In Australian English it’s pronounced with the vowel /a:/ like in ‘part’. Problems arise when people use the /ʌ/ vowel (like in ‘up’) instead of /æ/ or /a:/. If you do this is will sound like the worst swear word in English. Many non-native speakers often pronounce the vowel /æ/ more like /ʌ/ because they don’t have a vowel like /æ/ in their first language. Many speakers of European languages will do this (Spanish speakers and Italian speakers) and also speakers of Japanese and Korean. This problem with /æ/ also means that if you say the word ‘back’ in your voicemail greeting sample, you are likely to pronounce it more like ‘buck’. remember to pronounce word endings in English. Check you aren’t dropping any endings off or mispronouncing them.
We are unable to come to the phone right now. At the tone, please leave your name, number, and Master Card, Visa, or American Express account number and we’ll get back to, pending credit approval.
.
1. Enable airplane mode on your phone, so calls are automatically routed to voicemail.
Avoid sales speak and buzzwords. It’s okay if your prospect knows you're a sales rep. Qualified prospects don’t mind hearing from sales reps. They just want to speak to reps that are helpful, knowledgeable, and possess integrity.
The Etiquette School of America Meet Maralee Contact and Media 200-plus Resources Become a Certified Etiquette Consultant Business Etiquette Seminars Etiquette Book for Parents Private Consultations
There you have it – voicemail messages for three of the situations you’ll find yourself in most of the time.
Here are some proven techniques for how to leave a voicemail message that gives you the best chance of getting a call back:
Visit the prospect’s website and social media and find a piece of connective tissue, such as an alma mater, a favorite sports team, or a common pet (I’m a dog lover, personally). This opens the conversation, and shows that you’ve done your research.
Milena is the host of the English Made Simple Podcast and is passionate about helping English learners break their fear of speaking English so they can confidently make conversation and be understood by other English-speakers.
If you have a voicemail service set up to cover the times when you’re not able to take phone calls, you may need to know how to delete the voicemail messages.
When you leave a voicemail message, be sure to identify yourself right away. Give your return phone number at the beginning of your message so that other people don't have to listen to you twice. Speak slowly and clearly. It helps to pretend to be writing your number in the air, which will slow you down and help with clarity. Say when you can be reached.
You can customize each greeting for each phone number within your OpenPhone account. In addition, you can change it as often as you need.
These work voicemail greetings are for the work phone that you and only you use. They’re highly effective because they help you establish a relationship straight from the voicemail. Or they help you share an important update in a simple, straightforward way.
Remind them of your last conversation and give them a timeline for when you'd like to talk again, saying, "I know we ran out of time in our last meeting, but I'd love to continue our conversation about why other suppliers have disappointed you in the past. Do you have time to chat more on Thursday or Friday?"
The last step is to end the recording and save your voicemail. It’s a good practice to leave your contact number once again before you end your message so that your recipient can easily call you back.
The Voice Memos app can also be used to record a voice message. You then tap the ellipsis icon and open the Share pane to find the correct destination.
A sales voicemail is no time to lock into the technical specs of your product or service. You can't take it as an opportunity to describe the nuances of how all of its features work — complete with confusing, technical jargon and long-winded detail.