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.
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.

Do you speak a second language and serve customers in an area that primarily uses a language other than English? Make it known that you speak both languages. Start the voicemail with the most dominant language spoken in your market followed by the same message spoken in the secondary language:
Callers don’t have the luxury of seeing the script laid out in front of them while they’re listening to the various menu options. With this in mind, it’s important to use language that’s easy for callers to comprehend the first time they hear it.