Most importantly, have fun with it. If you don’t enjoy leaving a voicemail, you might not be in the right job. Voicemails can add value, whether or not a prospect calls you back right away. Even if it triggers an email response or call-back six months down the line, it’s valuable. The better your voicemails, the more likely you’ll get a response. This article was originally published on Hubspot. It has been republished here with permission.
Hello, this is (name). I am sorry I can’t come to the phone right now. Leave your name, number, and a short message after the beep. Oh and please do wait by the phone till I call you back. Bye.

As I said, I use a “3 strikes, you’re out” rule. You may find that 4, 5, 10 or 20 works best for you, but for me, it’s 3.
5.) If you’re calling a home line, and know the family, it’s nice to say a group “Hello” before leaving a message specifically for the person you called. Say something like this: “Hi everyone, it’s Maralee. Hope you’re enjoying Spring Break! Janet, I wanted to see if you and I could meet for lunch one day next week. My schedule is pretty open, and we could pick a restaurant near your office. I know your lunch schedules are tight. I’ll give you a call back at 7:00 tonight. Or I’m around all afternoon, so give me a call!” (Boy, home lines are becoming rare, aren’t they? We gave ours up a couple of months ago.)