For many, a voicemail greeting is the first impression a customer gets for a business. You need to make sure your company’s message matches your company’s image, so putting some thought and effort into your voicemail greeting is imperative. Wondering what it takes to come up with a proper business voicemail greeting? Here are 8 keys to creating the perfect voicemail recording. Click To Tweet
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You can think of this process as the editing step before publishing an article. It’s an extra step to fine-tune the piece such that you’re a hundred percent sure about the grammar, tone, and even the accuracy and availability of all the necessary information. As a rule of thumb, don’t use any voicemail that you think is subpar.
I have a confession to make: I haven’t recorded a new voicemail greeting since 2014. In the past four years, I (hopefully) have become more articulate, poised, and self-assured. But hear my voicemail recording, and you’d think I was still new to the work world, a little unsure of myself — and probably not an authority. Obviously I need toupdate it. And if you haven’t changed your voicemail greeting in over a year, you’re likely in the same boat. After all, a professional voicemail recording boosts your credibility, makes you seem more competent, and encourages whoever’s listening to it to continue the relationship. A relatively unprofessional one — like mine, for instance — does the opposite: It encourages prospects, recruiters, and potential connections to run in the other direction. With that in mind, I’ve written 18 unique voicemail greetings for every situation. Pick your favorite, practice a few times, then record your new voicemail.
With this system, you also have the ability for employees with smartphones to download an app to have an extension on the phone system for intercom and call transfer, even if they never set foot in the office! You can call clients back through the mobile app with the office Caller ID instead of the ID of their personal cell phone. And with the call recording option, you can monitor and review conversations at any time. Some phone models include built-in support to use a Bluetooth wireless earpiece headset or your favorite stereo noise-canceling headphones. Snom includes a standard 3-year warranty with the option for up to 5 years. “Our best customers come from our competition — it seems low price alone, isn’t the bargain they thought.
Get a first class custom message for voice mail, on-hold announcements, after-hours greetings and more.
Remember to watch out for ambient noise on your end of the call as well. Train signals, traffic, or even outside conversations can be very distracting to your callers and project an unprofessional image. Don’t forget the beep. Every millisecond – yes, millisecond – between the end of your greeting and the beep is time callers could potentially drop the call. That’s why the anticipated beep should sound the moment your greeting is finished. Leaving lengthy, silent gaps may cause your customers to wonder if they’ve been disconnected. Don’t give them the opportunity to hang up waiting to hear that affirmative tone. Check and then recheck your greeting. After you complete your outgoing voicemail message, play it back to verify you’ve said everything you intended to say. Then take it a step further and dial in to experience the greeting for yourself, and be mindful to contemplate the greeting from the customer’s perspective.
Writing a script doesn’t mean you have to write a speech. A simple greeting is fine, like this sample voicemail message:
The Vonage Business API platform, Nexmo, allows businesses to greatly improve customer experiences with omni-channel capabilities. Nexmo uses the very latest technology to connect businesses with consumers in real-time, in whichever channel the consumer prefers.
Another reason Sonetel is considered to be one of the best virtual phone system for small business solutions is that it reduces customer chargebacks. When your clients encounter a problem, not having an easily-reachable phone number may result in them initiating a chargeback through their bank instead of trying to solve the issue with the company’s support team.
You decide whether your phone system will create miscommunication and irritable interactions, or smooth conversations that put everyone at ease.
11. “Hello! You’ve reached [company name] support line. We’ll be happy to help with your inquiry. In the meantime, have you checked out our [website, help forum, etc.]? It may have the answer you’re looking for. If not, leave your name, number and reason for your call. We’ll reach out to you within the day. Thanks for calling [company name].” Sometimes, a caller likes to find the answer to their own questions. Let them discover by directing them to your website or help forum if you have one.
After helping tens of thousands of companies set up voicemail systems, we’ve learned that there is no set of rules defining what makes a great business voicemail, but there are definitely some key points that you should aim to hit. Before you hit the record button for your voicemail message, take some of these tips into account:
33. Hello, you’ve reached [X company]. We’re currently closed to celebrate [X holiday], but we’ll be back on [X date]. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message so our team can get back to you when we return.
With our small business phone service plans, you get unlimited calling within the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Plus, you can transfer your current phone number at no extra charge. Manage all of it with our simple online web portal, all for one low price.
Business owners who want a complete business phone system paired with a virtual phone number should look to Nextiva as a solution. Potential customers can contact a sales agent via the company website to receive a free demo of the services offered by the company.
Expanding on the simple approach above, let the caller know who they've reached. This will not only eliminate people leaving voicemails by mistake, but it will reassure the caller that they have called the number they intended.