While leaving a voicemail is easy, nerves, stress, and miscommunication can make leaving an unprofessional message. Here are some tips for leaving courteous and professional voicemails that will be returned.
1. think about it first
It’s always a good rule of thumb to think carefully about what you want to talk about before making a call. Go over the points you want to address with the person you’re calling, and make a mental note of the most important item to bring up if it ends up getting to your voice mail. be concise so your voicemail indicates the purpose of your call and you don’t waste anyone’s time.
2. introduce yourself
Begin each voicemail by introducing yourself so the person or business knows who’s calling right away. You must indicate your full name and company name.
avoid saying “hello, it’s me”. you may believe that the person to whom the message is addressed will recognize your voice, but why leave it to chance? state your full name each time. and, if you are leaving an initial message for business purposes, we recommend that you say your name twice.
Make sure you know how to say the name of the person you are calling. If you don’t know how to pronounce a name, ask someone who might know or google the pronunciation. you don’t want to start your relationship off by insulting them before you’ve spoken in person.
3. speak slowly
If you speak too quickly, the person on the other end of the line may not understand your message. they may need to rewind their voicemail over and over again to catch everything. we recommend speaking a little slower than usual. if you’re a fast talker, go slower.
This is incredibly important to remember when saying your name, contact number or email address. keep in mind that people type slower than they speak. no one wants to listen to a voice mail message ten times; they might just decide not to call back.
4. speak clearly
Think of how you speak to an older person: you slow down and pronounce your words clearly. do the same when leaving voice messages.
Bad phone connections happen all the time. do your best to mitigate any issues that might prevent the person you’re calling from getting all the details they need to call you back.
5. mention your availability
Clearly indicate if you want to receive a callback or if you will try the call again. if you would like a call back, please indicate when you are available to take the call. if you are the one who calls back, let them know when to expect their call. just make sure to follow up and try again exactly when you said you would.
6. keep it short and sweet
This is not a college lecture. It’s more of an Oscar award speech. short, sweet and to the point.
Be sure to mention the most important reason for your call. If your voicemail is longer than 30 seconds, it’s too long. work on trimming pointless information from your voicemails.
You are requesting to be called back to discuss all the details in depth, and your voicemail messages should reflect this.
7. make sure your data is clear
Like any professional business communication, make sure the last items you leave are your name and contact details. repeat both at least twice during your voicemail.
Regarding your phone number, pauses in your speech will give your listener a chance to catch up and not miss any details. for example, say your phone number like this “1-2-3-pause-4-5-6-pause-7-8-pause-9-10″.
If you need to leave an email address, write it down. you may need to make sure to clear letters like “d-for-delta”. if your name is long and complicated, it is doubly important to spell it. if you can’t remember army call signs, then a more common word like “d-for-dog” is perfectly acceptable.
8. finish voicemail professionally
End your call by saying “I look forward to hearing from you” or “I can’t wait to talk to you.” both are warmer than a more generic “have a nice day.” don’t feel the need to summarize your message one last time. if they need to, they can play your message.
9. message medium offline
If you think your voicemail went offline before you finished, here’s an easy solution. simply call back, first indicating that you believe your previous call was dropped. Finish the rest of your message, keeping it short and to the point. always repeat your name and phone number on any second call.
10. practice makes perfect
As with most things, practice takes the edge off. use your mobile phone to call your home phone and leave various messages. then listen to them all.
Notice what you did right and what didn’t. If you’re calling friends, end your message by letting them know you’re working on your voicemail skills and would love their feedback. alternatively, watch youtube videos of communication experts leaving voicemails to see how they do it.
tips to remember
- smile as you speak. you will be able to hear the smile in your voice, which creates a positive impression.
- make sure there is no background noise in your message, such as TV, radio, or traffic.
- if you call For a confidential matter, please do not leave all the details on voicemail. you never know who may have access to voicemail or who may listen to it.
- Listen to all voicemail prompts and follow instructions carefully, as every phone system is different.
when a good voicemail is important
always! but even more so in certain situations. Whether you’re applying for a job or returning an interview call, this may be the first impression you’re making. if you’re in customer service, clarity can’t be overemphasized. On any sales call, you need to appear knowledgeable and prepared; a good voice message will get it across.
The ability to leave a great voicemail message is not a thing of the past. is still important, especially in a work environment. use these tips to stay on point. You’ll soon be wondering why you ever hesitated to leave voicemails, and any anxiety you may have will be a thing of the past.
No matter who you leave a voicemail with or the situation, make sure it’s a good one.