For a downloadable Quick Reference Guide to the voicemail phone menu, click here.
For many of us, our professional voicemail greeting is a crucial first impression. For others, it might be something that our clients and partners hear over and over again. An unprofessional voicemail greeting reflects poorly on you, and while it’s easy to overlook, it’s just as easy to fix. Script it out beforehand. Make sure information is specific and up-to-date. Keep it short. Use a quality recording. Smile when you speak. Script your voicemail message
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In an ideal world, voicemail would be unnecessary. There would always be someone available to take customer calls and no one would complain about their calls not being returned and/or rejected. But of course, this perfect world isn’t possible. That’s why it’s important to give your callers options when you are unavailable. For example, aside from leaving a message, callers can also choose to listen to some relevant information about your business (such as a list of your services, your address, directions, hours of operation, and more).
Telling a quick joke or including a little more information can keep you safely within the 20-second timeframe while letting the caller understand a little more about you.
It’s a good practice for each of your team members to have their own personal business phone numbers. There are many reasons why they shouldn’t use their personal cell phone number for business, so you’ll want to give them their own phone number through your VoIP provider or phone system.
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e. Never Assume Anything: Phrases like “You Know What To Do,” “Sing Your Song at the Beep,” and others mentioned above are awful to leave in your greeting. For the sake of universality and comprehensiveness, NEVER assume the caller knows what to do. Lay it out clearly. f. Leave a Message: This phrase, by itself, will not do. It’s imperative for users to identify themselves in their greetings. Callers need to know they’ve reached the right person. g. Disregard Lethargy: If you’re not excited about your greeting, why would anyone else be? Never display a lack of enthusiasm in your greeting as it could turn callers off to both you and your business. h. Speak Clearly and Never Slur: Callers need to understand your every word; therefore, mumbling, slurring, and all other detractions of speech should never be recorded. d. Be Creative Without Sacrificing Quality: Callers know how voicemails work–i.e. leave a number, message, etc. While you want to be clear, it’s important not to be contrive or redundant with your message. Creativity can help users to differentiate themselves, as well as intrigue callers. While users should avoid the tropes of creativity listed above, it’s definitely good to think outside the box. That being said, scripting and practice can help users to experiment more with their greeting–ultimately allowing for more unique and creative approach. e. Speak With Diction: It’s important to present one’s self as an authority without alienating callers. As such, it’s crucial to articulate and speak with clear diction. “ if your voice recording has you stumbling over words and speaking haltingly, it does not convey confidence and competence,” states Ron Sellers of Grey Matter Research & Consulting. Remember, this greeting represents you; therefore, you want to appear collected and professional, as well as welcoming. To do this, one must carry themselves well through their recorded message. f. Account for Timeliness: Your message should be concise. No caller wants to be sitting through a rant/diatribe of redundant statements. Your greeting should flow without dragging. Inversely, one doesn’t want to be terse, either. Engage callers with a simplified approach laden with creativity. h. Account for Quality: Aside from speaking clearly, users want to eliminate any noise in the surrounding environment. The quality of the greeting is just as important as what’s being said in the greeting itself. As such, one doesn’t want to undermine a great message with poor quality. i. Courtesy, Tastefulness, & Tact: This is pretty self-explanatory and straight forward–NEVER be rude. Being light-hearted and humorous is very different from being obnoxious and/or abrasive. Again, these tools can be helpful if utilized properly, but not everyone perceives humor the same way. So play it safe. The last thing your voicemail greeting should do is offend a caller. k. Provide Options: if you’re part of a bigger company, it might be good to offer caller options. For example, allow a menu to defer callers to a colleague or co-worker in your absence. This can help show callers you care about their well being. Another option might be offering different modes of communication–i.e. email, fax, etc. In offering users diversity, contact may be much easier to maintain.
These are all key areas for clear English Pronunciation. When recordings a voicemail greeting like the one in our sample, it’s essential to “put your best foot forward” (this means to give the best impression possible, or to try your very best). It’s the first impression many people will get of you.
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.
Keep in mind that to enjoy the full benefits of your professional greeting system, you must routinely check and delete messages. If your voicemail fills up, you won’t be able to receive new messages, meaning your customers will become frustrated.
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2. "Hi, you've reached [name] at [company]. If you need a quick response, please shoot me an email at [insert email address] and I'll be in touch by EOD tomorrow. If it's not urgent, leave me a message with your name and number. Have a great day."
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“Hey there! This is [name] at [XYZ company]. Thank you for calling. I can’t take your call right now but if you leave your name, contact info and reason for calling, I’ll call you back right away. Take care and speak with you soon!”
Many businesses try to save money by selecting an amateur voice actor from inside the company to provide a recording. The trouble with this is that: The “actor” is typically an amateur with no voiceover experience. The company doesn’t have personnel with directing voiceover. The “actor’s” goal is to finish quickly and get back to work, not make the best-quality recording.
Your voicemail is important. This is probably one of the first things that will give your Placement Consultant and/or employer their first impression of you. As such, it is essential that you make sure your voicemail message is as professional as possible. When going through the application and interview process you should avoid these situations:
Your voicemail greeting is the first introduction to your office — what kind of impression do you want to leave?