Voicemails are used by most businesses for Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Businesses spend over $26 billion on CRM, yet little changes can make all the difference. If you’re planning on using voicemails for greetings, you need to make sure you hit all the right notes. We’re going to show you five greetings scripts to demonstrate all the different things you need inside your voicemails.
Keep it Short and Sweet
The optimal time for a voicemail is between 8 seconds and 14 seconds, so get to the point immediately. Say what you want to say and nothing more.
Here’s an example:
- Hello, you have reached X. I’m going to be out of the office until Y. Please leave your name and number so I can get back to you.
You may think this is boring, but it’s what works. Leave the sales talk and the promotion for when you call them back.
Is there Any Context?
Leaving a greeting is all well and good, but if it has no context you’re going to struggle to stop the person from giving up on you. Make sure people know that they’ve reached the right place.
- Hello, this is the office of X, the Y department. Please leave your name, reason for calling, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
By mentioning the specific department or office they’ve reached, you’re reminding them that they’ve reached the right place, and this is not some generic support department they’ve been redirected to.
Identify Yourself Correctly
We talk to lots of different people every day. Make sure you remind people of who you are, and why you’re the best person to handle their call (and more importantly their valuable time).
- Hello, my name is X, the Senior Manager of Y, I’m sorry I’m unavailable right now, but if you leave your number I’ll return your call as soon as I can.
Not only have you revealed who you are, but you’ve also given them the reassurance that their call is important to you. It leaves the right impression.
Manage the Order of Your Words
The order of your words can seriously impact how your greeting is received. Research shows that we remember the first and last items on a list best, so the statements that matter most are those at the beginning and those at the end.
- Hello, you have reached X. I’m out of the office at the moment. Provide me with your contact details and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Do you see how important the order of the words is? The name comes first and the call to action is last. Most people will put all this important information in the middle of their greeting. It may not seem like a big difference, but it really matters.
Use Strategic Pauses
It can be tempting to try to fit as much information into a voicemail greeting as possible. Don’t do that. Sometimes less is more. Try to incorporate some strategic pauses into your greeting, so you can let everything sink in.
- Hello, this is X from Y. [Pause] I am not available to take your call right now. [Pause] If you are calling about Z, then please leave your name and number and I will get back to you as soon as you can.
Why is this style so important?
It gives off an aura of confidence and clarity. You will sound more authoritative and people are more likely to trust you.
Last Word – Make it Happen
Edit these examples to suit your business. Populate these scripts with the relevant information about your business. Practice your script before going live and perfect your delivery.
You’ll notice a big difference in your call back rates.
Have you tried tweaking your voicemail greetings? When writing a script for voicemail, always follow the do’s and don’t of writing a good effective message.
6 Do’s and Don’ts of Voicemail Greetings