Before you record your professional voicemail message, take a quick peek through these examples for some inspiration:
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Before we head towards the tips for you to get started on creating efficient voicemail messages, there is one thing you need to realize.
Voicemails need to maintain a professional consistency that’s aligned with the entity it’s representing. That said, the structure can vary depending on the situation. There’s no template set in stone. In fact, trite and generic should be off the table. The goal should be a balance of uniqueness and practicality.
Setting Up Voicemail with AT&T Activate your phone. Make sure you set up your voicemail within 60 days of plan activation. Press down the number 1 on your mobile phone. Choose a 4 to 15-digit number to serve as your password. Record your personal voicemail greeting with the next prompt.
A name recording is the most basic way to personalize your voicemail box. It inserts your name into the default unavailable greeting: “The person at mailbox [four-digit voicemail box number] is unavailable. Please leave your message after the tone. When done, hang up or press the pound key.” Dial *98 on your OnSIP-registered phone. Enter your voicemail box number. Enter the PIN/password for your voicemail box. Press 0 for voicemail box options. Press 2 to record your name. Default Unavailable Greeting
A lot of small businesses set up a 13, 1300 or 1800 number to appear more professional, but that’s only the first step. Using a business phone service gives you a range of advantages over your standard landline, including the ability to: Set your business hours and record different voice greetings to align with a particular time of day or year. Set up an automated response, add department extensions to route the calls, and more. Have multiple users on the phone number via call overflow regardless of their location. For ideas on what to include in your voicemail greeting, see our blog on examples of professional voicemail greetings.
Making an outline of the call flow and writing out scripts for each phase and menu in it can help ensure that there are no gaps in the process from start to finish. This way, callers can reach the voicemail recording in the first place.
The basic rule of thumb is that callers should hear one of two things when they first connect with your voicemail — either an apology for not being able to answer the call or a “thank you” for having called. You can do both if you prefer, but keep it short and to the point.
2. From the Account Overview Page. Click (+) from My digital phone section. Select Manage my plan. From the My Phone Service page, scroll to My Voicemail, select Set up voicemail.
Cell phone voicemail greetings are generally more personal and casual than office phones. Consider a greeting like “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.”
When calling any business number, you are often greeted with an automated voicemail greeting that helps guide you through the company directory, hours of operation, contact information and alternative steps for the call, such as leaving a message.
15. “Hello, you’ve reached the Sales Department at [Company name]. All of our representatives are currently helping clients [insert goal such as, ‘achieve 40% growth through streamlining HR’] and are unable to take your call. Instead of putting you on hold and taking up your valuable time, please leave your name, company, and phone number and we’ll give you a call back ASAP. Thank you!”
In certain situations, it’s a good idea to let a call go to voicemail. If you’re in a loud area, unable to spend 10-15 minutes talking, or are otherwise distracted, don’t answer. Recruiters who cold-call candidates will understand that you’re simply unavailable – but make sure to return calls in a timely manner. If possible, call back during regular business hours.
The bottom line is that a business’s situation is likely to change often and rapidly, each of which need a unique and applicable voicemail greeting to cover the circumstances and timeline. For example, callers shouldn’t reach a business-as-usual voicemail, and therefore expect a return call within the business day, if the subject they’re calling is out on vacation for two weeks. Such a lack of communication is a recipe to lose that caller’s trust and tarnish the brand’s reputation.
Hello! Thanks for calling [LinkedPhone’s Customer Success Team]. We are currently helping other customers achieve their goals and want to do the same for you! Please leave a message with your name, number, and a brief description of how we can serve you. We promise to return your call [before close of business today]. In the interim, you can also check out our website at [linkedphone.com] for helpful answers to our most common requests. Thank you.
When you frequently update your business greeting, there is a chance more people will listen to the message. You can update your voicemail with relevant information about your business as a way to keep your customers well informed.