No one wants to listen to a two-minute voicemail greeting. Keep it short and upbeat and start with a simple “Hello! Thank you for calling
You don’t need to say why you can’t answer or where you might be, you simply need to say your full name, that you are sorry you can’t come to the phone, and that you will get back to them as soon as you can.
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Here are several tips to consider when setting up a professional voicemail greeting:
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.
Website: http://marketo.ringcentral.com/rs/ringcentral/images/ATT_Mobile_App_Guide_r3.3.pdf
When someone is trying to reach you and they can’t get you on the line, they want to leave a message right away and get on with their day. If your voicemail greeting goes on for minutes on end, chances are they aren’t going to stick around until they hear the beep.
To improve a a business voicemail greeting, keep these eight rules at the forefront of the creative process: Avoid turning customers off with overused and impersonal phrases like “your call is very important to us..." Avoid leaving customers unsure by not immediately telling them the business, department, and/or person they’ve reached. Avoid leaving customers confused with too many details and complications; just keep it simple. Avoid messages longer than 25 seconds. Do apologize for being unavailable at the moment. Do invite the caller to leave a message. Do tell the caller when they can expect a return call and actually follow through within that timeframe. Do tell the caller about any applicable alternative options of contact and information- website, live chat, email, social media, or emergency numbers. Voicemail Greetings 101
Set up Visual Voicemail. If your carrier supports Visual Voicemail, you can set it up with these steps: Go to the Phone app, then tap the Voicemail tab. Tap Set Up Now. Create a voicemail password, then tap Done. Enter your password again to confirm it, then tap Done. Select Custom or Default. If you choose Custom, you can record a new greeting.
You can allow callers to press 0 and be transferred to another phone number, of your choosing, when they reach your voicemail greeting.
Rehearse your greeting a few times before you press record. Plan your pauses and select natural places to take a breath. If you are recording directly into your phone don't hold it to your ear like you are talking on the phone. This can produce a muffled tone. Hold the phone out in front of you a few inches from your mouth for the clearest recording. This may require some trial and error. So playback your greeting and make necessary adjustments on your re-record.
The biggest barrier is actually getting them to leave the voicemail in the first place. Don’t get in your own way by recording a long, drawn-out voicemail greeting that might do more to convince them to hang up than actually leave a message.
The main point that we want to drive home with this article is that you shouldn’t overthink your business voicemail greeting. Just keep it short, and state the relevant information.
Random facts could include their favorite movie, vacation spot, candy, or television show. Regardless of what you choose, it will surprise your caller and more than likely make them leave a message if they were considering hanging up.
Having a dedicated emergency contact will help make sure anything important that comes up is taken care of. Another option is directing callers to a separate answering service.
The reason being it can either push your prospects away from you or retain them for longer.
Your prospects are under the impression that a brand will be always available to cater to them, now for some circumstances, a few brands might not be able to serve their prospects 24/7 which is why creating a voicemail message becomes useful.
10. “Hey, this is [your name]. Thanks for reaching out. I’m busy at the moment, but if you leave your name, number, and message, I’ll return your call.