The above section details types of phrasing to avoid; however, it doesn’t detail what users should NOT say on their greeting. Though this is a bit loaded, as there are hundreds of combinations of things one shouldn’t say, there are some key components users should ALWAYS avoid. a. Forget About Slang: You should strive to be as professional and welcoming as possible in your greeting. While this may steer you towards using slang, in an attempt to make callers comfortable, it’ll most likely work against you. As a professional, your demeanor, tone, and speech should be clear cut and well articulated. Using slang undercuts this and works against you. b. Don’t Even Think About Profanity: This is a no-brainer. Never, under any circumstances, curse in your greeting EVER! c. Keep Your Sentences Clean, Don’t Ramble: Introduce yourself and give your caller specific direction. Avoid long diatribes detailing tangent thoughts. Keep it simple and quick. d. Always Return Your Calls: It’s important for callers to feel they are valued. Nothing dissolves this quicker than a greeting that doesn’t stress this. For example, “I’ll call you when I can,” “If I don’t return your call, please call back”—these phrases are terrible and completely destroy any good will you may have with a caller.
Calling leads is an important part of growing your business, but it can get frustrating when you call and call and never get a reply. Having phone scripts in place can make all of the difference in the effectiveness of your lead calls. Scripts allow you to come across as confident and professional and convey all the important points you need to make. No more stumbling over your words or forgetting to mention an important factor, like your name or phone number. Scripts will help you stay consistent and make calling more enjoyable because you’ll know what works and what doesn’t.

To avoid mumbling and bumbling, write out a greeting script before you record your message. Also, remember to record your message in a quiet location. Background noise and static are perhaps the clearest signs of an unprofessional business voicemail greeting. Thank you for calling. This is Tiger Electronics, and I'm the general Manager. Please leave a message. If you're calling for parts, call Larry. Thank you. Hi, this is Sissy O'Connor, the General Manager of Tiger Electronics. Please leave your message with your name and number, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. If you're calling to exchange parts, dial Larry Davenport at Extension 432. Thank you.
With all these things to include, it's easy to write your greeting the wrong way. To keep it simple, something like this: