Tips and 10 scripts for professional voicemail greetings

Discover the best practices and ready-to-use examples for recording a business phone greeting by a professional voice artist. Often your voicemail message is the first point of contact with potential business clients, so it should be worth listening to.

A professional voicemail greeting is part of your corporate image as a trustful business partner. It boosts your credibility and encourages potential customers to contact you even if they couldn’t from the first call. Today voicemail is considered a standard feature of the business phone system, but it is so much more. That’s why extra thought should be put in if you plan a voice-over recording. How do you want your company to be perceived? What is the most important information for your prospects trying to contact you?

How to make the voicemail message effective so it gets a callback?

Here are some important rules to follow regarding your business voice-over recording.

Keep it short, be concise

This is probably a golden rule when it comes to effective voicemail greetings. Try to make your message brief yet comprehensive. Consider which information is valuable for the callers so they either call back or leave a message with their contact details. The main purpose of the voicemail is for every call to be answered, even if no one is available. So think of your message as a tool to persuade the callers to contact you again (by phone, chat, or email) or to leave a number for you to contact them. Gather the vital information in a few words and make it sound professional.

Begin your message stating your company’s name 

This piece of information is crucial for any caller. If it‘s missing, you leave an impression of the chaotic and unprofessional organization. Even though your prospect or future partner did not manage to contact you on the first attempt, at least they should know the number is correct. If it is a big enterprise, it is recommended to include also the department’s name or even a person’s name (the one that usually answers this phone number).

Explain why you are unavailable at the moment

Shortly state the reason why the callers have reached a voicemail service but not the person they are looking for:

• they call outside your standard business hours
• they reached you during the weekend
• all call agents are busy at the moment
• it is holiday time for the whole company etc.

More importantly, say when you will be available

This is probably the most important information for the callers (after the company’s name). You have to make it very clear to the listeners when they can get in touch with you. Not everyone feels comfortable leaving a voicemail message on a company’s voicemail service. That’s why say exactly during which hours and days your company/department/employee can be reached on this telephone number.

In case there is an emergency line or contact person, give in the details

Depending on your industry, you may have a person for emergency support issues – make sure his contact details are well communicated in the voice-over recording. If you will be missing for a long time, it is helpful to name a colleague with his contact information who can assist the caller.

Ask the callers to leave a message and tell them when to expect a response

Showing potential customers or partners that their call matters to you is always worth it. Asking them to leave a message so that you can return their call may reduce their initial disappointment. You give them an option to still contact you at your expense, which shows that every missed call is valuable for you. Do not forget to state in the voice-over message the window frame they should receive a callback from your company. That way, you set realistic expectations for the prospects to be contacted by you. 

To use or not to use formal greetings

It is up to you to decide – depending on your communication style, brand identity, and corporate culture. If you are used to a more informal way of interacting with your customers and partners, then a simple Hello or Thank you might be the right way to start or end your message.

On the other hand, if you are an old institution with many levels of hierarchy and follow a strictly formal manner of communication, expressions like Hello, Hi, Bye, Have a nice day, etc., will not be appropriate.

Choose a good voice-over

Choose a voice-over artist who will record it in a professional studio to make your voicemail greeting sound solid and business-oriented. You can search for experienced voice-over artists who can add value to how your callers perceive your message, your brand, and your company. If you opt for recording it by yourself – choose a soundproof space and a decent microphone, and have the script practiced several times until the message sounds smooth, natural, and trustworthy.

Tailor the language and the  tone to target your specific audience

Remember that your voicemail message is the first personal connection for many potential clients and partners to your business/brand. So it would be best to establish the tone of the voice-over greeting to reflect your brand and company identity. Also, think about your target audience and adapt your communication style to its expectations. 

It can have a serious and authoritative tone or more friendly and informal language. The pace of reading the script can be slower, medium, or rather energetic (if you target a younger audience). The attitude can be more strict or light-hearted. The energy of the message can be more exciting or rather calm. The tone, the content, and the vocabulary of your voice recording should represent your company in a way that the callers either call back or leave their phone number awaiting your return call.

Give specific instructions

Keep it professional even if you are not available at the moment. To have a voice-over greeting as effective as possible, it has to be clear and easy to understand. Pay attention to the following details:

• how to spell out difficult words/names phonetically
• clarify if the “www” should be spoken in case there is a URL name in the message
• regarding phone numbers, explain EXACTLY how the numbers must be spoken (333 could be three-three-three or three-thirty-three, etc.)
• Try to avoid any words with multiple meanings

10 possible scripts to help you choose the best suitable voice greeting

When the client reaches you outside your business hours or all agents are busy

► Thank you for calling [your company’s name]. We cannot answer your call right now, as you have reached us outside our business hours. Please leave your name, contact details, and why you call. We shall contact you within the next 24 hours. Or you can always get in touch with us from Monday till Friday from [9 a.m to 6 p.m.]

► Hello, you have reached the [specific department’s name ] of [your company’s name]. Аll our colleagues are unavailable at the moment. Your call is important to us, so please leave your name, number, and reason for reaching out, and we’ll call you back as soon as possible. Have a nice day.

► You have reached the office of [your company’s name]. We are currently closed as it is our summer holiday. We will reopen on [date] with a standard working time Monday through Friday from [9 a.m till 6 p.m]. We are looking forward to hearing from you after [date].

► Welcome to [your company’s name]. We are available by phone from Monday to Friday, from [ 9 a.m till 6 p.m], [time zone]. You can visit our website – www.exаmple.com to leave a message on our live-chat board or through our contact form. If you want to be contacted by us, please leave a message after the signal.

► Thank you for calling [department’s name] at the [ your company’s name]. All our representatives are busy helping our clients and cannot answer your call right now. You can visit our website [www.example.com] and write us an email at [example@example.com] or press [number] to leave us a voice message with your contact details. We’ll get back to you by the end of the business day.

When you direct the caller to your emergency line 

► Hello and welcome to [your company’s name]. Our office is closed from [date] till [date] due to [public holidays]. For emergency issues, please call [telephone number] or email us at [email address]. We will get in touch with you immediately. Our company will reopen on [date], and we’ll be available by phone from [9 a.m till 6 p.m]. Looking forward to hearing from you.

► You have reached [your company name]. We are available again after [1 p.m]. You can contact us anytime via email at [email address] or leave a voice message with your contact information when you press [number]. Within the next 24 hours, a team member from [your company’s name] will get in touch with you.

When a prospect is trying to call a specific person or department

► Thank you for calling [your name] at [your company’s name]. I am out of the office from [date] till [date]. My colleague [name] can assist you with your query. You can reach him at [telephone number]. If you leave a message with your contact details and reason for calling, I will be able to return your call after [date].

► This is [your company’s name] [headquarters or department’s name]. We are at your disposal from Monday till Friday from [9 a.m till 6 p.m]. We appreciate your calling and would love to get in touch with you. Please press [number] to leave a message with your name, phone number, and the reason for your call. Within the following 24 hours, a representative from our company will contact you. Sincerely yours [company’s name] team.

► Thank you for reaching out to [your company’s name]. Everyone on [department’s name] is busy right now, but we would like to return your call as soon as possible. You can visit our website at [www.website.com] to find relevant information. Or leave a message after the signal with your contact details to get a return call from our team.

A voicemail system gives the company a valuable tool to stand out.

With its help, you can make a piece of objective information sound personal. This will help your business provide excellent client service, connecting with your callers even if you cannot speak with them directly.

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