As much as we try to make ourselves as available as possible, not too many people are contactable 24 hours a day. But that's OK, we're human! With a good voicemail message that lets people know who you are and what they need to do to contact you, you can return the call as soon as you need to. A great voicemail greeting can even make people look forward to you returning their call.
Whether you want to install a professionally recorded voicemail greeting, or you want to record one yourself, it helps to know what you want to say before you record.
Here are some helpful examples.
A business named Lorem Ipsum, which sells widgets, wants to leave a brief message that confirms for the listener that they have called the right business. The message would also prompt the caller to provide information needed to return the call, and throws in a nice quick promotional note. They could say the following:
If Lorem Ispum frequently received phone orders for their widgets, they could add this to their voicemail message:
Installed on Australian Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Virgin mobiles within 24 hours.
John Smith wants to leave a friendly, short message which gives all necessary details and asks clearly for the info he'll need to return the call. He could record the following:
If John also wanted to add a unique, personal touch, he could add a reference to a hobby, and even include sound effects:
Installed on Australian Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Virgin mobiles within 24 hours.
Background noise can be distracting, and can make your greeting hard to understand. Choose a quiet place to record. Also, if you can, choose a room without too much echo - you don't want people thinking you recorded your message in the loo, do you?
Um's and Ah's in your voicemail greeting aren't a great way to make a good impression, so plan what you intend to say. Even better, write it down - at least in point form if not word-for-word - that way you'll know exactly what to say, and say it with confidence.
Before you start recording, smile, even think of something that makes you smile or laugh. It really does make a difference to your tone of voice.
Who wants to begin introducing themselves to someone with an apology? Skip the "sorry I missed your call", and the "unfortunately I'm unavailable". Instead, thank people and tell them what you CAN do for them and how soon.
Involve your own activities in what you say, for example a sales person might say "I'm working on a great deal for another client right now", or a physiotherapist might say "I'm currently getting a patient back to their best". What are you up to?
Anything longer that 15 seconds will have people getting impatient, and even worse, hanging up. Think word economy.
If you need people's phone number or email address, ask for it. If you need them to place an order, invite them too. But use clear language. A colleague of mine used to ask people to leave a "brief, detailed message"... Which one do you want mate?
"Leave your message after the beep.." Voicemail isn't a new concept - people know to wait for the beep. "Your call is important.." Never mind the fact that the other person didn't find the call important enough to answer, this cliche really needs to be retired.
If you don't have the confidence, you have a heavy accent, or just want a more professional flair in your voicemail greeting, VoiceMailPro is here to help you make a dynamite first impression. Ask us about a professional voicemail greeting.
Want a message in your own voice, but just sounding better?
VoiceMailPro can be your personal director or coach!
We can call you from our studio and record you as you say your voicemail greeting, then provide you with a perfectly edited voicemail greeting.
If you'd rather not use your own voice, try one of ours.
Our voice artists can give your business a polished, professional sound.
Male or female voices with over a decade of expertise.
Contact us for a free sample of your script and hear the difference we can make.