What Does Your Voice Mail Greeting Really Say?

What impression of you and your company is your voice mail greeting giving callers?

Image created by Jacquelyn Lynn using MockupShots

Have you ever called your voice mail system and listened to the greeting from the perspective of someone calling for the first time? What sort of an impression are you giving?

It’s not enough to just make sure your phone gets answered when you’re not available; the greeting your callers hear says more about you than just “leave a message.”

That announcement may be the first contact someone has with you, and if you don’t sound professional, the caller may not leave a message or may not call back.

Photo by Jerry D Clement; used with permission

It’s not necessary to sound like you’re a major corporation, but it is important to sound like you’re a serious, legitimate operation.

Use these tips to create an effective voice mail greeting:

• Write a script. Don’t try to record off the top of your head. Write a script that covers all the points you want to make in a concise format. Practice it so you can record without any awkward pauses or stumbles.