When deciding on the best personal voicemail greeting, think about your intended listener. If you are recording the message for a business phone, start with letting the callers know they have reached the correct number before asking them to leave their pertinent information, such as their name, phone number, and reason for calling. If you are recording the message for your personal phone number, it is okay to have a little fun and show off your distinctive style. Just remember that frequent callers will hear that message many times, and while it may be cute the first few times, after a while it can grow irritating, leading the caller to hang up without leaving a message. Is Amazon actually giving you the best price? This little known plugin reveals the answer.
Answer incoming calls during normal hours with a custom phone greeting specific to your business with routing options to particular departments or employees, or just give callers the information they need.

Hi! This is (name) in (office or department name) at Eastern Oregon University. I am currently working remotely in response to the coronavirus outbreak, and may not be able to check missed calls regularly. Please contact me at (employee email) or leave a voice message. In case of an emergency please contact Campus Security at 541-962-3911. Thank you.
In previous blogs, I’ve mentioned the importance of making a good first impression on a potential client. Most of the time, the first contact will be over the telephone. Since we are often in session, it is very likely that the first time a client hears our voice is on our voicemail greeting. This is why a professional greeting is so important. Identify yourself because you need to reassure the client that they have called the correct number. Clients will be a lot less likely to leave a message if they wonder who will get it. Use a warm friendly voice to say something like, “You have reached xxxx, licensed mental health counselor.” Tell clients what to do if they are in crisis. Although it seems obvious to us, clients may not realize that it could be several hours until we can return their call. I suggest something like, “If you require immediate assistance, please dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.” Ask for what information you need. Yes, the obvious name and number, but if it would be helpful to get their insurance information, ask for that, too. Give clients an idea about when you’ll return their call. Common business practice is within 24 business hours. Any extra messages or information you’d like clients to know. For example, if you are no longer accepting a particular insurance plan, the end of your voicemail greeting is a great place to convey that information.