Before you can use Skype Voicemail, you have to start your setup and record the Voicemail greeting that your callers will hear: Start Skype and choose Tools→Options→Calls→Voicemail from the main menu. The Voicemail window pops up. You can purchase Skype Voicemail separately, or you can get Voicemail for free with a Skype subscription.
Customer experience is today’s business battleground. At a time where it’s common for even the most established businesses to deliver poor service, incompetent support, and just outright bad communication, how do you stand out? As big companies fail in the customer experience department, doors open for small business owners and entrepreneurs to distinguish themselves.
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23. Hello, you’ve reached [X company]. We are currently closed. Our office hours are Monday through Friday, from [x time] to [x time] [time zone]. Please visit our website at [company website URL] for more information, or leave us your name, phone number, and the reason for your call and we will get back to you on [X day]. Thank you for calling [X company].
While straightforward is always the safe bet, certain entities can go to the humorous side of voicemail greetings. Before taking this route, consider the type of callers and the persona the recipient is trying to convey. Since (insert name) isn’t available at the moment to take your call, but will promptly return it should you decide to accept your mission and leave your name and number, we have a very important question to occupy you in the meantime. Why did the chicken cross the road? Voicemail Greetings For Vacation
1. Personal Business Voicemail Greeting. Your personal voicemail greeting should be brief and to the point. State your name and your availability, project a welcoming aura, and ask the caller for whatever information you need from them. Hi, you've reached the voicemail of Mike Downing. I'm not available to answer the phone right now.
As a professional business, in no way should you ever resort to leaving one of those generic, pre-recorded, “No one is here to take your call” messages that the phone company often provides. Record a greeting yourself, or have one professionally done for you. If you choose to record a greeting yourself for your office phone, there are a few simple keys that you should keep in mind:
“Hello, you’ve reached [X company]. We can’t take your call right now, but please leave your name, contact information, and reason for reaching out, and one of our team members will be in touch within 24 hours.” “Hi, you’ve reached [company]. Unfortunately, we’re currently unavailable. But we want to talk to you — so please leave your name and number, as well as your reason for calling, and someone will call back ASAP.” “Hi, you’ve reached [company]. We’re available by phone from [hour] to [hour] [time zone] Monday through Friday [optional: and from hour to hour on the weekends]. You can also contact us by going to our website, [URL], and live-chatting or emailing us. If you’d like us to call you back, please leave your name and number after the beep.” “Hello, you’ve reached [company]. If you’re looking for information on [X], please check out our [Facebook page, company website, etc.] If you want to know more about [Y], take a look at [Z page on our site, our YouTube channel, etc.] Still have more questions, or just want to hear our lovely voices? Leave your name and number, and we’ll return your call straight away.”
Avoid These 3 Voicemail Mishaps When Job SearchingAvoid these scenarios with your voicemail during your job search.
Rehearse or write down your message before recording it. Remember that old saying “practice makes perfect?” It’s certainly true when it comes to creating an electronic greeting. The more you’ve rehearsed, the easier the message will be to restate. If you don’t have time to practice, writing down the greeting before recording it – and then reading it aloud from the paper – may help you stay focused on the correct wording.
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
7. Hello, this is [your name] at [your company]. I’m currently out of the office, but if you leave your name, number, and a brief message, and I’ll return your call as soon as I get back.
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!”
If you started your company more than a year ago, it’s probably time to change your voicemail script. Your recording should match the brand, tone, and voice of your company — just as though a caller were speaking to a member of your team.
Recording your professional voicemail greeting can sometimes cause apprehension, especially if you have never done so before. You may find it helpful to go to a very private location when you are ready to record, and this can help ensure there is no background noise when you are finished. Take a few minutes to review the list you made earlier, and rehearse the greeting a few times if you are extremely nervous. While you are rehearsing, make sure your speech flows smoothly and you do not use filler words like "uh" or "um". Is Amazon actually giving you the best price? This little known plugin reveals the answer. Professional voicemail greetings should be pleasant in tone to encourage customers to call back later.
While covering all of the relevant information, aim to keep your voicemail to about 20 seconds. You definitely should not ever record a business voicemail longer than 30 seconds, and anything less than 10 seconds will typically mean that you are either speaking too quickly or aren’t providing all of the required information.
If you are alright with your prospects reaching out to you after work, then share your contact details will help them to reach out to you. This is not a mandatory technique, but if you believe that you can cater to prospects after your working hours then this technique is great to conduct.
Generally, people that call and leave messages are more likely to be ideal customers of your business. Your voicemail message is often not much more than a formality to the person calling.