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.
You may know Vonage as a leader in residential VOIP solutions, but the company also has a great small business offering as well that comes packed with features at a fair price. The $19.99 per user monthly charge is competitive with other VOIP providers. Included with that are all of the basic features you would expect from a VOIP service like voicemail and call display. The collection of third-party integrations is where Vonage truly shines, however. Popular services like Google G-Suite or Microsoft Office 365 can be integrated for free and paid services like SalesForce also have support from Vonage. The mobile app and desktop admin panel are clean and well-designed which make managing calls, voicemail, and settings feel simple no matter where you are or what device you’re using.
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A virtual business phone system like Grasshopper can help you create a professional, reliable voicemail greeting. It includes instant response and custom greetings, as well as access to the Grasshopper Voice Studio and professional voice talent for a one-time fee of $75.
Research done by the New York Times suggests that Millennials almost never use voice mail and many don't bother checking it.
Leaving a Professional Voicemail: The Basics. We can’t start without covering the basics. Many people equate a “professional voicemail” with being polite. And that’s certainly a start. But professionalism also means paying attention to detail. Imagine if you were to leave a voicemail …
We’re keeping it simple with this one. Just a few basic elements to help you get started. As long as you know who your audience is, the message you wish to convey, and the information you need from the caller, the rest should fall into place quite nicely. Let’s face it, a voicemail greeting for a lumber company will probably be different than that of a psychologist’s office. One greeting is aimed at securing potential customers, and the other is geared towards appointments, more or less. Once you are certain who your caller is, the better your voicemail. Center on your audience, first and foremost. Knowing what to relate ensures that your caller will leave the right message. For instance, if you’re a retail store, you would include your hours of operations, and perhaps any specials that you’re running. If you are a therapist’s office, then you’d need to include an alternate number in case a patient is having an issue and requires immediate help. Again, this will vary depending on the business. Here, a therapist would definitely request the caller leave their contact information. However, a retail store chain might not request that. There are also complex voicemail systems such as those used by mobile phone services, which ask you to press a certain number on your phone, where you are asked to leave your account information. Again, as you can see, it all boils down to the demographics of your callers, and what you need from them to conduct the best business possible. Depending on the situation, your caller might be in a good mood or not. In either case, they’ll probably be eagerly awaiting your call. So, it stands to reason that you only promise them a call back if you can deliver. In other words, if you’re a small shop and you’ve decided to close due to a much-needed sabbatical, then don’t leave a voicemail greeting where you promise them to call right back. However, if you have an active customer service staff, then you can promise to return their call within the same day.
RingCentral pricing starts at $19.99 monthly per user for their “Essentials” plan which allows for up to 20 users. For more than 20 users you can choose from their “Standard” plan at $24.99 monthly per user or their “Premium” or “Ultimate” plans which offer advanced features such as automatic call recording, single sign-on, and CRM integrations. Learn more about RingCentral’s plans and pricing here.
The value of a VOIP line is also significant, as most VOIP providers pack in a ton of additional features for a low cost, like being able to access your voicemail through a dashboard in your browser. This makes a VOIP line much more convenient, especially for business owners on the go. Instead of forwarding calls when out of the office, many VOIP providers offer smartphone apps or browser extensions that can make and manage calls wherever you have an Internet connection. This means that business doesn’t have to come to a halt just because you left the store or office. Wherever there is an Internet connection, you will have access to your calls and all of the features that your VOIP provider offers.
Funny voicemail greetings are just that. These types of greetings have no rules whatsoever. They’re just for funsies, so make those you care for the laugh. Most of the time, they are personal, but certain businesses can use them as well. Perhaps you operate a theatrical costume company that specializes in clown memorabilia, or perhaps you run a business that sells pranks, such as plastic puppy poo, and whoopee cushions.
You want this experience to be a positive one for the caller. Make sure your voicemail provides information such as your hours for operation and additional contact information. You’ll also want to address when the caller can expect your call or list other ways they can get in touch should you not answer.
In a nutshell, a good voicemail greeting should only be brief but also complete, simple but also professional. It should only meet its purpose of leaving a quick message to the listener or informing a caller that although you haven’t taken the call, you’re going to get back to it at the soonest time available.
System complexity: Some businesses we speak with tell us they're replacing their existing phone system because it's too complicated and not user-friendly. Buying an overly complex system can be as bad as buying one that has too few features. Apart from paying for features that won't be used, advanced systems can present usability issues.
You can be certain that you’ve answered the return calls from your customers by having a fixed schedule every day that’s dedicated to checking your own record of return calls. If you can have a team for this purpose, then have one. The prompt feedback you can give those prospective clients after they’ve returned your call may successfully translate to better sales and higher profitability.
Look for providers with 24/7 customer support either through phone, live chat, and/or email. Being able to submit a ticket is nice for non-emergency issues, but when a major issue arises, it’s always handy to have responsive support available.
Obviously, I need to update it. And if you haven't changed your voicemail greeting in over a year, you're likely in the same boat.
In reality, that's when you can bump into voice quality problems. Your IT staff not only can't control those home routers remotely, they often won't even know their capabilities. These routers were either chosen by the employee or by the employee's ISP, so even in a midsized company, you're looking at hundreds of different makes and models. Some will have more advanced features, like QoS, some won't. Those that do may also implement QoS and similar features in different ways.
Even better, all these voicemail greetings are free and you can download the voicemail’s mp3 file! Business voicemail greeting samples. If you have a main business phone number that’s shared with the customers or publicly listed, you’ll want to make sure it has a professional voicemail message to greet callers.