Maralee McKee is dedicated to helping you become the person you most want to be and to live a confident, kind, and generous life! She is a contemporary etiquette, manners, and people skill expert and the founder of the prestigious Etiquette School of America. She's in the top one percent of experts in her field, and her etiquette skills blog is the most read in the United States. Maralee presents business etiquette seminars to corporations large and small and coaches individuals one-on-one virtually and in-person. Her book on how moms can teach their children to become the best version of themselves (Harvest House Publishing) earned the prestigious Mom’s Choice Gold Award for excellence in parenting books.
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Your own answering greeting should be short. Don't bother to say that you aren't available to take the call. That's a waste of time, and there's no point in restating the obvious. Instead, simply identify yourself and ask the caller to leave a message.
If you have the person's email address, follow up with an email. Depending on the person’s schedule, it may be easier to correspond (or schedule a time to talk) via email. If you are going to go this route, say in your voicemail that you will be sending over an email shortly.
4. Before each voicemail message is played, enter the number associated with deleting a message.
With notifications, you're alerted when you miss a call or receive a voice mail message. You can decide how and when you want to be alerted. For example, you can receive an email when you miss a call or get a text message when someone leaves a voice mail. By default, you'll receive an email anytime you miss a call, but text messaging notifications are turned off.
Hello, this is Laura Brown. I’m sorry I can’t take your call right now but please leave me a brief message after the tone and I’ll be sure to return your call as soon as I can. Thank you and have a great day.
Traditional voicemail services once offered this feature, but visual voicemail (with a visual interface that lets you access messages directly) has mostly eliminated that possibility. If your phone does not have visual voicemail, and you have to call an inbox to hear your messages, you may still be able to use this feature.
“Leave a partial message that includes your name and phone number and pretend to get cut off in midsentence as you’re getting to the important part of the message.” Your name came up in an important conversation today with Hugh… They were talking about you and said… I have a deal that could deliver you a hundred thou… I’m interested in your… I have your… I found your… I have information about your… Your competition said… I’m calling about your inheritance… Are you the (persons full name) who… We wanted to be sure you got your share of… I’m calling about the money you left at…
As in the situation above, a full mailbox can be really frustrating for an employer who is trying to get in touch with you. Set aside time at least once a week to make sure you clean out your voicemail. You want to be as accessible as possible for potential employers. I’ve called a few job seekers lately to help with their search and have gotten this message, “We’re sorry. The person you are trying to reach has not yet set up their voicemail system. Please try again later.” This makes you look a little lazy and can frustrate the hiring managers. As soon as you get a new phone, make sure you make it a priority to get your voicemail up and running. Definitely make sure you have it set up before you start sending out job applications. I understand this could slip your mind, but it’s important that you do everything you can to show the hiring manager that you are reliable and reachable.
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The tips outlined above will ensure you leave quality messages your prospects want to respond to. Go ahead and start implementing them. Rehearse multiple scripts and experiment with different approaches.
“Hi, this is _______from ________. When I was out running around the other day, I noticed that your house was for sale by owner. Before you delete this, I just wanted to let you know that I’ve sold homes, very similar to yours, in the same area, and above list price. You might have received a few “Just Sold in Your Neighborhood” postcards from me. Because I have met with many buyers looking for this type of home, I think I could help you meet your goal of selling your home. I’m available to answer any questions about finding the right buyer, and I provide a free consultation. Please give me a call on my cell phone at _____________. Again, my number is ________. Take care and enjoy the rest of the day.”
You can also try leaving two voicemails. In other words, rather than leaving one 30-second message, record a 20-second voicemail -- then immediately call back and leave a 10-second one.
Avoid telling your prospect what to do. You'll make returning your call seem like a chore or, worse, a demand. This should feel like a mutually beneficial relationship -- one in which each party wants to call the other back -- unprompted.
You will need to access the voicemail menu of your recipient for deleting or re-recording your voicemail. Try pressing * or # on the dial pad to access the menu. This works for both mobile phones and landlines unless the recipient has changed the options.
End your voicemail by asking your prospect to tell you more, whether about their recent vacation to Thailand or their unique business pain points. It's a simple request -- and easier than, say, "Give me a call back, I'd love to find out when we can write up our contract."