Increase the odds of getting a call back by mentally composing your message before each call. And remember, people hate it when callers state their name and phone number too quickly in voice mail messages – no one wants to listen to a message ten times to comprehend simple information. Begin by saying your name and company (if applicable). Then assume the person you’re calling doesn't have your number, so say your phone number twice. If your name is at all unusual, spell it the first time you say your phone number. Talk slowly like you were writing it down yourself. The second time you say your phone number, you can say it at your normal rate of speech. A gracious phone message is no longer than 30 – 45 seconds. Be pleasant, but also get right to the point. Keep your voice mail message to two points maximum. If you need to share more information, then say you will send an e-mail message with the rest of the details. Leave a specific message. There’s nothing more frustrating than a voice mail that says, “Hi, it’s me. Call when you can!” Even if you’re just calling to say “Hi”, tell them that in your message. End on a high note! You don’t necessarily need to say “Goodbye” at the end of a voice mail, because you didn’t really talk to anyone. Instead, try something like, “Look forward to talking* with you!”
Here are some tips for leaving courteous and business-like voicemails that will get returned. Think it through first. Introduce yourself. Speak slowly. Speak clearly. Mention your availability. Keep it short and sweet. Make sure your details are clear. End the voicemail professionally. How do you leave a professional voicemail example?

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Jason is PCMag's how to content generator. He believes tech corporations are bad, but you might as well know how to use technology in everyday life. He is a Mac owner, Android user, dark mode advocate, and tech bargain hunter. Before joining PCMag, Jason was a technical writer, copywriter, and all-around freelancer covering baseball, comics, and more at various outlets. When not writing and editing, he is either reading comic books, playing his Nintendo Switch, hanging out with his wife and two cats, or some combination of the three. Read the latest from Jason Cohen How to Use Widgets in Windows 11 How to Enable Dark Mode on Your Browser Windows 11's Taskbar Puts App Icons Front and Center: Here's How to Customize It These Websites Suffered the Most Outages Over the Past Year How to Use Bluetooth Headphones With the Nintendo Switch More from Jason Cohen facebook twitter flipboard google instagram pinterest