You may have heard that people no longer use voicemail or leave messages. But for most businesses, voicemail is the necessary last resort when someone isn’t available to answer.
That’s why you need to put some thought into the message you want to communicate to your caller.
You never know who is on the other line so it’s important to be as professional and “human” as possible.
Make sure you leave a great impression with clients and colleagues by having a professional voicemail message on your phone.
6 Things you can do to create an impressive voicemail message.
1. Plan
Planning your voicemail is essential. You don’t want to be caught at a loss for words and stumble through your sentences. Plan what you want to say, and how you want to say it.
If there are times and places involved, make sure you have them written down or memorized before getting on the phone. Anything you can do to sound more professional will help a great deal.
2. Rehearse
Practice what you are going to say. Tripping over words, or pausing for long periods of time doesn’t leave a professional impression. Having said that, don’t be afraid of short pauses as it’s better to take a breathe that run on like a deflating balloon.
Short pauses are a good way to avoid “uh’s” or “um’s” as they give you a moment to think.
3. Speak clearly and deliberately
Rushing your words make you sound nervous. Articulate. This is especially true if you need to direct the caller to another number or option.
4. Sign out.
Be sure to allow time to clearly leave your contact details at the end.
Include the name of your business, the phone number and if needed, your website address.
5. Smile while you are talking.
You will be able to hear the smile in your voice and create a positive impression.
6. Pay attention to your environment
Don’t create your voice message in a train station or office lunchroom at noon. You want a quiet space with no ambient noise such as TV’s, radios or traffic.
No one likes being sent to the voice mail but if they need to be, make it as pleasant and helpful as possible.
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