My name is Milena from englishmadesimple.net, I’m the host of this amazing podcast, going over 2 years now! Sounds crazy I know!
You don’t have to have fancy words or a whole new voicemail message for the 2nd attempt.
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While it is a best practice to end your message with your contact information, that is only valuable when the recipient listens to your message until the end. By stating your name and phone number earlier in the message and repeating it at the end, you’ll be able to pass your information along to those who may not initially hear the message in its entirety.
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.
I've stressed it throughout this article, and I'll stress it again — your sales voicemails have to be concise and airtight. That requires being locked in on exactly what you're trying to get across. You can't go off on a series of tangents that may or may not apply to your prospect's situation. Keep your messaging as focused as possible.
If you want your prospects to get back to you, you better sound exciting. If you have a monotone voice or sound generally unenthusiastic on a voicemail, you are almost certainly not going to get a response.
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20. “Hey there! Thanks for calling [company]. We are unable to answer the phone right now but will get back to you right after the holidays. We hope it’s not an emergency, but if so, we’ve got you covered. Contact us at [company email/other support lines] and we’ll get back to you ASAP. Please be sure to leave your name, phone number, and a brief message to let us know the reason for your call. Thank you and have a great day.” Available even during holiday emergencies? Let your callers know via your voicemail greeting.
16. “Hi, you’ve reached [company name]. Sorry, you just missed us! We’re open from ([hour] to [hour] [time zone]) Monday through Friday [optional: hour to hour on the weekends]. In the meantime, you can also visit our website [website URL] to reach out via live chat, text, or email [email address]. If you’d like to leave us a message, tell us your name, number, and reason for your call after the beep. We will give you a call back later on today.” Let your caller know your exact office hours so you skip the “phone tag”. They’ll appreciate knowing when to expect a return call. Just keep in mind that the timeframe should be realistic so you live up to customer expectations.Voicemail greetings for holidays
But every once in a while, you get a really special voicemail. Maybe your partner called you early in the morning, knowing you were asleep, to leave a Happy Birthday recording for when you awoke. Or maybe a beloved family member recently passed away, and you have a voicemail from them that might’ve seemed pretty pointless at the time but now carries extra significance.
A monotone voice can be a turn off for a caller. You want your caller to feel like they missed out on speaking with you — not like they dodged a bullet.
Don' let background noise do the talking for you. Ambient noise on your recording could be sending the wrong message to your clients. The sound of your kids arguing in the distance could be the sign of a distracting work environment. Clinking glasses and restaurant chatter may leave the impression that you don't take your work seriously. When you record your voicemail greeting choose a quiet spot free from interruption, so your message is the only thing callers hear. It's also good to avoid large, cavernous spaces where sound verberates.
Your customers might need you on the holidays. If you’re a business owner, you know this already. 🙂 Manage customer expectations and let them know how to get assistance.
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.)
You know what? I would shorten this greeting even more. Let’s make it simpler. Let’s make it shorter.
Your research should include finding other people in the prospect’s organization. Selecting the right people, such as the prospect’s manager or department head, facilitates the ability to build rapport and adds a sense of urgency when you mention them in the voicemail.
Press 2 to continue recording. (In other words, the # is a great “Pause” key; it holds the recording while you think.)