Website: https://getvoip.com/blog/2013/07/17/guide-to-professional-voicemail-greeting/
The basic rule of thumb is that callers should hear one of two things when they first connect with your voicemail — either an apology for not being able to answer the call or a “thank you” for having called. You can do both if you prefer, but keep it short and to the point.
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The system sets it. For a basic voicemail, it is three minutes. In a premium system, this time is five minutes.
Editor’s Note: The article is part of the blog series Grow Your Business brought to you by the marketing team at UniTel Voice, the virtual phone system priced and designed for startups and small business owners.
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As a mental health clinician you have probably wondered what should your voicemail message be?Here are some samples: Hello, you have reached the voicemail of [Dr. XXX], Licensed Psychologists. The office is closed at this time. We are currently unavailable to take your call. Our business hours are nine to five, Monday through Friday. If
49. Hello, you’ve reached the customer service team for [X company]. Our representatives are currently unavailable, but if you leave your name and a callback number, someone will get back to you shortly.
Hello, you have reached the law offices of X. Unfortunately, I am attending to another client right now, but I will return your call as soon as I can. Please leave me your name, reason for calling, and your number so I can connect you with the right department. This is far more professional than the other examples given in this guide. Lawyers should always be formal, smooth, and confident. Nobody is calling to make friends. They’re calling to get the job done. That’s why your message should be all business.
Be sure to let them know how you got their information when you leave a voicemail.
Call in any office during working hours, and be sure that you would be connected to a voicemail. Voicemails have become an important part of our lives, and help us stay connected even when we are not there to answer a call. More and more people are gradually realizing that their voicemail greetings play a large part in getting business and leave a positive mark on the customer. If you really want to record a professional voicemail, make sure you sound professional while you record it and never leave incomplete messages.
1.“Hi! Thanks for calling [company name/your name]. Please leave a brief message and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Have a great day!”
5. Holiday Voicemail Greetings. Happy [X holiday]! You've reached [your name] at [X company]. I am currently out of the office, but please leave me your name, phone number, and the reason you are calling, and I’ll return your call after the holidays.
5. Trekkies Have a Fun Outgoing Message to Use. If you’re a #Trekkie or a #Trekker, this is the best of our funny voicemail greetings. Let Spock deliver your outgoing message to all of your callers.
To be safe, a great tactic is to state your phone number and then repeat it. This eliminates any guesswork if the person on the other end has trouble understanding the number when you first say it.
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.
Take the time to make your voice mail greeting sound perfect. Give callers a positive impression. Then be as responsive as you can be to messages that are left for you. This entry was posted in Business, Sales and Marketing, Technology, Voicemail and tagged business tips, office management by Brian Gabriel. Bookmark the permalink.
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.