Is your auto attendant clear and easy to understand? Here are 10 sample greeting scripts to make a good first impression on the phone.
Most cell phones show the number and voicemail duration when a call is missed. So if the recipient sees the message is from an unknown number and only a few seconds long, they'll assume it's not important and hit delete. Since the message doesn't appear to be substantive, they're not prompted to listen.

In order to leave an effective professional voice mail, there are crucial techniques to master: The way you sound is the most important thing to remember. You want to leave a good and lasting impression on the person you called. People respond better to positive and energetic tones, keeping in mind to use an authoritative voice. People tend to respond and feel more comfortable if you have a mutual friend, contact or co-worker in common. Mention it! If possible, finding a creative link makes yourself memorable. No one wants to listen to a rambling voice mail especially in our fast-paced business culture. Sometimes upon retrieving voice mail messages, a recording tells you how long the upcoming message is. If it's too long, you will probably be deleted before you have even been heard. When you focus your message on one clear and confined topic, you will most likely get a call back. Open ended voice mails are unfavorable among clients. The point of a voice mail is to get what you need answered. Tell them what you want them to do, e.g. "Call me back." "Check out my website." Say your contact information clear and slow. Most of the time people are listening to their messages on-the-go, so try to eliminate the potential of having them repeat the message over. Leaving your email address as contact option is a good way to come across less threatening
Sound sales efforts are consultative and customer-centric, and sales voicemails are no different. They should revolve around helping your prospect — not forcing them along your pipeline.