Thanks for joining me today and thanks for listening. I hope you learned something new today. Weon Inteligene is away on holiday, coming back soon to enlighten you in the next episode!
With social media, blogs, email marketing, and yes…voicemail greetings, businesses have lots of opportunities to make an impression. But it’s important to make the right impression. Callers will make inferences on what you say and how you say it, and you don't always get another chance to make a positive impact. You want prospective customers to leave a message. You want them to get a great first impression of your business. So, you need professional voicemail greetings. Here’s how you get them…
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The attendant menu for your main contact number may be the first form of contact that a customer has with your business. Make sure your greeting is clearly articulated. Provide an option to speak with an operator if the caller has a question that is not addressed by the menu options.
Here is an example of how to leave a Voicemail message for the property agent called Han Solo:
The whole point of sales voicemails is to begin a conversation with prospects. If a prospect is unclear on how to reach you or can't decipher what you're saying, you can kiss that lead goodbye.
The next example is for a voicemail message left for a prospect or client you are getting back to: “Hi _________, this is ________ _________ getting back with you at (your company). I’m looking forward to speaking with you because we just (give an update here – you have a new special, new product update, added a new client they would know about), and I know that based on (their specific need you uncovered during the last call) this is going to make it even easier for you to (give the benefit you both discussed). I’m excited to share this with you.
Hi! John’s answering machine is broken. This is his refrigerator. Please speak very slowly, and I’ll stick your message to myself with one of these magnets.
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When incorporated with a prospecting omni channel approach, voicemail is a powerful tool that can help your outreach goal of creating prospect engagement. Measure your approach, adjust and improve, your persistent efforts will yield significant results.
Your own answering greeting should be short. Don't bother to say that you aren't available to take the call. That's a waste of time, and there's no point in restating the obvious. Instead, simply identify yourself and ask the caller to leave a message.
Most people don’t know this, but voicemail systems have the functionality to listen to and rerecord your voicemail if you are unsatisfied. Usually, this can be accessed by pressing # or 1 to return to the voicemail menu. From there you will hear the prompts to listen or rerecord your voicemail.
8. "Hi there! As you know, I am out on maternity leave. I won't be checking my emails or listening to my phone messages while I am away. But please feel free to send or leave as many messages as you like." Here's a message for those coworkers that rarely read through notes in their entirety. Hopefully, they'll fill up your voicemail quickly!
Your phone number is the last thing you should say on a voicemail. Say it once, slowly, and make sure to repeat it again. This has two benefits: First, it makes your phone number the last thing they hear, which encourages an immediate call back. And, second, in the age of voicemail dictation, it ensures your phone number appears clearly at the end of the message text. It will be hyperlinked and easy to push for a quick reply from your prospect.
This is a tactic we picked up from Jeff Hoffman and it works because it makes you more memorable and makes your messages seem genuine and less rehearsed. Give it a try and see if it will work for you too!
Why not shorter than 20 seconds? The voicemail indicator will tell the contact how long the message is, and if it’s just 5 or 10 seconds, it may seem like a spam call or a wrong number, which means they won’t listen to it at all. Messages between 20 and 30 seconds seem important enough to listen to but not so long that they’re off-putting for the contact.
4. Reset your pin. Maybe you have forgotten your pin or passcode or you never set it up in the first place. This is a common issue. Most carriers have detailed instructions for changing passcodes. For example, to change a T-Mobile passcode, hold down the "1" key, then press the star key, and then press number 5 to go into passcode security. Then press 1, and you will be able to change your passcode. You can change your Sprint passcode online by choosing the my preferences tab and then the "things I can manage online" section. You can reset your pin by calling the carrier if you have forgotten it or never set it up at all. Some sites allow you to do this online.
*Use the word “with” instead of “to.” It sounds more positive. You want to talk “with” the person, not give them a “talking to.” It’s a subtle difference, yet it keeps the message positive.