How to create a professional voicemail greeting + 22 examples

A professional voicemail greeting is a terrific opportunity to make a good impression, further a conversation, or give out useful information. They're easy to plan and set up, so there's no reason not to take full advantage of this communication opportunity—and even change it up frequently.

Spending just a bit of time planning your professional voicemail greeting can help you make a great first impression and reduce miscommunication. We'll discuss why it's so important and how to make the most of your voicemail greetings.

What is a professional voicemail greeting?

Professional voicemail greetings are the recorded messages that someone calling your business phone number hears if you don't pick up the phone.

A voicemail recording can be created for your individual phone line, for your department, or for the company as a whole. Some people and companies direct all callers right to a recorded voicemail message. This is common if the business wants to collect information from a caller before responding.

Professional voicemail greetings are different, however, from a recorded menu or phone tree. A professional voicemail usually includes a custom voicemail greeting and ends with a beep or tone that indicates the caller can begin recording their voice message.

A recorded menu or phone tree, on the other hand, is an automated system that typically allows the caller to dial an extension or menu option in order to reach the correct department or perform a certain action, like check an account balance.

Why is a professional voicemail greeting important?

Business voicemail greetings are important because you have an opportunity to make an impression of yourself and your business. You can show confidence. You can show that you're friendly. You can pull back the curtain and let people know where you're vacationing. You can be funny.

Although it may seem like an afterthought, a good voicemail greeting can:

• Establish credibility and make a great first impression
• Provide important details about your business
• Guide the caller to a next step
• Reduce miscommunication
• Act as a filter for legitimate calls and inquiries
  

With a little planning, you can use your voicemail to move your caller toward an outcome of your choosing.

What should you include in a professional voicemail greeting?

The key elements to include in a good professional voicemail greeting are:

• Your name and company - First, let people know they're in the right place.
• Your department and job title - While not essential, it can further help people know they've reached the right person.
• Acknowledge you missed the call - This could be as simple as "Sorry I couldn't answer your call." However, you could have a little fun here and let people know that you're out catching fish on the Rio Grande or skydiving in Ireland. Match your message to your brand image.
• Any information needed - These days we almost always know the caller's phone number. If you need additional information from the caller, clearly list out what you'd like them to include in their message
• Timeframe - Let them know when you expect to be able to return their call.
• Alternate communication or contact - If you'd rather people text or leave an email, let them know. If there's someone else they can call to get an answer, you can leave their information as well.
  

Voicemail greetings can have many different goals, so make sure you include what you need to accomplish your goal. Spend some time thinking about the outcome you want from the caller and how you can get them there with your message.

6 tips for recording a near-perfect voicemail greeting

We're not saying you need to post up in a recording studio to record your voicemail greeting, but we do have a few tips to help you sound professional and effectively manage missed calls.

1. Be friendly

Don't intimidate people by sounding too stiff, rehearsed, or monotone. You can convey confidence while still sounding like someone that people actually want to talk to.

Not sure how to sound more personable while having a one-way conversation with your phone? Try smiling while you record your message. Of course, nobody is going to see your facial expression, but it will come through in your voice and tone.

2. Write a script

In trying to convey confidence, it doesn't help if you have pauses and too many "ums" and "ahs." Write out a script or even a quick list of bullet points so you don't forget to include any important details.

3. Practice your script

Now that you have a script, you don't want to sound like you have a script. Read through it a few times to practice making it sound more like a real person talking. No, it's not a "cool" thing to do, but it only takes a few minutes and can help you achieve the desired outcome.

4. Be specific

Don't leave the caller wondering. If you're going to be gone for a bit, let them know. Tell them when they can expect to receive a call back or if there's another person they should contact more immediately. If you typically receive calls to find out hours of operation or learn a new product, provide that info in the voicemail.

5. Go somewhere quiet

Lots of background noise makes you sound less professional. Some people will be put off from talking to you in the future because they believe it'll be hard to hear you if they think it'll be noisy on your call. It's easy to go somewhere quiet, so it's worth the minimal effort to get it done.

6. Consider your audience

Who will be calling you? A voicemail message for a general office line may have information such as hours or other ways to communicate with the company. That's going to be different than someone in the company with a very specialized job who only gets calls for a specific reason.

22 professional voicemail greeting examples

While many people approach their business voicemail greeting as a set-it-and-forget-it mentality, it's a quick and inexpensive opportunity to convey current information and continue building a relationship with your contacts.

Consider creating a new voicemail for various scenarios, like when you're out of the office, experiencing an emergency situation, or celebrating a holiday.

These 22 professional voicemail greeting examples and scripts will help you quickly record custom voicemail greetings for various occasions.

Out-of-Office Voicemail Greetings

1. "Hi, this is [Name] with [Company], I'm currently on vacation with my family. If you could leave your name and number, I'll be able to get back to you when I'm back on [date]."
2. "Hey, it's [Name] at [Company]. I'm currently away on parental leave, and I won't be back until [Date]. Go ahead and call [Name] at [Number], and he can help you out. Thanks!"
3. "Hi, this is [Name] at [Company]. I'm unavailable at the moment. For immediate assistance, please contact [Alternate Name] at [Alternate number] or leave a message, and I'll return your call promptly."

Busy/Unavailable Voicemail Greetings

4. "Hello, you've reached [Name] with [Company]. I'm likely busy with another client at the moment—your best bet is to shoot me a text and I'll respond as soon as I'm able. Thanks!"
5. "Hey, this is [Name] from [Department] at [Company]. I'm currently unable to answer the phone, but if you leave your name, number, and a brief message, I'll call you back as soon as I can. Thanks!"
6. "Hello, you’ve reached [Name] at [Company]. I’m currently unable to answer your call. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message, and I’ll return your call within [Timeframe]."
7. "Hi, this is [Name] at [Company]. I’m sorry I missed your call. If you’re an existing client, please mention the best time for me to reach you. If you’re a new client, I’d love to learn more about how we can help. Please leave your details, and I’ll return your call as soon as possible."
8. "Hi, this is [Name] at [Company]. I’m away from the phone at the moment, but I’d love to chat. Leave your name, number, and a quick message, and I’ll get back to you soon."

Alternative Contact Voicemail Greetings

9. "Hi, this is [Name]'s phone. I'm away from my desk at the moment, but you can go ahead and call [Name] and [Number], and she'll be able to answer your questions. Otherwise, leave me a message, and I'll try to get back to you later today or tomorrow. Have a good one."
10. "Hello, you've reached customer support for [Company]. To submit a ticket for a technical issue, please email us as [Email]. You can generally receive a response within 2-3 hours. Otherwise, please chat us on our website at [URL]. Thanks!"
11. "Hi, this is [Company]. If you're calling about [Common Questions], please refer to the website at [URL]. Otherwise, please email us at [Email]. Thanks!"
12. "Hello, you've reached [Company]. We're currently backlogged with requests, so please send us an email at [Email] or give us a call back later. Thank you for understanding, and we apologize for the inconvenience."

After-Hours Voicemail Greetings

13. "Hi, you've reached [Company]. Our business hours are [Hours]. If you're calling outside of business hours, please leave your name and number, we'll call you back during the business day."
14. "Thank you for calling [Company]. Our office is currently closed. Our regular business hours are [Hours]. Please leave a message, and we’ll return your call the next business day."
15. "Thank you for calling [Company]. Our office is currently closed in observance of [Holiday]. Please leave your message, and we’ll get back to you when we return on [Date]."

Emergency/Technical Issue Voicemail Greetings

16. "You've reached [Company]. Unfortunately, our website is experiencing technical difficulties, and we apologize if you're unable to access your account. If this is an emergency, please call [Number], and we'll try to help you out as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience."
17. "Hi, you’ve reached [Department] at [Company]. All of our team members are currently assisting other clients. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message, and someone from our team will return your call shortly."

Seasonal/Holiday Voicemail Greetings

18. "Hi, you've reached [Company]. We're having our company Thanksgiving event! Once we've finished all the turkey and stuffing, we'll give you a call back. Go ahead and leave your name and number. Happy Turkey Day!"
19. "Thank you for calling [Company]. Our office is currently closed in observance of [Holiday]. Please leave your message, and we’ll get back to you when we return on [Date]."

General Business Voicemail Greetings

20. "Hey, you've reached [Name], the [Job Title] here at [Company]. I'd love to help you as soon as I get back to my desk. Let me know what you need, and I'll call you back. Thanks!"
21. "Hi, you've reached [Name] at [Company]. Please leave your name, phone, and reason for your call, and I'll get back to you ASAP. Thanks!"
22. "Thank you for calling [Company], where we specialize in [Service or Product]. We’re unable to take your call at the moment, but if you leave your name, number, and a message, we’ll return your call shortly. You can also visit our website at [URL] for more information."

Manage your inbound inquiries and leads

Need somewhere to track contacts and leads that come in through your business voicemail?

Streak CRM helps you track contacts and leads in your Gmail inbox. When someone leaves you a voicemail, you can easily record their details and automatically create a new contact page for each lead (or add to their existing one). When you're ready to return a call, review contact details, interaction history, and more in your pipelines and contact pages.

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