The importance of voicemail messages for your business. Voicemail is often the first point of contact a new customer has with your business. In the case of a cold call, it may even be the first impression your business leaves a customer—and a bad first impression is almost impossible to overcome.
(Wondering how you can receive texts from your business callers? Check out the OpenPhone App today)
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For many small businesses, the announcement will send the caller straight to a voicemail box. But larger organizations may decide to direct callers to a phone menu or forward the call to an external destination, depending on the situation. These options can include: Listing individual voicemail boxes for different departments or employees. Forwarding calls to a professional answering service. Giving callers an option to connect to an after hours or emergency support line. Directing calls to a personal cell phone. Presenting menu options for additional recordings about office locations, ongoing promotions, and other information.
For extension voicemail, extension users can choose how to play greetings in different presence: Default greeting: Play a greeting for any presence that doesn't have a personal greeting. Presence greetings: Play a personal greeting for each presence (available, away, do not disturb, lunch break, business trip, and off work).
“Hello, you’ve reached the Marketing Department at [XYZ Company]. All of our team members are currently working with other clients to [insert goal] and are unable to take your call.
The most professional voicemail message should include a formal tone and specific instructions. For example, you may say “Hello, you’ve reached [your name], [job title] at [business name]. I’m sorry to have missed your call. Please leave your name, contact information, and reason for calling so I can get back to you promptly.”
The first thing your callers should hear is the name of your business or organization. This assures them that they have dialed the right phone number and keeps them on the line. You may also want to include your address if there are multiple companies with the same name.
* Not just a robocall blocker! Block any non robocall phone number using a personal blacklist.
If your business is off for a holiday, it's a common courtesy to update your voicemail to acknowledge the closure. Mention the closure in the beginning of the message, convey when your business is reopening, and don't forget to wish the callers a happy holiday if the occasion calls for it. If you're away from your office, check your voicemail remotely to keep up with incoming messages if necessary. Or get voicemail to email capabilities set up on your phone system. Thank you for calling Merlow Plumbing. We are closed for Christmas from December 24th, 2015, until January 2nd, 2016. Our normal business hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 am - 6 pm. Please leave your message after the tone. Have a happy holiday, and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year. 5. Emergency Situation Voicemail Greeting
“Hi, you’ve reached [your name]. I’m away from[date] to [date]. If you need help with [X] before then, please contact [name] at [phone number]. Everyone else, please leave your name and number and I’ll return your call when I return. Thanks and have a great day.” “Hello, you’ve reached [your name]. I’m currently [exploring Asia, hiking through the jungle in Costa Rica, hanging out on the beach in Bermuda] — or more likely, [recovering from extreme jet lag, googling ‘Are red spiders poisonous,’ or looking for SPF 150 sunscreen] and won’t be back in the office until [date]. Leave your contact info and reason for calling and I’ll get in touch then.” “Hey there, this is [your name] from [your company]. I’m out of the office until [date]. In the meantime, please direct your inquiries to [coworker’s name] at [email address]. [He, she] can also be reached at [phone number]. Thank you.”
16. "Hmm. Gryffindor … No, Ravenclaw. Yes, you definitely belong in Ravenclaw. *Pause.* Okay, you haven't reached the Sorting Hat — it's the voicemail of [your name]. Please leave your name and number (and just for fun, the Harry Potter house you think you belong in) and I'll return your call as soon as possible."
Here’s a simple fact. If you don’t leave a voicemail, you aren’t going to get a call back. Still, a lot of salespeople don’t leave voicemails, assuming their call won’t get returned, or the prospect won’t listen anyway. But what if they’re wrong? What if the prospect does listen and does call back? Or, what if after a few voicemails they decide you might be the service provider they need? We can assure you that if you aren’t leaving a message, then your prospect won’t know who you are, why you called, or what you have to offer them. And we could be wrong, but if you plan to make a sale, you probably need to talk to your customer.
11. Hello, you’ve reached [your name]’s cell phone. I can’t take your call at the moment, but if you leave a brief message, I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.
Sometimes, you need to step away from work and live a little! This is perfectly okay, but make sure you leave a well-recorded voicemail greeting to keep your customers happy and content. Read these two examples of professional vacation greetings.
2. Leave Nicknames to Personal Communication. Some of us have multiple email accounts for multiple reasons, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Everyone has their own vices and virtues, but they are for our personal and social lives, rather than for business.
Many people expect adjusters to call them back same day and get very put off by repeatedly getting a voicemail. Multiple calls and voicemails aren't going to make an adjuster more eager to call you back either. If your adjusters’ response isn’t as quick as you’d like, understand that they probably just have on their plate.
Consider your audience and brand voice, record a short and professional message that covers all the bases, and watch your reputation for responsiveness skyrocket. If you need a powerful and flexible phone system that includes great voice mail and answer service features, take a look at the Frontier Business phone service .