“I’m answering this phone for my friend who tells me it’s your nature to hang up and not leave a message, but I should remind you that nature is what we are put on this earth to rise above. So please, leave a message at the sound of the beep… for the sake of anthropology.”
Yes. As the voicemail greeting is the first thing your calls hear as in the examples above, the On-Hold message is the really important part if you have to ask your customers or clients to hold. No one ever likes to be on hold, but if you don't have a professionally structured on-hold system set up, it is worse for them to sit and wait. On-hold messages can be set up to include just music, which with the right music will keep your calls more relaxed during the hold time, especially longer holds. On-hold time should be best utilized to further build your company brand, or offer suggestions and info to guide the caller to ask more questions when with a live operator or you. ...music playing.... Thank you for holding we will be with you in a moment. Did you know (company name) offers this and that service along with the service you have. Ask a representative when we come on the line how this can benefit you today. ....music continues for 15 seconds... We appreciate your business, thank you for continuing to hold. We at (company) strive to give you the best possible products at the best prices. Did you know you can get a (product) this week only for ($). Tell the representative you heard this offer while waiting and we can get you all the details. On-hold messages can include whatever you want and will often just loop from end to beginning as the customer or client is on hold. Think of it as a way you can advertise to your own customers as they wait.

If you don’t know what to say in your voicemail, here’s a few pointers to get you started: Make sure that you’re not yelling into the phone and the message is recorded in a somewhat quiet area. If the message is for work, try to keep it professional and avoid mistakes, if possible. If you’re working in retail, apologize for not picking up and note that you will call them back. Regardless of your occupation, try to keep the message short. It shouldn’t be longer than 25 seconds. If the voicemail is personal, feel free to leave a silly, short message that lets the caller know it’s you.
If you have a business VoIP phone system that offers an auto attendant feature, you should be able to create a phone menu fairly easily. Be sure to state which key the caller should press to select an option on the menu.