Here's an advanced technique for all you overachievers. It's "advanced" because it's rarely used, not because it's difficult. The trick? Leave two sales voicemails instead of one. Let us explain:
The phone you use to record your greeting – and your surrounding – can turn your carefully scripted greeting into an unprofessional mess. Background noise is terribly distracting, so choose a quiet room or parked car to make your call. Landlines, or a “wi-fi enabled” cellphone call, can provide much better connection quality than a standard cellphone. If you must use a cell phone, be sure to use a high-quality headset for the best clarity.
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For small businesses, there are a variety of voicemail service providers you can use that offer different features. From transcription and voice to text to more convenient features of handling multiple phones through one number, availability varies by service. Shared voicemail and call routing is intended for multiple access and directing calls to one or multiple phones. Mobile apps are also available that allow you to check your messages from your phone. The below infographic outlines the current state and trends of voicemails.
Basic Voicemail Message Examples: 1. Share basic information: “Hello! You’ve reached the voicemail of [your name], [your job title]. I’m currently either away from my desk or on the other line. Please leave your name, telephone number, and a short message after the beep, and I’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as I’m available.” 2.
Here’s our ultimate guide, including video and audio samples, on every thing you need to know about professional voicemail greetings:
8. If you're a manager, when introducing members of your team, say, "We work together," rather than, "They work for me." "You'll get far more respect from your team and it shows that you're part of the team, not above it."
Do me a favor though please. So I’m not bothering you anymore, could you please give me a quick call and just give me an update so I know what direction you’re moving in?
Todd Smith is a successful entrepreneur of 34 years and founder of Little Things Matter. To receive Todd’s lessons, subscribe here. All Todd’s lessons are also available on iTunes as downloadable podcasts. Load Disqus Comments Most Recent Posts What Is CBD and How Can It Positively Influence Your Overall Wellbeing? Just Do It Entitlement is the Road to Disappointment 15 Ways to Love More Effectively 33 Small Ways to Expand Your Comfort Zone
Here are several tips to consider when setting up a professional voicemail greeting:
Most mistakes are made right at the beginning. Many people do not know what they are going to say in advance and so they try to make a voice mail recording on-the-fly. Even only having a general idea of what you are going to say won’t really cut it. These types of greetings lack professionalism and sincerity. Write out your voice mail greeting word for word in advance and be sure to include information like: – The type of information that you need to return the call (name, number, details, etc)
Top 7 business voicemail greetings. 1. Hi, you’ve reached [ you name] of [ your business ]. I’m sorry that I’m not available to answer your call at the present time. Please leave your name, number and a quick message at the tone and I’ll forward your message to the appropriate person. 2.
Context does matter here. If the caller would reasonably expect you to answer the phone (such as if they were calling a store or other place of business), an apology for not being able to get to the phone makes the most sense.
With so much stacked against you, why bother? Because the responses to sales voicemails are generally of a much higher quality. What you lose in response rate will be made up for in conversion rate—if you know how to leave quality messages, that is.
13. Hello, you’ve reached [business name]. All of our team members are busy at the moment, but if you leave a brief message, someone will return your call as soon as possible.
* Automated TXT replies make missed callers to your main phone or second number feel less ignored and less likely to call a competitor.
14. "Hello, you've reached the Sales Department at [Company name]. All of our representatives are currently helping clients [insert goal such as, 'achieve 40% growth through streamlining HR operations'] and are unable to take your call. Please leave your name, company, and phone number and we'll give you a call back ASAP. Thank you!"
In the end, it’ll be down to you or your team to record and customize their own personal greeting. Depending on the overall culture and identity of your business, it might make sense to engage customers with a friendlier, warm and fun holiday greeting – while others might benefit more from clean cut, down to business explanations of schedule changes. , to get you started, here are a few quick templates to build off of. Feel free to tailor, change, customize or completely start from scratch! These could of course be used for your own individual office greeting, or your entire company’s greeting.