Microsoft Skype for Business enables users to communicate securely anywhere they have network connectivity.. Skype for Business unifies voice and video calls, Skype for Business Meetings, presence, and instant messaging (IM) in one easy-to-use client, making it simple to choose and switch between different forms of communication. Clients are available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.
An increasing number of self-employed Americans today manage more than one business. Sometimes the craziness of it all can seem to be a bit ovewhelming, especially when incoming cell phone calls can’t be distinguished as being for one business or the other. Many times it is just best to know in advance what a call is about, so that you can be prepared to handle the matter. This is where using current voicemail technology can make life a lot simpler.
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Don’t rush. It’s important to speak slowly and clearly when leaving your next voicemail greeting. Have you ever called someone and the message sounds like one big word? Don’t be that guy. Pronounce your words and take pauses between your sentences
IVR (optional) > Phone Rings > If the employee does not pick up > Your professional voicemail greeting (opportunity to cross-sell or tell them to drop their message). “Your professional voicemail greeting message matters.” Scenarios where customers get directed to voicemail…
Another possible solution is to give callers who don’t want to leave voicemails other ways to reach you, such as by emailing, texting or visiting your website. “Solve the caller’s problem in the voicemail greeting,” Baldwin suggests. If your outgoing message is informative enough, he says, callers won’t even need to leave a message.
You know, I have never given any thought, what so ever, to how my voicemail sounds to others, especially business associates. I am rather ashamed of how mine sounds.. now that I have read your article! I am going right now to change my to a more personable one. (I have the pre-recorded automated one that came with my phone, gggeeezzz)!
Doing this helps you understand what the prospects are looking for and what they are expecting from you which will in turn help you to cater to them better.
Always keep in mind the people who will be listening to your professional voicemail greetings. What type of tone and information resonates with them?
Users often don’t invest enough time into their messages, resulting in incomplete, unprofessional, or otherwise under-whelming greetings. Sure, crafting a greeting doesn’t sound all that complicated; however, there are a number of pitfalls users can fall into—i.e. informality, terseness, sincerity, lack of direction, and more. While none of these sound too catastrophic, they are often interrelated. As such, they tend to worsen any problem. For example, humor can cause informality, worsen ambiguity, and weaken sincerity. That being said, users should strive to avoid ALL these pitfalls.
i run a voiceover service called proud voices and we get tons of requests to have voicemails messages created by our V.O artists. We used a guy that has a “movie trailer” style voice and i think it sounds pretty impressive Do you guys like it?
10. “Hey, this is [your name] at [X company]. Right now, I’m on vacation and won’t be back in the office until [month]! Please leave me your name, phone number, and the reason you are calling and I will get back to you then. If it’s urgent, you can email details at [company email] and one of our team members will reach out to you. Have a great day.” Yes, we all need a break from time to time. Let your caller know you’ll be back and ready to meet their needs after you’re back from vacation.Voicemail greetings for the customer service phone number
For more accessibility options, see Learn how to navigate Skype for Business using accessible features.
Chances are that when someone takes the time to leave your business a voicemail, it is because it’s important that their message be communicated and left in the right hands. There’s nothing worse than calling a business only to hear that the voice mailbox is full or that the greeting is too quiet, too fast, or too confusing.
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.
The above eight rules of engagement for voicemail greetings may sound easy enough, but they’ll require some practice to get just right. Let’s look at some examples to provide some context in how to apply the rules to various types of greetings and situations.
There are plenty of options for business voicemail messages, including professional greetings, casual messages, and even funny ones. Consider your brand voice and target audience to choose the tone. And include directions for those who call.
You have reached (Your Name) at (Your Business). I was unable to take your call, but if you leave a brief message I’ll call you back as soon as possible.