The default voicemail greeting on the iPhone plays generic Your call has been forward to an automated voice message system recording. If your phone is for personal use, create a personalized greeting so people hear your voice and know they called the right number. Do you say bye at the end of a voicemail?
Instead, close out by saying something to the effect of, “I look forward to speaking with you soon”, or even “Call me at your earliest convenience.” Even though all these examples communicate the same thing, they take different approaches to the call back request, and little things like wording make all the difference.
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Traditional voicemail services once offered this feature, but visual voicemail (with a visual interface that lets you access messages directly) has mostly eliminated that possibility. If your phone does not have visual voicemail, and you have to call an inbox to hear your messages, you may still be able to use this feature.
Salespeople are often coached to sound enthusiastic and excited on the phone, thus raising their natural voice pitch to a high, unnatural tone. In my opinion, this tone of voice makes it clear to the listener that not only is this an uncomfortable call, but a generic one.
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Rehearse or write down your message before recording it. Remember that old saying “practice makes perfect?” It’s certainly true when it comes to creating an electronic greeting. The more you’ve rehearsed, the easier the message will be to restate. If you don’t have time to practice, writing down the greeting before recording it – and then reading it aloud from the paper – may help you stay focused on the correct wording.
We could be in, we could be out. You could leave us a message and later find out.
Thanks for calling [Company Name].For more information about our products, press 1. If you have troubleshooting questions, press 2. For billing questions, press 3. For a Dial by Name directory, press 4. For our regular business hours, press 5. If you know your party’s extension, please dial it now. For all other inquiries, please stay on the line, and a representative will be happy to assist you. 5. Offering the Operator First
Consider leaving your e-mail in addition to your phone number. People like choices. Some people like to have conversations on the phone, while others prefer communicating through e-mail. You don’t know what kind of person your listener will be, so leave the option on the table. For many, e-mail correspondence is less threatening and might actually encourage them to reach out to you. Podcast #743 How to Get Time, Priorities, and Energy Working in Your Favor Podcast #742 The Power of Talking to Strangers Podcast #741 The Exercise Prescription for Depression and Anxiety Podcast #740 Life’s 10 Biggest Decisions How to Find Studs in a Wall How to Take a Punch (To Minimize Its Damage) Podcast #739: Rewild Your Life Everything You Didn’t Know About the Trusty Tape Measure
If after 2 solid phone/voicemail/email attempts (which counts as 6 touches, not including any drip emails or LinkedIn messages/connection requests that they may have gotten in between calls 1 and 2) I’ll leave a 3rd voicemail message (followed by an email, of course) that simply says something along the lines of:
Here are some examples of voicemail greetings for your direct business line that are both personal and professional. Enjoy!
As you practice and score your sales voicemails, you’ll start to determine some best practices. Here are a few of mine:
Listing Results Sample Outgoing Voicemail Message 44 Results Phone number Mobile phone Contact us Customer service
When do you leave a voicemail? This is largely dependent on your call sequence and cadence. It is recommended that you make several call attempts in order to engage the prospect on a “live call.” After you have done this and your attempts have not been fruitful, then you leave a voicemail.
Before you pick up the phone, consider why the person you are calling should listen to you. Put yourself in their shoes and imagine their pain points.
Take a pen and paper and write down exactly what you will say. Then call them back. This way you will make sure you say what needs to be said, you will not forget to say your name at the end and also share your phone number.
Hi! So sorry it took me a few days to respond. I’m so sorry to hear what you’ve been going through. There are a few recorders that we mention in the post, but if those don’t work, try the service that Bonnie mentioned on the comments (http://www.voicemailsforever.com) or try contacting ATT and see if they have any ideas for you. One other option might be a portable speaker that so many stores have now, that you can use to listen to music on your cell phone or tablet. They really amplify sound. Let me know how things work out! Laura