The invention of voicemail in the 1970s made businesses far more efficient. No longer did they need a live person or machine answering their calls, and they benefited from the ease of storing, transferring and managing recorded phone messages in a digital format.
A business voice mail should have several ingredients that inform. Include the name of the person whose extension was dialed, the company’s name and the department. Invite the caller to leave a message; often the caller does not realize she has reached voice mail.

I have a confession to make: I haven’t recorded a new voicemail greeting since 2014. In the past four years, I (hopefully) have become more articulate, poised, and self-assured. But hear my voicemail recording, and you’d think I was still new to the work world, a little unsure of myself — and probably not an authority. Obviously I need toupdate it. And if you haven’t changed your voicemail greeting in over a year, you’re likely in the same boat. After all, a professional voicemail recording boosts your credibility, makes you seem more competent, and encourages whoever’s listening to it to continue the relationship. A relatively unprofessional one — like mine, for instance — does the opposite: It encourages prospects, recruiters, and potential connections to run in the other direction. With that in mind, I’ve written 18 unique voicemail greetings for every situation. Pick your favorite, practice a few times, then record your new voicemail.
The voicemail message can be anywhere between 10- 25 seconds. Keep it as short as you can because the prospects need to hear the vital details in it.