First impressions: Crafting the (perfect) best voicemail greeting
Updated: Aug 1
AND AND AND it’s also when you don’t pick up the phone. Your company is represented by the recorded messages that kick in when you’re not there (or ignoring the phone amirite?! Yes, I am).
These are my four business phones ^
Telephone messages do more than greet and inform. Well, they CAN do more than that - if done properly. With a well-crafted message you can capture the essence of your brand and show callers that you’ve committed to being excellent in all parts of your business. So many companies simply forget or don’t see the point in improving their phone messaging. (They're wrong).
But all you have to do is think of when you’ve had annoying experiences when phoning banks, internet providers or… dun dun DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN… the doctors. We ALL know how bad they can be.
Think of it as the beginning of the customer journey. As you would when you first meet a prospect. You’re setting their expectations of your company and how you do that means success or failure with that caller.
What is an example of a professional voicemail message?
Well, there's a bunch in here...
There's also LOADS of example voicemail messages in the shop - you can listen to them all for free.
What is a good voicemail greeting? - Coming up with a clear, concise message
When someone can’t get through to who they want to speak to, it’s frustrating for them. Don’t frustrate them even more with a clunkily written, overly long or badly recorded message. Our aim should be to keep them on the phone for the shortest time we can, while still remaining polite, professional and informative.
All killer, no filler. Or something like that.
So how do you go about writing a useful message?
Well, you can start by working out the intent of the message – what you want the caller to do.
Do you want them to call back another time? Do you want them to leave details so you can call them? Do you want them to contact via the website? Once you’ve worked this out, you can think about writing something using this structure:
Thank them for calling, mentioning your company name
Politely acknowledge the missed call, give a reason if you want
Mention operating hours / next availability
Give alternative contact options – email, website chat or another number
Ask them to leave a short or detailed message (you’ll know what’s enough for you)
Reassure them that you’ll get back to them and when by
Remember this message is serving you as well as them – so make sure you get everything you need to be able to deal with them in the best way possible.
Personalising your greeting
If it’s sensible to do so, you should personalise your voicemail. For example, if it’s for a specific department, let the caller know they’ve got there, even though they can’t speak with you. Generic has been done to death.
DO NOT just have “leave a message, I’ll get back to you, cheers” type voicemail.
NO NO NO.
No.
The Personal(ity) Touch
To me, getting your personality (or that of your brand) across in a telephone message is a very good idea. If a caller hasn’t spoken to you before, it gives them a flavour of what to expect – what sort of person/company you are.
Inject it with elements of you.
For example, I’m someone who likes to have fun, while remaining professional. Here's my voicemail...
Of course, not everybody is comfortable with something like that. But you can still get some passion and emotion in there. Committed to being the best? Tell them.
Make the caller feel like you care.
Now, you might think how does your “funny” voicemail show that you care? Well, it’s all about the emotion. I want to make people smile with everything I do. I’ve lost count of the amount of voicemails people have left me where they're laughing because I caught them out.
And if you can make someone smile, you’ve got them.
Try to steer clear from the automated messaging that comes pre-installed on a lot of telephone systems. You want to be you – uniquely you. Don’t just leave those ones on there. That’s what thousands of others do. It’s cold, boring and the opposite of unique. Whatever word that is.
My spare booth shoes ^^
Put yourself in their shoes
Imagine you’re the one calling. What would make you feel acknowledged and more inclined to leave a message?
Greetings that tap into the caller's needs or expectations make a huge difference. Imagine you’re speaking face-to-face and give them what they want/need to hear. This approach is professional, shows thoughtfulness and empathy.
The things you could put in a voicemail answering message (what is a good voicemail sentence?)
A warm greeting: Saying something like "Hello and thank you for calling" shows more ‘friendliness’ than a simple "Hello." I also think “Welcome to [company name]” sounds weird.
If you want to be more relaxed, go for “Hi, thanks for calling”.
Talk it out loud and make sure it sounds like something you would say.
An intro: If appropriate, mention your name and position. "This is Martin Whiskin, Chief Operating Officer of Martin Whiskin Voiceover," would give callers a clear idea of who you are. As always, if it’s not needed, won’t help them in any way, or takes too long, don’t do it.
Your availability: Saying "I’m currently helping other customers," or the like gives context but a lot of callers think it’s a lie. Be genuine, be sincere.
You could try something like “I’m either on another call or in the middle of something I can’t step away from”, that gives a little insight into your day and is honest.
The opening hours: If they don’t want to leave a message (or you don’t want them to!) giving the hours of business lets them know when they can try again.
An alternative: Following on from the above point, give them a different option like email, website chat can help save you the time of doing endless callbacks. They'll also be happy they've been in touch, so their goal has been completed, just in a different way.
Opportunity to interact: Encouraging callers to leave a message is basically a CTA. You can specify “Please leave a detailed message” or even “Please leave a SHORT message” to guide them. It all depends how much info you need from them in order to serve them best. "Feel free to leave your name, number and reason for calling and I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m available". This line links back to what you said in the availability part.
Expectations: Make sure the caller understands when they should expect to hear from you. After lunch? Next working day? 3rd January 2027? The more specific you can be, the more reliable you’ll seem and their satisfaction goes up. Getting this info in there is quick and easy – “Please leave a message after the tone and I’ll call you back after 9am on the next working day”. Set their expectations but REMEMBER TO MEET THOSE EXPECTATIONS BY DOING WHAT YOU PROMISE.
Personality or brand values: Like I said in the previous section, if appropriate, blend in your personality. You can also try and get your brand values in there. "Thank you for calling Martin Whiskin Voiceover, where making your callers feel welcomed and reassured is my speciality." This is a chance to show that you care or that you’re professional, or any other vibe you want to give off. Yes, I said vibe.
Filtering: If you get lots of calls asking the same thing over and over, try to filter them out. For example, I had a client who said his voicemail was always filled with people asking if his car dealership bought scrap. So we updated his messaging to reflect that it didn’t. Hey presto, people stopped leaving those messages, and no more time is wasted calling them back to give them the answer because they already have it!
What is the essential information for a voicemail greeting?
A good voicemail greeting gives the caller exactly the details they need. It’s important to mention all the vital points but do not overwhelm them. There’s a balance to be struck between being thorough and being brief. (He says, in a blog over 3,000 words long ugh).
Key details to include
Make sure your voicemail greeting definitely includes:
A warm greeting for a good first impression of the brand including the company name and/or department so the caller knows they’ve reached the right place.
A sincere apology for missing the call to show you care.
An invitation to leave a message so the caller understands we want to know their query/issue and that you’ll sort it.
Balancing thoroughness with brevity
Respect the caller’s time. They wanted to speak to someone, but you didn’t or couldn’t answer. Their initial goal was not a success. Provide only as much information as the caller needs in order to understand what to do next or what to expect after leaving a message.
What is an effective voicemail? Some ways to arrange the message details
You can do a mixture of these elements, depending on yours and the their needs.
A greeting with the company name – eg. Hello and thank you for calling…
An apology – eg. Sorry, there’s no one available to take your call right now...
Availability – eg. Our opening hours are… please call back during those times...
Interaction – eg. If you wish to leave a short message, please do so after the tone and we’ll return your call on the next business day...
Alternative contact method – eg. Alternatively, you can chat to us on our website or send an email to…
Closing – eg. Thank you.
How to work out the components of an effective voicemail ^^
Best practices for business voicemail greetings
Successful voicemail greetings, and in fact all telephone messages, share a common thread of consistency with brand messaging. When a caller hears your phone messages, they should immediately recognise the ethos and values of your company.
The language (and voice) used sets the stage for future interactions, thus, maintaining the same tone throughout is a must. Consistency is key.
So don’t have 4 different people recording parts of a phone system, it throws people brains into a spin.
AND (caps, must be important), incorporating something that resonates with your target customer can turn a simple greeting into a powerful marketing touchpoint (and we all need LOADS of those). Understanding your audience allows you to tailor your message, making it more effective and memorable. After all, we all want to be remembered, right?
A greeting infused with brand-aligned vocabulary strengthens company identity.
I know a company that themes itself around an allotment. When they talk about their business they use lots of words around that theme – names of tools, other garden buildings etc etc
Choosing words that mirror the professionalism of your business strengthens its reputation.
This should be pretty straight forward but talk to the caller how they would expect you to talk to them in person. Probably no swearing. Maybe.
Thoughtful customisation of greetings to appeal to the intended audience strengthens connections/relationships. A lot of the time people won’t even realise what you’ve done, but it will just feel right.
I’m aware I used the word “strengthens” three times in this bit. In telephone messages, don’t be repetitive. It’s boring.
Think about your brand's voice: would your greeting benefit more from a sense of formality (think of when you phone a funeral parlour), or is a conversational approach more suitable for you (think of when you phone a music shop)? This ensures the right tone of voice in the words of the script and the right one of voice for the voice speaking those words. VOICE.
It also helps avoid mismatched expectations, especially when aligning customer experience with branding.
Let’s go back to that funeral parlour example…
See?
Just think “what would the caller expect” and then don’t surprise them. Unless you’re a jack in the box manufacturer. Then it'd be ok.
A law firm might go for a more composed and formal tone, while a tech start-up might infuse its greeting with creativity, reflecting their innovative ways.
Language choice has the potential to help your business stand out. It can also subconsciously confuse people.
A good script can still turn out badly if your recording is duff.
Likewise, a bad script can turn out better than the above if it's recorded well.
But make everything good yeah?
Tips for creating an engaging tone
Like I’ve said a million times before, a telephone message is often someone’s first point of contact with your business, which means the tone you use can significantly influence a caller's perception.
Vocal tips to sound welcoming and engaged when recording
Smile when you speak - even though callers can’t see you, smiling affects your tone, making it warmer and more inviting. Try reading this very sentence out loud. Now do it again but with a massive smile. Hear the difference? This silly clip hopefully highlights how a smile can improve how you sound...
Stand up - this can help your voice sound more confident and clear. Your passages will all be open and standing tall is what important people do amirite? (I’m sitting on the floor btw).
If you want to be more casual, then be more casual when recording. Sit down, lean on the arm of your chair, etc.
Vary your pitch - use inflections (ups and downs) to avoid a monotonous delivery. Why should your caller be interested if you sound disinterested. But don’t go overboard. It sounds ridiculous.
Practice pacing - ensure your don’t talk to fast, you’ve got information you want the caller to understand.
Enunciate clearly - articulate your words to prevent any misunderstandings. But not like this.
None of these examples mean you should do a 'telephone voice' either. It sounds stupid.
Here's a few more tips to record a better voicemail for your business.
And here's some tips for voiceover more generically but they still cross over and make sense here.
Listening back
Record your greeting, then listen back. How does it sound? Did someone cough in the background? Does your voice convey the message you intended? Do you sound bored? Too fast? If there’s anything that makes you wince or feel awkward… actually let’s think of that another way… if there’s anything that makes you say “oh that doesn’t matter” or if you listen back and say “that’ll do”, then it quite obviously isn’t good enough.
If you’re brave enough, get feedback from someone you work with.
Keeping your greeting updated
Ugh, there’s nothing worse than out of date greetings. My doctor’s surgery still has a message that says “due to the pandemic…” MOVE ON DUDE.
Old voicemails can give the impression you don’t care, or worse, that you’ve been closed for a long time. Regular updates to your voicemail greeting keeps things fresh and in line with the rest of your business.
Think about seasonal changes, current promotions, or updated business hours. When something in your business changes, so should your telephone messaging. Ok, maybe not everything. You don’t need to tell everyone why Dan got sacked. It’s too gross.
You could even schedule a review of your voicemail every quarter OMG. This will help you keep on top of things like if you’ve changed messages to tie in with bank holidays or Christmas hours. Don’t forget to change them back!
(Quick tip: make sure the person who records the updates is the person who
done them last time. Consistency is key!)
Avoiding common voicemail mistakes
The perfect voicemail can exist. But you need to be aware of potential pitfalls. Many people will end up compromising a first impression by falling into these avoidable traps when recording their message...
Common pitfalls to avoid in your voicemail greeting
Make it too long and you’ll have an annoyed caller. Keep your greeting brief and to the point.
Poor audio quality reflects negatively on you. IT DOES. Record in a quiet environment with the best equipment you can. You could do much worse than one of these Rode USB mics if you're recording into your phone.
Still with audio here… background noise like coughing, a printer going off, birds outside, the radio, a lorry going past is a no. If you hear anything other than your voice on the recording, do it again.
Outdated info is confusing. Keep your greetings updated.
If it doesn’t sound like your company speaking, do it again. Get that tone in line with your brand and business ethos.
Forgetting to mention response time leads to uncertainty, disappointment and dissatisfaction. Tell them when they can expect a reply.
Forcing someone to do it when they don't want to sets you up for BAD messages.
Wow, imagine seeing that when your phone rings ^
Misconceptions and errors
One common misconception is that a voicemail greeting is simply a message or doesn’t matter.
Let me tell you now…
A VOICEMAIL GREETING IS NOT JUST A MESSAGE AND IT DOES MATTER.
It sets the tone for communication down the track and can affect the caller's perception and actions. Sound like you’re hungover? They won’t want to leave a message. Sound like you’d rather be doing ANYTHING else? They won’t want to leave a message.
Underestimating the power of decent telephone messaging is a mistake.
And if this post hasn't persuaded you, check out these benefits of professionally recorded telephone messages.
(Sometimes, just sometimes, I find myself thinking it’s weird that I’m so passionate about this stuff.)
Using humour appropriately in voicemail greetings
A sprinkling of fun/humour in your voicemail greeting can do wonders for the caller’s experience, but only if it’s appropriate for your brand. Businesses should strike a balance to maintain a professional image while also presenting a relatable and approachable brand personality through subtle wit.
Have a listen to this award winning voicemail (yes, AWARD WINNING).
You might think this isn’t professional at all – but it is spot on with the company’s brand. They’re exactly how you’d expect from the voicemail, not taking themselves too seriously, but professional enough to have a voicemail recorded by yours truly.
Knowing your audience and brand voice when thinking about JOKES
Understand your audience and what you’ll have is effective communication. When trying a bit of humour in your voicemail greeting, think about what your typical customer is like, what do they enjoy and what do they expect from you?
Balancing professionalism with levity
Being professional doesn’t mean you can’t be fun with lighter tones or playful language. As long as you’re providing them with what they need (info) and you get what you need from them, a nice piece of wit can go a long way.
Subtle, suitable humour
Now, I’m certainly no stand up comedian so I’ll leave this mostly up to you. BUT I’ll have a go…
Example for a company that make’s safes.
“Sorry, we can’t come to the phone right now. We left it in one of our safes.”
Like I said, I’m not a comedian. MOVING ON….
Doing something like this acknowledges the missed call and softens the blow with a light joke.
Having a humorous yet professional message can differentiate your business in a crowded marketplace. I can almost guarantee that if you phoned the first 10 businesses in your area that you can think of (after hours so you can listen to the voicemail!), they wouldn’t have very interesting/good/fun messages.
Be different. Go the extra mile.
Summary (and I’ll try and be brief or you’ll think I’m not taking my own advice.)
There are lots of routes you can go down with regards to your company’s voicemail. Just make sure to always consider what the caller needs and wants and what you need and want.
Your customer wants to talk to someone.
You want happy customers because happy customers = ALL OF THE QUIDS!
Oh and be better than your competitors. At everything.
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