A professional voicemail greeting does more than just let your callers know that you’re temporarily unavailable. It puts your business associates at ease, establishes your professionalism, and helps manage the flow of communications to make your workload less onerous.
When you’re recording a professional voicemail greeting, you have 30 seconds at most to make your message count. Here’s what you need to know.
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What Is A Professional Voicemail Greeting?
A professional voicemail greeting provides callers with the information they need to start or continue communication with you. This information typically includes your name, phone number, and an invitation to record a brief message, as well as anything else a caller would need to know.
If you use your cellphone for work–or if you’re looking for a job–it’s especially important to remember to record a professional voicemail meeting for your cell. Don’t leave callers listening to a joke voicemail greeting from your college years or outdated contact information from a previous job.
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Elements Of A Professional Voicemail Greeting
To make a good impression and convey the appropriate information, your professional voicemail should contain:
A Greeting
“Hello” or “hi” is just fine. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just welcoming and sincere.
Your Name, Job Title, Department, Etc.
If you’re creating a voicemail greeting for work, make sure you include your job title, team name, company name–whatever information the caller will need to know that they’ve reached the right person. If you’re creating a voicemail greeting for a job search, stick with your name, phone number, contact information, etc.
Information About Return Calls
Regardless of why you’re creating the greeting–for your current job or a job search–be sure to set expectations about when you’ll be able to return the call. Then be sure to keep your promise.
Emergency Contact Info
Join The Break Community
If you’re going to be away from your phone for some time or there’s a chance that the caller will need assistance before you’re able to return their call, include contact information for someone who can assist them in your absence. This might be a personal assistant, colleague, manager, or direct report.
Always be sure to follow any company guidelines when you’re setting a professional voicemail greeting for your job. For example, some companies require employees to return calls within a set period of time, e.g. 24 hours, or adhere to a specific script.
Voicemail Greeting Examples
Here are a few voicemail greeting examples that you can use to write your own script. Remember that your greeting should be short, to the point, and contain all the most essential information.
General Voicemail Greetings
Example 1: “Hi, this is Mary Smith. I’m unable to come to the phone right now but if you leave a message, I’ll return your call within 24 hours.”
Example 2: “Hello, this is Juan Garcia, director of sales. I’m on a client call, but your message is important to me. Please leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
Vacation or Time Off Voicemail Greetings
Example 3: “Hi, this is Lee Tran. I’m on parental leave until June 3. For immediate assistance, please contact my assistant, Michael Jones, at X5343. Otherwise, please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”
Example 4: “Hello, you’ve reached the voicemail of Ben Sanders, assistant manager. I’m sorry I missed your call. I’m on vacation until January 7 and will be returning calls as soon as I return. If you need help before, please contact my colleague, Sasha Frank, at 212-555-1232.”
Job Seeker Voicemail Greetings
Example 5: “Hi, you’ve reached the voicemail of Jane Brown, content strategist. Please leave me a message with your name, number, and the best time to contact you. I’ll return your call ASAP.”
Example 6: “Hello, this is Sheryl Wong. I can’t take your call right now, but if you’ll leave your name, number, and the reason for your call, I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, if you’d like to check out my portfolio, it’s available at www.sherylwong.com/portfolio.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s a good voicemail greeting script?
A good voicemail greeting script includes information like your name, the schedule for returning calls, and instructions for leaving a message. So, you might say something like, “Hi, this is [your name]. I can’t take your call right now. But if you leave me a message including your name, phone number, and a brief message, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
What’s a professional voicemail greeting for job seekers?
A professional voicemail greeting for job seekers should include your name, an apology for not being available to take their call, and information about when you will get back to them. Here’s an example: “This is Jane Smith. I’m sorry I’m not available to take your call right now, but please leave me a message and I will return your call as soon as possible.”
How do I record a voicemail greeting?
Most mobile carriers provide instructions for setting up your voicemail box and recording a greeting. Always listen to your recorded message to be sure that it’s up to your standards before you finalize your selection.
Should I use a creative voicemail greeting?
Creative voicemail greetings can be risky in a professional setting. Unless you work in a very casual environment, you’re better off recording a standard greeting and saving your creativity for other outlets.
The Bottom Line
A professional voicemail message can help ease your business communications, maintain good relationships with your colleagues, and even help you impress hiring managers when you’re looking for a job. The key is to write a script, include the pertinent information, and practice until you get it right.
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