4. Email is generally better than calling. E-mails will likely get quicker responses than voicemails. These are easier to answer on the fly and don’t require both parties to be available at the same time to discuss a particular issue.
The above section details types of phrasing to avoid; however, it doesn’t detail what users should NOT say on their greeting. Though this is a bit loaded, as there are hundreds of combinations of things one shouldn’t say, there are some key components users should ALWAYS avoid. a. Forget About Slang: You should strive to be as professional and welcoming as possible in your greeting. While this may steer you towards using slang, in an attempt to make callers comfortable, it’ll most likely work against you. As a professional, your demeanor, tone, and speech should be clear cut and well articulated. Using slang undercuts this and works against you. b. Don’t Even Think About Profanity: This is a no-brainer. Never, under any circumstances, curse in your greeting EVER! c. Keep Your Sentences Clean, Don’t Ramble: Introduce yourself and give your caller specific direction. Avoid long diatribes detailing tangent thoughts. Keep it simple and quick. d. Always Return Your Calls: It’s important for callers to feel they are valued. Nothing dissolves this quicker than a greeting that doesn’t stress this. For example, “I’ll call you when I can,” “If I don’t return your call, please call back”—these phrases are terrible and completely destroy any good will you may have with a caller.

Create a professional image by adding a separate local or toll free business number to your existing home, office, or cell phone. Make outbound calls from your cell phone that display your business number as your caller ID.
"I'm sorry�" followed by the mailbox owner's name (as recorded by the owner or administrator), then "�is currently on the phone" and then the fixed system prompt, "Begin speaking after the tone, then hang-up when you are finished or press any key for further options."