Something along the lines of, "You have reached the answering service of . I am unfortunately unable to take your call at this time, however if you leave a message after the tone I will return your call as soon as I have an opportunity.". That's about a 12 second message if spoken in a slow and calm fashion. The message that this article advises is about 4 seconds.
These days, most phone functions are for tweeting and texting, but what about leaving voicemail messages that get returned? Many people say they no longer check voicemail, or don’t listen to messages in full. They either tap “return call,” send a text, or find other channels to see what the person wanted.
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When leaving messages, have mercy on your listeners and do the following: Speak slowly and leave your phone number at the beginning and the end of the message. Limit your comments to one or two subjects. Voicemail is not a one-person show. Sample of a Perfect Voicemail “Hi,
I like to say my phone number very early so the person can hear it again quickly by starting the message over and does not have to listen to your entire message again to hear the number. But do repeat your telephone number at the end of the message at least once and speak very s-l-o-w-l-y so the person can write it down as they listen. If you don't get a response to your first voicemail, don't hesitate to record a similar message once a week for two or three weeks. This sounds a bit excessive, but my experience has been that if there is even the slightest chance of meeting someone now or even in the near future, this kind of message will get their attention.
Here are a few sample voice mail greetings to get you started: Standard Voice Mail Greetings. Normal Greeting (Without pager notification) "This is (name) of (company). 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."
7. A Classic Hepburn Answering Greeting for Voicemails. Katharine Hepburn’s iconic and feisty voice goes down in history and can add a bit of moxie to your voicemail greeting.
If you want your prospects to get back to you, you better sound exciting. If you have a monotone voice or sound generally unenthusiastic on a voicemail, you are almost certainly not going to get a response.
Thank you for calling [Company Name]. Our offices are currently closed for the day. Standard office hours are Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 8 PM Eastern Time. Did you know that you can check your account status with us 24 hours a day / 7 days a week by visiting [account login webpage]? Here you can view information about your account, as well as answers to general questions you may have. Otherwise, please call back during standard office hours, and we will be happy to assist you. To repeat this message, press the # key. Holiday Greetings
20 Creative and Funny Voicemail Greetings to Try Today. Hello. I’m available right now but cannot find the phone. Please leave a message and I will call you up as soon as I find it. Hi, this is [ your name ]. If you’re part of the problem, hang up now. If …
Undelivered: Messages that have not yet been sent because you scheduled them for future delivery. You can listen to, re-address, and re-record these messages any time before delivery.
There’s a potential of up to 3 quick touches right off the bat to help you get on your prospects radar:
1. Limit Background Noise. If you’re recording your greeting from the back of a New York City cab with the windows down, it’s gonna be pretty obvious to your callers.
You will probably have to practice it a few times, until your voice is stronger, louder and clearer. That’s your homework now, in case you haven’t got a Voicemail greeting.
Never use voicemail as a way to avoid speaking with someone. It doesn't help, and a person would have to be terminally dense not to figure out your game. If you must call when you know the other person isn't available, say, "I know you won't be able to take the call now, but I wanted to let you know that..."
4. Turn on Autoplay. You don't have to press 1 to listen to messages if the Autoplay feature is on. To turn AutoPlay on or off: From the Main Menu, press 4 for Mailbox Settings.
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.
Professional development educator Dr. Ray Lauk sent us this great piece of advice, which he credits to veteran sales trainer Stan Piskorski: