A professional voicemail greeting is a recording that informs clients and business partners you are not available to receive their call. It is an essential part of any effective business communication strategy, especially if you are in sales.
Rehearse or write down your message before recording it. Remember that old saying “practice makes perfect?” It’s certainly true when it comes to creating an electronic greeting. The more you’ve rehearsed, the easier the message will be to restate. If you don’t have time to practice, writing down the greeting before recording it – and then reading it aloud from the paper – may help you stay focused on the correct wording.
.
This is ‘How to Leave a Professional Voicemail Etiquette 101’: Always let the person know how to reach you.
We’re all familiar with this type of voicemail greeting. Simply put, a caller reaches you by dialing your number or extension directly. For an optimal personal voicemail greeting, be clear about who you are, the team you’re on, and when the caller can expect a callback. Unlike company and department voicemail greetings, you may not be able to configure a greeting for open and closed business hours. If that’s the case, use a general voicemail greeting that accommodates both scenarios.
Provide as much useful information in your business voicemail greeting. However, be sure to keep it short and concise. An excessively lengthy voicemail can be damaging rather than helpful. Keep your voicemail to around 20-25 seconds maximum.
Random facts could include their favorite movie, vacation spot, candy, or television show. Regardless of what you choose, it will surprise your caller and more than likely make them leave a message if they were considering hanging up.
11. Hello, you’ve reached [your name]’s cell phone. I can’t take your call at the moment, but if you leave a brief message, I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.
In this case, the agent shows concern for the customer and wants to serve him in the best possible manner. The agent is also polite and courteous.
This means you’re contacting the prospect in multiple ways and increasing your chances of somehow getting a response — Whether it’s via phone or another way.
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.
Before we get into business voicemail greetings, here are some interesting facts about voicemail messages to think about. 75% of all business calls are not completed on the first attempt. 60% of all incoming calls are less important than the work they interrupt. 90% of all written messages contain incomplete information.
48. Hello, you’ve reached [name] at [company name]. If you need help with [X reason], please contact [X person/X system] or [visit our website at X and send us an email]. For all other inquiries, please leave your name, phone number, and a message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
About Us Partners Guest Blog Opportunity Help Center Careers Scholarship Refer a Friend Contact Us In Best Practices 21 Professional Voicemail Greeting Examples Share on Facebook Share on Twitter LinkedIn Contents hide Why your business needs professional voicemail greetings Professional voicemail greetings for your business cell phone number Voicemail greetings for the customer service phone number Voicemail greetings for calls received after business hours
In addition to your tone of voice and gaining confidence in how you speak, you can eliminate certain phrases that imply desperation.
Hello, (your name) summer home. Some are home, some aren’t. Leave your message at the tone.
15. “Hi, Thanks for giving us a call! Sorry, but we are closed right now. Please leave us your name, number and the best time to reach you and we’ll get back to you within the day. Thank you.”
If you aren’t sure, have a friend listen to it and give you pointers. It’s always disorienting listening to your own voice, so you might not be able to catch if you sound weird because you’re hearing your voice or because you are actually speaking in a strange manner, but someone who knows you well will be able to clear it right up.