A week and one cracked filling later, I found myself in need of a
dentist. Remembering the impressive booklet I'd received earlier, I phoned
to schedule an appointment. The after-hours voicemail greeting came on, and
what I heard on the other end left a distinctly different impression on me.
Yikes!!! Could this possibly be the same dental office with the smiling,
knowledgeable staff and pleased-as-punch patients featured throughout their
pamphlet? I hung up the phone wondering why a business would invest so much
in what their clients see then sabotage their image by dismissing the
importance of what their clients hear.
It is possible that your potential customers are having the same
experience when they hear your company's voicemail greeting. The reality is
callers quickly form an opinion of a business by what they hear on the other
end. Here are the five great tips for creating ear-catching voicemail
greetings:
DO look at your phone greeting as a marketing tool. Include your
company's tagline when announcing the company name. (e.g., "Thank you for
calling the office of Bell Dentistry - making Orange County smile brighter
since 1985".) It peaks the caller's interest.
DON'T use conventional voicemail language. Give your message a
personality. There are many creative ways to say "our office is closed" that
will incite the customer to call back during business hours.
DO "cast" a voice that best represents your company. Whether you
choose to use a professional voice talent or your secretary, the phone
message must be recorded with a clear, articulate, energetic and expressive
delivery.
DON'T overload your main greeting with too much information. Put
street directions, fax numbers, employee extensions, etc. into your system's
announcement mailboxes, if available. Callers can then retrieve only the
most relevant information.
DO call your own company from an outside line to listen to the
greeting from the caller's perspective. Does your customer have to listen to
an excessive amount of rings before the greeting is initiated? Does the
greeting provide clear instructions for accessing other extensions within
the system?
Every business, from major corporations to home-based operations should
take time to carefully consider their phone image. A well crafted greeting
takes very little time and money but it's as critical a marketing tool as
business cards and glossy mailers.
Pepper Hill has been the “voicemail voice” of businesses large and
small for over twenty years. Her studio, Voicemail Valet, specializes in
creating and recording corporate voicemail greetings, IVR prompts, on-hold
messages, website audio and voiceblast campaigns. For more tips and
information please visit
http://www.voicemailvalet.com
