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.
In the Calling User Portal, you can manage your voicemail settings, like when you want your voicemail to be active, message storage settings, and how you would like to be notified of new voicemail messages. You can also set up your voicemail greetings. Choose When to Send Callers to Voicemail Choose Where to Store Your Voicemail and Fax Messages Enable Voicemail Notifications Allow Callers to Transfer From Your Voicemail Greeting Set Up Your Voicemail Greetings Choose When to Send Callers to Voicemail

Context does matter here. If the caller would reasonably expect you to answer the phone (such as if they were calling a store or other place of business), an apology for not being able to get to the phone makes the most sense.
Voicemail will give you a brief description of the three steps involved in setting up your mailbox - setting a passcode, recording a greeting for your callers and recording your name. "Enter digits for your passcode." Your security code may not be less than four digits and no more than fifteen digits. For security purposes the system will not accept codes which are consecutive, sequential or your extension. Voicemail will repeat your passcode to you. Remember to keep this passcode secret and to change it regularly. (We recommend monthly.) "Press D" (the 3 key on your dial pad) to discard your greeting and record it again. When you are satisfied with your greeting and have pressed "X" (the 9 key on your dial pad) to save it, you will hear... "Recording complete." Next, you will record your name so that you and your callers hear your name in your voice. When Voicemail says, "Press D" (the 3 key on your dial pad) to discard your name and record it again. Voicemail will close out your session by reviewing your name and passcode. You are now ready to begin using your new Voicemail. ALWAYS PRESS X (the 9 key on your dial pad) TO EXIT THE SYSTEM BEFORE YOU HANG UP!! Questions or problems with voice mail can be directed to JMU Telecommunications at 568.6471. Hours Alerts Seaver Caruso Law Graziadio Business GSEP Public Policy University WaveNet Courses Email Kronos Printing Mail Services Housing Maintenance Request Dining Meal Plans Student Health Center Counseling Center Campus Shuttle International Programs OneStop Academic Advising Student Success Center Writing Center Dean's Office Tech Central for Students Tutorial for Courses Seaver Faculty Association Campus Recreation Housing & Living Community Student Activities Spiritual Life Hub SGA Spring Break Fraternity & Sorority Life Health Center Counseling Center Shuttle Services Academic Calendar Academic Catalog Academic Policies Course Schedules 1L Grade Distribution & Class Ranks Program Learning Outcomes Global Programs Writing Center Law Library Student Administrative Forms Student Accounts Office of Financial Assistance Transcript Requests Career Development Marketing and Communications Faculty Support Services Information Services Around Malibu Student Policies Student Bar Association Student Organizations Student Boards Moot Court Academic Advising Academic Calendar Accreditation and Assessment Career Services Outcomes and Disclosures Part-Time Students Full-Time Students Executive Students Online Program Students Student Clubs and Organizations Housing and Residence Life Campus Recreation Student Employment Student Discounts Career Services Student Success Student Accounts Academic Affairs Enrollment Analytics Administration Marketing Communications Information Technology Dissertation Support Writing Support MFT Practicum Preparation MSBP Practicum Preparation Honor Societies Graduation Libraries Records and Enrollment Parking Information Career Services Financial Aid Student Accounts Student Services Student Employment Faculty Resources Staff Resources Housing for GSEP Students Honor Society Spiritual Life Education Student Groups Psychology Student Groups Pepperdine Apps Academic Calendar Libraries Study Labs Transcripts Public Policy Student Housing Financial Aid Internship Database Search Professional Development University International Travel Policy Career Services Clubs & Organizations Spiritual Life Student Employment Health Center Institutional Review Board Libraries Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Technology and Learning Housing and Residence Life Step Up! Pepperdine Spiritual Life at Pepperdine Hub for Spiritual Life Center for Faith and Learning Business Intelligence Business Services Campus Operations Campus Recreation Counseling Center Digital Signage Health Center Planning, Operations, and Construction Department of Public Safety Student Employment Center for Sustainability Auditing Services Corporate and Foundation Relations Finance General Counsel Human Resources Integrated Marketing Communications Information Technology Department of University Events University Committees