A special high five to Margot Howard for her outstanding research and contributions to this article. We love working with and supporting like-minded entrepreneurs who are passionate about business success strategies. Thank you Margot! ❤️
First and foremost, it nearly goes without saying that it’s important to get a dedicated number specifically for work-related calls, but let’s just say it. Many of us working from home have had to deal with using our home phone number or getting an additional land-line installed. Those days of dial-up are long gone for most of us and it seems nearly everyone on earth now has a cell phone. There’s really no excuse not to have a dedicated work number these days. If you don’t have one, secure one today. It’s even easier than you think if you also consider options like Google Voice and My1Voice. You’d think this also goes without saying, but don’t leave the standard voicemail provided by your cell phone carrier or answering machine. It’s annoying. Everyone hates them. And don’t think that saying your name at the beep to customize your message helps. It’s just as annoying to hear the robotic voice that pauses as your voice interrupts the message to insert your name. Actually say your name You think I’m joking? I called someone just last week and when I got the voicemail it just repeated the number. I dialed by choosing the contact from my contacts and I’m not good with numbers. I wasn’t sure if the number was the number I mean to call, so I just hung up. It happens. Reveal specific information If it’s a typical work day and you’re just unable to answer your phone, it’s fine to say you’re currently unavailable. But if you’re sunning yourself on the beaches of Tahiti and have no intention of even checking your voicemail until you return to your desk in two weeks, it would be nice to let someone know. If they’re calling you they must need something. Let them know when you’ll be available. Give an emergency option Depending on what you do for a living, or just how accessible you want to appear to a potential employer, leaving an additional option for the caller to reach you often makes a good impression. Doctors offices do that all the time, right. If you can’t reach me this way, you can reach me THIS way. Or, you can reach someone else who can help you right now. KISS Keep It Simple, Stupid. You don’t want to speak like an auctioneer, but you do want to get as much information across as quickly as possible and get on to the beep. Your caller doesn’t need to know your life history, just the current facts and then sufficient space to leave you a message. Write it down Put some thought into exactly what you want to say. Don’t just hit record and play around until you’re satisfied that your message doesn’t suck. Think about it. Write down what you want to say and give it a try. Rearrange things, revise things. And, when you’re ready, hit the record button and give it a whirl. Smile Did you know that it’s believed that some 50 different types of smiles exist, from triumphant ones to bitter ones. Interestingly enough, there was a study a couple years ago where scientists used the phrase “I do in the summertime” to study the effects of smiling on person’s voice. Read all about in Smile – And The World Can Hear You, Even If You Hide. Or listen to the NPR show, Hearing a Smile in Tone of Voice. So close your eyes and think of your happy place. Think of something funny or amusing. Then, right before you hit the record button and begin speaking, SMILE. Callers will hear it. Just make sure you’re not actively laughing like the Joker from Batman throughout your voicemail greeting. Cut the comedy Smiling is a good thing. Acting like a clown, not so much. Cutesy comedic messages really don’t have a place on your work voicemail greeting. Be considerate Above all, consider the caller. A considerate message lets them know they’re important and that you’ll be returning their call. Even if the sun and moon revolve around your every move, your voicemail greeting isn’t the place for egocentric SOMETHING Listen to your messages and return calls
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All of these questions are pertinent to their call, and it’s important that you answer any that is relevant to your specific situation. Make sure not to drag on too long going through all of the info.
An excellent business voicemail greeting conveys your level of professionalism and competence while also providing your callers with a glimpse into your company’s culture and level of care. As minor as it may seem, your voicemail greeting can instill confidence and trust in your callers or it can be a cause for concern.
Website: https://www.att.com/support/smallbusiness/article/smb-local-long-distance/KM1200757
Of course, yours may need more details. But, even if you’re changing your outgoing message every day, it should only be a slight variation from a standard greeting.
Standard greeting with your name: "At the tone, please record your message to [name]."
From the Skype for Business desktop app (if you are running Click-2-Run build C2R 8201.1002 or later), select Set Up Voice Mail. Change your Call Answering Rules You can change what options your callers have when they reach the voicemail service; get disconnected, hear your greeting, record a message, choose to be transferred to the number or user you select. Change your prompt language This is the prompt language that is played to callers. For list of supported languages, see Languages for voicemail greetings and messages from Skype for Business. Configure your Out of Office greeting This is the customized greeting message that is played to callers when your status is Out of Office. This option can be activated "Always," when you have an active "Auto Reply" in Outlook, or whenever you have an out-of-office calendar appointment. Where you can get your voicemail messages from
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To create the best recordings takes the right equipment and the best talents for voiceovers. Thankfully, there are professional voice recording providers who can supply the tech and the talent to create high-quality voiceover for professional voicemail greetings and more with ease. Learn more about creating professional voice recordings today! Topics: Voicemail Messages subscribe to email updates Keep up to date on the latest phone system and voice recording trends, tips and ideas by getting new blog posts delivered to your email inbox for FREE!
One of the things to remember before recording your business voicemail greetings is to identify your pain points. This will help you to state more clearly for your clients in leaving enough context when leaving a voicemail.
A voicemail greeting can be pivotal in attracting a potential customer to your company or repelling him! So, it may be worthwhile to utilize some tried and tested tips to frame voicemail greetings for your company. The first line must include a brief description of your company and the services it offers clearly. Tell the callers the time frame within which they will get a call from your end. Ensure the voice used in recording the greeting is cheerful and not drab one. Ensure the greeting is recorded not in a hurried manner so that the callers can understand each word without issues. Try keeping the voicemail message length to 20 seconds or so.
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11. “Hello! You’ve reached [company name] support line. We’ll be happy to help with your inquiry. In the meantime, have you checked out our [website, help forum, etc.]? It may have the answer you’re looking for. If not, leave your name, number and reason for your call. We’ll reach out to you within the day. Thanks for calling [company name].” Sometimes, a caller likes to find the answer to their own questions. Let them discover by directing them to your website or help forum if you have one.
Your message should be 20 seconds at most. Remember, your clients or co-workers may listen to this dozens of times.
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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."