Before we head towards the tips for you to get started on creating efficient voicemail messages, there is one thing you need to realize.
No one wants to sit and listen to someone talking drone and monotone on a voicemail greeting. Remember to keep it upbeat and avoid sounding like a robot!
.
For many businesses and professionals, your voicemail greeting is going to be the first point-of-contact for your customers. This is especially true for service businesses, who often rely on their voicemail to collect information from interested parties.
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.
To create a professional business voicemail greeting, businesses need to do several things:
If you have an assistant, include their name and contact information in your greeting. If you have a hard time delegating tasks, this is an excellent way to start building it into your processes.
1. Set up voicemail online. The online voicemail Setup Wizard walks you through every step of setting up your voicemail. For more info about voicemail, check out the AT&T Phone for Business Voicemail (PDF, 6.28MB).
We actually know a top insurance sales guy who did a sales motivational message every day just like this, and people used to call just to listen to his thoughts.
7. “Hi, you’ve reached [your name] at [your company]. Sorry I missed your call. I’m especially busy today, but if you leave me your name, phone number, and a brief message, I’ll get back to you within the day. Chat soon!” Your callers want to hear from you soon. Calling back within the business day lets them know you’re reliable despite how busy you are.
How to set up your voicemail PIN: After you are enabled for Skype for Business Phone Service, you will receive an email that includes a PIN for your voicemail. Refer to that email, then: Call the Outlook Voice Access number, 785-864-1900 or 4-1900. Enter your temporary voicemail PIN at the prompt.
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.
7. “Hi, this is [your name]. I’m either on a call or away from my desk. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message and I’ll get back to you. Thank you.”
The hiring manager loved your error-free application, and really liked the initiative you showed when you came in to follow up on your application. They have a really good feeling about you and are looking forward to having you come in to interview for the position. There’s even talk about hiring you on the spot! So, the manger dials your number and…ring….ring….ring…”We’re sorry, the voicemail box you are trying to reach is full. Please try again later.” The manager starts to think that you aren’t taking this very seriously and moves on to the rest of the applications, as there isn’t any time to waste with this job needing to be filled quickly.
Voicemail messages are important, they solve the basic issue of not missing out on any leads.
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.
Don’t include the date unless it’s completely necessary. 16 of the messages I heard last month had the wrong date—one of the messages had a date over 2 months old!
5. Voicemail greetings for holidays. Your customers might need you on the holidays. If you’re a business owner, you know this already. 🙂 Manage customer expectations and let them know how to get assistance.