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.
There you have it – voicemail messages for three of the situations you’ll find yourself in most of the time.
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Leave a voicemail by using your normal tone of voice and keeping your message short, between 20-30 seconds. Start the voicemail with information that's relevant to the contact and ask questions that are tailored to them.
[Here is some great advice for opening your cold-calls without boxing yourself in as JUST an agent]
If you can, try to keep your message 20 to 30 seconds long — max. This is the sweet spot for sharing just enough information without going overboard, potentially getting cut off by the recipient’s voice mailbox system, or having the listener hang up early because your message was simply too long. Speak clearly, avoid rambling, and get straight to the point.
However, keep in mind that your prospects might be faced with a lot more distractions at the beginning of the day. "The morning is the worst time to orchestrate a voicemail," says Zachary Weiner, CEO of Emerging Insider Communications. "Most decision makers have a lot on their plate when the day starts. Finding them when they have a bit more mind-share is often more conducive to a positive reply."
10. "Hello, you've reached [X company]. We can't take your call right now, but please leave your name, contact information, and reason for reaching out, and one of our team members will be in touch within 24 hours.
Noise in the background of a voicemail is both unprofessional and distracting. Background noise can communicate to the receiver that you are inconsiderate and have not taken the time to prepare and assess your surroundings. Make sure you are situated in a quiet environment when leaving a voicemail to ensure that your message is clearly heard.
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We've all heard that automated voice mail lady, telling us what to do after the beep. But fewer people than ever are leaving messages. And the millennials, they won't even listen to them — they'd much rather receive a text or Facebook message.
17. “Happy Holidays from [company name]. Our hours are a little bit different this holiday season. [List hours]. 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. For all other inquiries, we’ll contact you when we are back from the holiday – we might be a few pounds heavier but eager to speak with you! Happy Holidays.” Things happen during the holidays, we know. Let your callers know you are still there just in case!
Shelby Doumitt of ServiceMark Telecom goes through step-by-step instructions on "How to Change Your Active Voicemail Greeting" on NEC DT800 and SV9100 Digita
And it isn't like you're wasting their time with the longer message. This person called you, which means that they set aside, at minimum, about 5 minutes for their call and they were mentally prepared to spend at least a minute on polite "Hi Bob, how are you and the family?" chit-chat, so a message that is 10 seconds longer is NOT an imposition.
Hey, sorry I missed you. There may be one of the reasons why I can’t get to the phone: a) I’m with my girl (laugh), b) I am totally wasted and can’t remember how to use a phone, or c) I just don’t wanna talk to YOU. Leave a message.
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To access voice mail settings in classic Outlook on the web, select Settings > Mail > General > Voice mail.
"Wherever we're talking to them, we're hearing the same things, which is: When it comes to voice mail, they're just over it," says Jane Buckingham, a trend analyst at Trendera.