For many small businesses, the announcement will send the caller straight to a voicemail box. But larger organizations may decide to direct callers to a phone menu or forward the call to an external destination, depending on the situation. These options can include: Listing individual voicemail boxes for different departments or employees.
This is frustrating on many levels because it leaves you wondering if there is a need to take a different route to get an answer to a problem or to just wait for the return phone call. When leaving a voicemail message, there are 7 pieces of information that can help the caller. 7 Things to Include in a Voice-mail Message 1. Identify the Voice
.
Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, professional voicemail greetings make your business look more professional, and can also help to increase sales and improve customer satisfaction.
This can position you as an expert, make them want to call you back to at least get information, and generate interest in what you do.
Want more info on how to make this kind of automation work for you? Check out this tool that seamlessly handles email outreach and prospect follow up for you.
As mentioned above, it is extremely important to have a voicemail message that is easy to understand. However, there is also the matter of word choice. You must ensure to give attention to what your words are in your voicemail greetings. There can be certain words used that may trigger your customers. Though you did not mean what they understood, it will still bring a bad name to your company’s reputation. Your choice of words can affect significantly, so make you give close attention to your words.
There are several key tactics you can use that are proven to increase your chances of getting a prospective client to respond.
31. Hello, you’ve reached [your name]. I’ll be out of the office from [start date] to [end date]. Please leave a message and I’ll return your call upon my return. Alternatively, you can email me at [email address] or call [name] at [phone number] for immediate assistance. Thanks for calling!
Our blog is authored by Dr. Barbara LoFrisco, a Tampa, FL-based licensed mental health counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist, and certified sex therapist.
A word of warning: These greetings will not do you any favors if you're in the midst of a job hunt or work in a conservative industry. Always remember your target personas. If there's a chance they won't appreciate your sense of humor, opt for a straightforward greeting instead.
It may sound silly, but the tone in which you say something can either play the professional status up, or it can bring it down. You can’t change what your voice naturally sounds like, but you can work on controlling it to make sure you sound calm and collected when recording your message.
Dexcomm is a Louisiana-based corporation that provides answering services to businesses and service agencies across the United States. We have been open since 1954, employ a staff of nearly 100 people, and our average client retention rate is 10+ years.
Here are several tips to consider when setting up a professional voicemail greeting: Keep it brief and concise. Give options to get more details. Ask for detailed messages. Be enthusiastic and identify yourself and the company name. Use positive sentences. Take messages accurately and completely. How do I change my voicemail greeting? On your Android device, open the Google Voice app . At the top left, tap Menu Settings. In the Voicemail section, tap Voicemail greeting. Next to the greeting that you would like to use, tap more Set as active. How do I delete my voicemail greeting?
For example, a message like, “Hi, this is Jim. You know what to do.” Well, not everyone is going to know what to do—i.e. they won’t leave you inclusive information. Additionally, they may not leave you a message at all. Aside from this, humor can again be detrimental to your message, this time lending itself to ambiguity and costing you clarity. For example, if a message read, “Hi this is Jim, sorry I can’t answer your call right now. Please leave your name and number and I’ll call you as soon as I can, but you already knew that right? Do I need to tell you what to do?” This is worse than the previous example as this is confusing and can also come across as rude and unprofessional. Complicating a greeting with phrasing like this is sure to cause some harm. e. Ignoring Personality & Identity: Don’t use computer generated greetings. Some users leave default messages (‘you’ve reached the voicemail box of 777-777-777, please leave a message). Believe it or not, even this can cause problems. Callers may be unsure if the voicemail box belongs to you; therefore, they don’t leave a message. Also, some may even be uncomfortable leaving information through a message in a nameless voice message box. As such, impersonalization can cause ambiguity, which again can hurt the effectiveness of your voice message system. This doesn’t mean you have to make an elaborate greeting if you don’t want to, just insert your voice and name so at least callers know they’re calling the right person.
Here, the DUI lawyer ensures the clients are assured of help at the earliest and to tackle emergency situations he/she offers an alternate number.
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.
We'll take you through the five most professional voicemail greetings. This will include how to structure different parts of your voicemail, as well as things to avoid.