Summer is fast approaching, bringing with it vacations and the tedious task of recording (and writing) “out of office” voice messages.
Tips for Recording your Out-of-Office Voicemail Greeting
Remember the Three R’s? That’s what we’ll use here.
1. ‘Rite
2. Rehearse
3. Record
1. Write it Out
Don’t go off-the-cuff. It’s easy to overlook important information your caller will want to have, and tempting to say more than you need to say.
Voicemail greetings (like voice messages) are best when they are brief and to the point.
2. Rehearse it
Practice your new greeting so that your enunciation and information are clear, saving your caller from making a second call to clarify your message.
Try this simple script which is broken down into three easy parts:
Part 1: Who, Where, and When
“This is an out of office notification for
I will be out of the office from to .
I am returning to the office on .”
What is the first thing you notice? The greeting starts with “Out of the office”. Many people will by-pass a greeting. It is imperative that you alter the introduction immediately to alert your caller that something is different. They will not be tempted to press # to skip.
Remember to include the date which you actually return to the office.
Part 2: Whether or not messages will be checked in your absence
“I will not be accessing my voicemail or email during my absence.”
OR
“I will have limited access to my messages during my absence.”
Indicate how frequently you will be checking in… and stick to it.
OR
“I will be checking regularly for messages during my absence.”
If you have indicated you will be checking messages, ensure that you do so. If your ability to do so changes, remember to update your greeting.
Part 3: Whom your caller should contact if the matter is urgent
“If the matter is urgent, please contact who can be reached at .”
3. Record it
After you’ve prepared and rehearsed your greeting: record!
Tip: have someone else call your voicemail and check your greeting. You may not hear your own omissions.
Oh, and the fourth R?
Remember to update your greeting upon your return. We will call that a Re-Record.
Would you like more voicemail recording tips? Check our blog posting: Voice-Mail Technique: Recording Your Own Message