Hey can I ask you something…. – What’s your experience with leaving voicemail messages? Do you have any funny stories to share? Leaving voicemail messages is one of those things that if possible, we’d avoid it. It’s just scary for an English learner, isn’t it? To leave a voicemail message… knowing that you have to keep your messages short, speak loud and clear and sound confident. Too many things to think about! Ok today, we are going to tackle this fear once and for all. I’ll get back to you after this jingle – Go!
Your voicemails should be clear, concise and understandable. They should also sound natural and be short enough to hold the attention of the contact. Here’s how to get it right.
.
Setting up Voicemail is easy, simply call 321 from your mobile and follow the prompts. Once the setup is complete, 321 will also be the number you'll need to call to access your Voicemail.
Hi, this is [your name] of [your business]. I’m currently unable to take your call. Please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message, and I will contact you as soon as possible. Thanks.
Customer Service and Operations at OpenPhone. Founder of SOUL House artist showcase in the GTA. Art is life! Dee Lee 1 year ago Reply
Hello, this is Joan Tracy. I’m out of the office until Tuesday, May 23rd. I’ll be sure to return your call when I get back to the office, however, if you need immediate assistance, please call my colleague Sue at 444-444-4444. Thank you.
It’s shocking to learn that 97% of calls go to voicemail but, after making hundreds of calls, most would agree the percentage feels at least that high. Consider the following before making a call: Where the lead came from Time of day the lead was received Keep your message short (under 20 seconds) Avoid giving away too much information Add information that will pique their interest Speak with confidence/authority Keep tone and delivery casual and friendly Be clear and concise
You can record a personal greeting, or you can use one of the pre-recorded CenturyLink greetings. Follow the system prompts to select your greeting:
Having a dedicated emergency contact will help make sure anything important that comes up is taken care of. Another option is directing callers to a separate answering service.
Not only does leaving a message akin to “Hey, It’s me. Call me back when you can.” cause the person to have to dig back through their mailbox to figure out who you are, it also means that *if* they can find the information to call you back, when they do so you are less likely to have an effective conversation.
I had to call Elijah this week to get some information. I tried his technique on him, cutting off my message in midword. I said, “I’m going to quote you in my column this week and I need…” He called me back in under 3 minutes laughing hysterically. This technique could revolutionize message leaving. I’ve been using it all week and it works. Be careful about how far you go on the humor with someone you don’t know.
If you like to keep things simple, opt for a basic greeting. Most voicemail options allow you to record just your name, which lets callers know they’ve reached the right person.
“Hi [Prospect's Name], this is [Your Name] with [Your Company Name]. You and I haven’t spoken yet, but I’ve been doing some research on your company and I think you’re a great fit for [Your Company's Solution]. We can provide you with [Top Two Product Benefits] and I know you’ll be happy if we spend just a couple of minutes discussing how this can help you.
Arguably the most intimidating factor when leaving a voice mail is the fact that once you leave the message, "in one take," there is no taking it back. That is why, especially in the business world, an overwhelming amount of people revert to email rather than leaving a voice mail message. Especially in a technologically advanced world, email or text messages are now used as a primary form of communication. Although there is a good argument behind opting for the written word over the spoken one, an email can lack the human touch, the emotion and enthusiasm in a voice, that can often times generate a better response. In fact, there is no impact that compares to delivering a clear, concise, professional message through your own unique human voice.
Through personal experience and research, I’ve been able to identify the most effective voicemail script — along with the keys to implementing it — so you leave voicemails that generate an incredible response every time.
So, make your goal to find common ground, and share how knowledgeable and experienced you are, no matter who you are calling. You shouldn’t brag about your success, but there is a time and place for others to know your success. That is the key to leaving voicemail messages that get returned!
Set Up Your VoicemailWebex | VoicemailCalling User Portal | Listen to Your Voice MessagesCheck Your VoicemailManage Voicemail Settings for a Webex Calling User