Are You Getting the Most from Your Business Voicemail? See our 7 Tips

If you have a business phone line, you likely have a business voice mailbox, too. However, are you using it the way you should?

Business voicemail sounds self-explanatory enough: ask callers to leave a message. However, voicemail is first and foremost a customer service tool, and there are a few things you can do to maximize its impact.

Use our seven expert tips to get the most from your business voicemail:

1 - Call Yourself

Look at your voicemail experience through the customer’s eyes by calling yourself:

Is your voicemail greeting loud enough? Is it easy to understand? Do you project a tone of warmth, friendliness, and appreciation? Do you ask the caller to leave a message or other details?

After hearing your voice mail greeting, you’re able to look for ways to improve it. Keep the caller experience top of mind to ensure you’re delivering on their expectations.

2 - Identify Your Business

One of the first things your voicemail message should state is the name of your company. If you’re unable to answer the phone and your voicemail answers, this lets the caller know they’ve reached the right place.

3 - Add a Call to Action

Though most callers know to leave a message, please don’t leave it to chance. Please include what you want your caller to say when they leave a message. Name, number, and a few details are reasonably standard, but let the caller know if they should include anything else in their message.

4 - Use It as a Marketing Tool

Since you’ve got your caller’s attention, why not use your voicemail box as a marketing tool? You don’t have to try to sell them on something specific. However, you could include your company tagline in your greeting, or ask them to state whether they’re calling about a particular promotion. Don’t be afraid to get creative and use your voicemail time wisely.

5 - Infuse Your Personality

In a world of digital everything, it’s easy for callers to feel like they’re talking to machines and not people. That’s why it’s crucial to sound personable in your greeting.

Don’t opt for the standard message. Instead, switch it up a little to show you’re a real person and aren’t afraid to think outside the box. At the very least, it will get their attention and make you stand out.

6 - Transcribe Your Voicemail

Ideally, you’re using a virtual business phone system that can turn your voicemail messages into texts or emails. You can log into your user interface to set up this feature, so you never miss a word.

7 - Change Your Voicemail Message

Don’t forget to keep your voicemail greeting fresh. It gives callers something new to listen to and shows you’re proactively thinking about their experience. Also, you want to make sure you’re changing out holiday messages and keeping your business hours updated.

Your voicemail has an outstanding job: to take calls on your behalf. The last thing you want to do is ruin it with a lousy caller experience. Use our above tips to get started with a voicemail greeting your callers will pay attention to, because happy callers make you satisfied, too!