PROFESSIONAL VOICEMAIL MESSAGE

 A professional voicemail message is a message left on a client's or business partner's phone when you are unavailable to take their call. It is a critical component of any successful corporate communication strategy, much more so if you are in sales.

A solid professional voicemail massage enables you to close transactions with prospects and clients even when you cannot speak with them directly. By informing clients that you would contact them if they offer their name, phone number, and message, you earn their trust in your expertise and competency.

A PROFESSIONAL VOICEMAIL MESSAGES SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS:

• Information: Your business voicemail should have all of the necessary information for the caller. At the very least, the recording should contain your name, your company's name, and your office hours. Additionally, you can include the best way to contact you—for example, an email address—and supply that contact information. If they can leave a message, inform them in the statement.

• Validation: An excellent professional voicemail messages should express gratitude for the caller's time and regret for missing it. If you are unable to do both, at the very least express gratitude or remorse.

• Motivation: A professional voicemail's objective is to keep the caller on the line long enough to hear your message. That is accomplished by encouraging them sufficiently to listen and leave their message. To achieve this, your recording must require them to wait their turn to talk.

• Length: Keep your voicemail messages between ten and thirty seconds in length. Many folks will enjoy a brief, concise message that provides all necessary information instantly.

DO'S AND DON'TS FOR VOICEMAIL MESSAGES

DO:

• Indicate near the message's beginning who the caller has reached.

• Justify your absence.

• Inform the caller of the information that should be left on their voicemail.

• Be expressive and have a pleasant tone of speech.

• Maintain an up-to-date message with current facts.

• Provide your caller with multiple options for obtaining what they require.

• Reflect the personality of your business, not just your own.

• Provide other contact information, such as a cell phone number or email address, if you intend to check it (i.e., on vacation).

DON'T:

• Avoid being too casual, especially if you're sending a hilarious message.

• Use your voicemail greeting message to deliver an extended sales presentation.

• Take up too much of a caller's time with an extended greeting before they may leave a message. Protracted messages are vexing. Instead, make you're greeting a short statement.