ll be back on [X date]. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message so our team can get back to you when we return.
Letting callers know to leave their name and number so you can call them back is an excellent way to get the right information that you may need from someone that you missed a call from. Otherwise, you might be left with a number with no name to ask for or vice versa. If you run a business and want to include something that usually comes up in professional phone calls, include that as well. For example, if people often ask you to check on business orders, ask them to leave the shipping number so you can get back to them with a ready response. Most Professional Voicemail Greeting
A relatively unprofessional one — like mine, for instance — does the opposite: It encourages prospects, recruiters, and potential connections to run in the other direction.
Here are a few voicemail message examples you can record if you have the opportunity to leave a professional sounding message, while still having a bit of fun. Before choosing one of these options, be sure your company allows for a little creativity. If you work in a strict professional position, theses options might not be the best for you.
There are several ways to give your voice mail a professional-sounding and “crisp” image. Of course, the content of what your voice mail greeting says is very important, too. So be sure to prepare your message in advance. Too many people try to “wing-it” and then the greeting sounds less-than-professional.
Obviously, I need to update it. And if you haven't changed your voicemail greeting in over a year, you're likely in the same boat.
Make sure your voicemail status is set to On. Set your greetings: Standard Greeting: Select the greeting that you just created. This will be the main greeting that callers will hear when they are transferred to your voicemail. Alternate Greeting: You can also set an alternate greeting to switch to when you are on vacation or in a meeting. By
If someone is listening to your voicemail greeting it's only because they intend to leave you a message. Don't make them listen to 3 minutes of rambling in order to do so. Plus, you're more likely to deliver a clean, professional read if you stick to shorter greetings. If more specific information is needed, direct callers to where they can find it on your website.
19. "Hello, you've reached [your name]. I'm currently [exploring Asia, hiking through the jungle in Costa Rica, hanging out on the beach in Bermuda] — or more likely, [recovering from extreme jet lag, googling ‘Are red spiders poisonous,' or looking for SPF 150 sunscreen] and won't be back in the office until [date]. Leave your contact info and reason for calling and I'll get in touch then."
While missed calls aren’t ideal, you can let your caller know you’re still there for them by having a great voicemail greeting. The best business voicemail greetings let your customers (and potential customers) know why you’re not available and how they can best get in contact with your business. They are also short and to the point. You usually want to keep your greeting between 6 and 24 seconds long so callers don’t hang up halfway through.
“Thanks for calling the desk of (insert your name) at (insert your company name). I’m either on a call or away from my desk but if you leave your name, phone number, and the reason for calling, I’ll return your call as soon as possible. Thank You.”
If your prospect has already made up their mind about you or what you’re offering by the end of the voicemail, chances are they won’t respond with a callback.
These are just a few ideas to get the gears turning. These are simple examples, but don’t be afraid to show a little personality.