How to Create Business Voicemail Greetings

As a small business, it’s important to find ways to keep your customers engaged, even when you aren’t able to answer the phone. Though social media marketing and e-commerce business models are becoming more prominent, connecting to customers by phone is still a tried and true staple of the business world. Your voicemail greeting is an opportunity for you to engage with your customers, an important touchpoint no small business should neglect. Maybe your business already has a voicemail greeting, but you’ve found it confuses your customers. Or perhaps you’re simply not sure how to create a voicemail message for your business that is informative, effective, and represents your business well. We’ll walk you through the process of creating a business voicemail greeting that leaves the right impression on your customers. What is a voicemail greeting? A voicemail greeting is a recorded message that callers hear when they call a business. It is typically used to inform the caller that the business is not available to take their call and provide instructions on how to leave a message. Why is a professional voicemail greeting important? Voicemail greetings are an important part of any business’s customer service strategy and can be used to provide helpful information or a professional impression. Some businesses may also use voicemail greetings to provide automated customer service options and instructions or a temporarily closed message. By providing a professional and informative voicemail greeting, businesses can ensure that their customers are well taken care of and that their calls are handled efficiently. Steps to create a professional voicemail greeting for a small business Creating a professional voicemail greeting is an important part of any business’s customer service strategy. Here are the steps to creating a professional voicemail greeting: Choose a Greeting: First, decide what type of greeting you would like your customers to hear. Some common options include a standard “Thank you for calling” message, a more personalized greeting, or a message with specific instructions. We share tips for creating a voicemail greeting script with examples below. Decide Who Will Record the Greeting: You may choose to have a staff member record the greeting, or you may opt to use an automated system that allows you to record a message from your own computer. Record the Greeting: Once you’ve decided who will record the greeting, use the appropriate software or equipment to record the message. Make sure to speak clearly and enunciate your words. Make any Necessary Edits: After recording the message, listen back to ensure that the message is clear and professional. Make any necessary edits before moving on to the next step. Upload or Save the Greeting: Once you’ve recorded and edited the message, upload or save the greeting to your voicemail system. Your customers will now hear this professional greeting when they call your business. 5 tips for creating a professional business voicemail greeting 1. Use a friendly, inviting tone in the voicemail greeting Remember that your voicemail greeting is a tool for customer engagement and service. Apply the same tone and approach to the voicemail greeting that you would use when you chat with a potential customer in your store or shop. Avoid a generic, bland greeting like, “This is [name], and you’ve reached [business name]. Leave a message.” Instead, give the message a more welcoming tone. For example, you might start with “Hello” or “Hi, there.” You can then thank the customer for calling, similar to how you might show appreciation for a customer who visits your store, such as, “Hello, thank you so much for calling [business name]. I’m away from the phone right now, but please leave a message, and I will call you back as soon as I can.” You can also add a line to show your appreciation and your commitment to customer service, such as, “Your call is valued, so do leave your name and number, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.” 2. Keep the voicemail message informative and concise Make it easy for customers to leave a message, as you don’t want to risk them hanging up due to an overly long or complicated greeting. Your business voicemail message should not be longer than 20-30 seconds long, and the shorter, the better. Provide just enough information, with a friendly tone, for your customers, so they’re encouraged to leave you a message. Include contact options in the greeting If you have a different number or extension for emergencies, or immediate requests, you might mention this in your voicemail message. For example, you might say, “For immediate requests, please dial ‘0’ to reach our head office” or “If you need immediate support, please contact my assistant at [number].” You could also include your business’ website or email. For example, you could say, “Find us online at [business website]” or “I can be reached by email at [email address].” However, only include this option if you are sure it will be of help to your customers. The last thing you want to do in a voicemail message is lead your customers to a dead end. Use a hold or call back option If you can set a hold feature on your voicemail, make sure you let customers know they can access this option. For example, your message might say. “I’m currently assisting another customer, but if you’d like to remain on hold, press ‘0’.” This might be a good option if you tend to get a lot of phone calls from customers at once, and you have limited hours when you can answer the phone. Some voicemail services also allow you to set a call-back number option, where a customer can input their number directly to make it easier for you to call them back. You may note in your voicemail message, “To leave a call back number, please press ‘1’.” Customers often respond well to this option, as it ensures you receive their number and can call them back easily. 3. Sign off on a positive note in the voicemail message Wrap up the voicemail greeting with a sign off that is reassuring and ends the message on a high note. For example, you might end the greeting with, “Hope you have a wonderful day,” “We look forward to connecting with you,” or “Thank you for your call and speak to you soon.” Your complete voicemail message may sound like, “Hello, thank you for calling [business name]. I’m away from the phone right now, but please leave your name and number, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks and speak to you soon.” 4. Practice before you record the voicemail greeting Write down the voicemail greeting in full and practice it out loud a few times before you press record. You might also ask an employee or co-worker to review the message to get their feedback and make sure it is striking the right chord. Most voicemail message services allow you to record the greeting and play it back to confirm it suits your needs and sounds good. You may need to record the greeting a few times to get the right tone and ensure it is as concise and informative as possible. 5. Test your voicemail message Call your business phone and let it go to voicemail so you can listen to the greeting, just like a customer would. Confirm that it works correctly so you can avoid any technical issues or lost messages from customers. Small business voicemail greeting examples You might be asking yourself, "what is a good voicemail greeting for a business?". Here are 6 short and professional voicemail greeting templates that you can use to get started: 1. Sample business voicemail greeting script Thank you for calling [Business Name]. We're not able to answer right now, but please leave a message and we'll get back to you shortly. For other inquiries, please visit our website at [website address] or contact us at [phone number]. Have a great day! 2. Sample business voicemail greeting script with urgent contact info Hello, you've reached [Business Name], your go-to for [business services]. Please leave us a message and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. If you need immediate assistance, you can also reach us at [phone number]. Have a great day and thank you for calling! 3. Sample call center voicemail greeting script Hello, this is [business name]. Please leave a message after the tone and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. For general inquiries, press 1. For sales inquiries, press 2. To reach customer service, press 3. For all other inquiries, please leave a message and we’ll get back to you shortly. Thank you for calling! Have a wonderful day. 4. Sample formal business voicemail greeting script with extension info Good morning, you have reached [Business Name]. Our office hours are [business hours]. If you know your party’s extension, you may dial it at any time. To speak to a representative, please press 0. Thank you for calling [Business Name]. Have a great day! 5. Sample leave-a-message business voicemail script Hi, you've reached [Business Name]. We're currently unavailable, however please leave a message and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. You can also contact us at [phone number] or email us at [email address]. We look forward to hearing from you! 6. Sample short business voicemail greeting script Welcome to [Business Name]. We're not available to take your call right now, but please leave a message and we'll get back to you soon. Thank you for calling and have a great day! Don't forget to respond promptly to your business voicemail Once you have a voicemail greeting you’re happy with and feel customers will respond well to, don’t let your voicemail messages pile up. Be responsive to your customers and try to get back to them within 2-4 business days. Following up promptly will ensure your customers stay engaged with your business and receive excellent customer service. It can also boost your business sales and help you retain your customers, so they’ll be sure to call you again. Use a professional business voicemail greeting to stand out! Though larger corporations and businesses are moving away from voicemail greetings, especially as much of their customer service is online or through social media, this doesn’t mean small businesses should follow suit. In fact, your customers will appreciate the high-touch service you can provide through an engaging voicemail greeting. You can stand out among your competitors and have a friendly, human voice for customers to connect with. Your business voicemail greeting is also your opportunity to gain and retain customers. Every voicemail message you receive is a lead that could result in a sale, or a repeat customer. Your voicemail greeting can help to increase your sales, and maintain a positive relationship with your customers.