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Voice Mail
What does your voicemail greeting say about you? Most people have one of two automated greetings. One that reads their phone number or says the person’s name. Here are 8 important points when recording a voicemail message:
- Say your name: I don’t know how many times I’ve reached a voicemail and didn’t even know if I was calling the right person.
- Thank the person for calling: You don’t need to sit there for 10 minutes explaining how happy you are that somebody called you and how you really want to strengthen the relationship, etc. A simple, “thanks for calling.”
- Tell them when to expect a returned call: By letting them know this, they have an idea of how soon to call back if they have not received a call.
- Ask an interesting question: You can include all the key points in your greeting, but it can still be a little dry and boring. Instead, ask the person to tell you their favorite color or their birthday. During a recent phone conversation with Phil Gerbyshak, The Make it Great Guy, he told me that he has asked about the last book the caller read and if they recommend it, and also what goals he could help the caller achieve.
- Variety is key: Now I am guilty of this. I have had the same voicemail greeting for over a year. It becomes very boring. Mix it up, change your voicemail once a month.
- Make it unique: If you have heard someone else with the same greeting as you, change it now! You must make your greeting unique so that people know right away who they have called.
- Don’t give your life story: If you are on vacation or will be unavailable for an extended period of time, it is fine to say that, but don’t let the caller know your entire life story.
- Be Excited: Why would a caller be excited to talk to you if you sound like you recorded the message at 2:47AM?
Give your voicemail a call and listen to your greeting. If it doesn’t use all 8 key points, perhaps it’s time for a change. Also, if you can’t remember when you recorded your greeting, it’s time for a change.
I highly recommend you take a look at Phil Gerbyshak’s website at PhilGerbyshak.com. He is a very personable guy and will go the extra mile to help anyone out.