34. Hey, this is [your name]. I’m sorry for not picking your call right now. Please leave your name, number and a brief message, and I will get back to you at the earliest opportunity. You can also reach me via email at [email address] and I will reply to you shortly.
@Fa5t3r - I would try a wide range of different tones when recording and play them back to see what goes over the best and what projects the image you want people to hear. Remember that some people may be going to hear this message over and over again depending on how often they have to call you so you want it to be very pleasant and not at all irritating.

If you can get your voice mail greeting professionally recorded, then definitely consider it! These greetings sound great and can have a strong “corporate” or “important” feeling to them. When they are done properly, these recordings can be very memorable and get a lot of attention. A professional voice talent can be hired to make your greeting sound fantastic. Yes, they might be less personal, but they are certainly professional. So it’s up to you which image you want to portray. If you use a web-based voice mail system like Solaxis, then you can upload these recordings directly into your voice mail system.
The simple truth is that you need to be more aware of what you’re leaving for other people to hear. Sure, this doesn’t always register as a priority for users, but it’s never too late to reassess your greeting. a. Reading/Speaking in the Imperfect Tone: Tone is absolutely everything. Users don’t want to come off as being too nice, as it sounds insincere, or being too terse, as it can be interpreted as being rude. That being said, striking the right balance is absolutely essential. Your greeting exists as its own entity, and therefore, it should NOT rely on callers’ familiarity with you. Instead, it needs to appeal to the masses. As such, your inflection, i.e. the way you state your name and directions, needs to be both welcoming and firm. b. Injecting Humor & Insincerity: While humor/light heartedness can be welcoming, it can also convey a sense of informality, insincerity, and ultimately unprofessionalism. Why, because you’re not there to lend your humor or to contextualize. Instead, you’re assuming the caller has a working knowledge of your personality to ground the message. Though this might not sound like it’s all that terrible—it can be detrimental. As stated above, one should NEVER rely on a caller’s familiarity with you. Instead, aim to appeal to the masses. Humor is ultimately subjective, meaning not everyone has the same tastes; therefore, someone is bound to be turned off by a quirky or off-color remark. While implementing a light-hearted or even tongue and cheek tone can work, it’s just a really bad idea.