How to Leave a Professional Voicemail

Without a doubt, you will be required to leave voicemails on a regular basis, in both your personal and professional life. We’ve come up with 5 quick tips to help you leave a voicemail that is courteous, professional, and will garner a response!

1. State the receiver’s name

Oftentimes people are working on another task when checking their voicemails, so by stating their name upfront, you can help to grab their attention. When you start your message with, “Hi, Kevin,” Kevin immediately knows that this message is in fact intended for him.

2. Say your name within the first sentence

What’s the best follow up to “Hi, Kevin?” Stating your own name! Regardless of how frequently you speak with the recipient, don’t leave them guessing as to who the message is from. If the listener is unclear who the voicemail is from, you’ve likely lost his or her attention for the remainder of the message.

3. Leave a message with purpose

Never leave a message that just says “This is Jamie. Call me back when you can. Bye!” Without a true purpose to your call, the receiver has no reason to call you back. Not stating the reason for your message can make you come across as ill-prepared or unprofessional.

4. Be prepared

If the message beep is coming and you find yourself scrambling to put together words, hang up! A well-written follow-up email (hyperlink to email article) will be 100% more effective than a half-baked voicemail.

5. Keep your message brief

As a general rule, voicemails should never last more than 60 seconds. The effectiveness of a voicemail is often directly related to its brevity.

Download this quick tool to keep handy next time you leave a message!