The first impression is essential for every customer, that’s a golden rule for every business. And if for any reason you are unable to answer an incoming call, you should still make sure the caller isn’t left waiting and understands that they will be answered soon. This is where voicemail greetings enter into the picture, because they can effectively direct the caller towards leaving a message for you, proving that you do indeed care about your customers. How that greeting sounds matters a lot, and so we have gathered a few tips and methods to ensure those greetings are as professional as possible.
DIY: Less Professional, More Personal
Since all modern cloud phone systems support the option to upload your very own greetings in MP3 or WAV format, you can use this easy to follow method to make your greetings more personal. You don’t need to have engaged in any radio drama acting to record professional greetings with ease – though you’ll still need to think like a pro.
You should plan what you want to say: try writing the greeting down first, then edit it with the help of others (perhaps a test audience) to ensure it sounds professional, then practice reading it out loud multiple times before pressing the record button.
Keep in mind that the message can only be conveyed successfully if it is unique, upbeat, engaging, polite and informative. Try to keep it around 20–25 seconds long, avoid using clichés, and read with a smile on your face – you’ll sound more appealing in the recording as a result!
Read by a Professional: Guaranteed Success
If you feel like your voice is only good for imitating the sound of rusty nails scraping on chalkboards, or you just don’t enjoy listening to your own voice, you can hire a professional to read the greetings for you. Thankfully, there are plenty of companies that offer these kinds of services, whether they are related to cloud phone system providers (such as Snap Recordings, the voice studio partner of VirtualPBX) or they offer such systems as part of a wider service, as is the case with Grasshopper, RingCentral, iTeleCenter and Phone.com.
The advantage of this solution is that no matter what you jotted down as greeting, it will sound like it is read by a Shakespearean actor or, in the case of a foreign language, by a native speaker. The huge downside of professional voice recording is that it is very expensive: the smallest amount you have to pay for each recording is usually around $50, the monthly price of a truly enterprise-grade virtual phone system.
Freelancers: Professionals, Plan B
Another albeit not as convenient option is to hire the services of a freelancer, either by contacting them on their own website or via freelancer sites like Fiverr. Granted, you will need to enter into a contract with the professional every time you want a new greeting to be recorded, but freelancers have a huge advantage over voice studios: their services can be very cheap, so long as your greeting is kept short.
However, if you have a longer greeting, freelancers can adapt to your needs, calculating fully personalized prices. Furthermore, many freelancers are bilingual, allowing you to translate and record your greetings in languages other than English.
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