The bottom line is that a business’s situation is likely to change often and rapidly, each of which need a unique and applicable voicemail greeting to cover the circumstances and timeline. For example, callers shouldn’t reach a business-as-usual voicemail, and therefore expect a return call within the business day, if the subject they’re calling is out on vacation for two weeks. Such a lack of communication is a recipe to lose that caller’s trust and tarnish the brand’s reputation.
10. "Hello, you've reached [X company]. We can't take your call right now, but please leave your name, contact information, and reason for reaching out, and one of our team members will be in touch within 24 hours.
.
This is not an answering machine–this is a telepathic thought-recording device. After the tone, think about your name, your reason for calling, and a number where I can reach you, and I’ll think about returning your call.
To clear any customers doubts or expectations, make sure to mention on your voicemail when you’ll be available. Don’t say that you will “try” to return their call. Instead, offer them a realistic timeframe in which they can expect their call to be returned, so they know what to expect - whether it will take you 24 hours or a week to get back to them. This will eliminate your customer’s worries about your timeliness and encourage them to wait for your reply instead of heading over to your competitors.
Before you record your professional voicemail message, take a quick peek through these examples for some inspiration:
Swipe down from the top of the screen. Tap Voicemail . Call your voicemail. You can call your voicemail service to check your messages. Open the Phone app . At the bottom, tap Dialpad . Touch and hold 1. View voicemails as a list in your Phone app. Important: Not all carriers or countries/regions offer this feature.
OpenPhone is a modern business phone service app for startups, small businesses, and individuals. OpenPhone separates your professional and personal communications and enables you to personalize your number to reflect your own brand. Use your business number directly from your existing cell phone!
Saying the pitch out loud before you hop on the phone can make sure you don’t stumble or miss important information when it’s time to record.
Thank you for calling [LinkedPhone]. Due to the current pandemic, our team members are working remotely and are available [Monday through Friday from 9am to 7pm Eastern Standard Time]. Please leave a message with your name, number, and how we can serve you. We will respond as promptly as possible. Thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time. Let’s get through this together. Stay safe and well.
If you drone on and on, there is a good chance that some of your callers are going to hang up before leaving their message.
What is an Example of a Professional Voicemail? The above might sound fine, and it can work as a starting basis to create your voicemail script. But what if you want to work from an example to get a sense of how it will sound? Let’s use a sample voicemail of someone selling business widgets that save administration costs.
Sorry, Chris and Susan aren’t here right now. Please leave your name and number after the tone. If you are calling regarding an outstanding debt, please leave your message before the tone.
Hi, you’ve called [your name] at [X company]. I am currently out of the office, but please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message, …
You have reached (Your Name) at (Your Business). I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to get to the phone. If you leave your name and number, I’ll return your call within one business day.
The easiest way to record and program professional voicemail greetings for your phone system is to write down a script. Choose someone to record your script - the one who can speak without hesitating or stuttering, has a friendly voice and can annunciate and pronounce each name and word clearly.
Using the services of a professional actor with experience in phone system recordings helps ensure truly professional-sounding voicemail greetings for a business. Professional actors backed by experienced audio directors and studio-grade recording equipment can produce high-quality recordings for phone system messages such as voicemail greetings.
If you have an assistant, include their name and contact information in your greeting. If you have a hard time delegating tasks, this is an excellent way to start building it into your processes.