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.
People who use answering machines often are quite concerned about calls that they receive when they are not able to answer their phones. For this reason, the best answering machine often is one that is durable and reliable. If you have an answering machine that is not recording all messages, you might not find out until this flaw already has caused problems for you. Read consumer reviews in magazines and websites. Stay away from models that have mixed or negative reviews.

Calling your retrieval number — instead of your home phone number — is a faster way to listen to your messages remotely. You will be prompted immediately to enter your PIN and don't have to wait for your greeting to start.
-If your phone has a gangsta rap ring-back tone, then I might wait for you to answer.