Over the past several weeks, I have received no less than 25 responses to my blog “The Death of the Traditional Out of Office,” and what the vast majority of people were commending it for was its approach to taking a behavior that is perceived as mindless, and making it intentional. So, remaining consistent with that narrative, another vital piece of your personal and professional brand is your voicemail.
I encourage you to call yourself and listen to your voicemail recording. I suspect, and can confirm as I listen to more than 50 voicemails a week, your voicemail states your name, you are not able to answer your phone, and a request to leave a name and number and you will call me back.
Let’s face it, if we are leaving a voicemail and we want a call back, we will leave our name and number. Let’s use that valuable real estate to add value, create memorable content and inspire others.
You are the face of your employer, no matter your title. Let your out of office and your voicemail speak to your brand.
3 Steps to re-recording your voicemail.
- SMILE. No you’re not taking a picture; however, you are leaving a voicemail and people can FEEL when you are smiling on the other end of the phone. Don’t take my word for it, just try it.
- Practice. Pretend as if someone is sitting in front of you and you are speaking directly to them. Life is not scripted, and you are not a robot. Practice recording until it sounds natural. People will respond much more positively to you if they can feel that personal touch.
- Add value! Value means telling your listener something you believe will inspire them, inform them, and/or enrich their day through your words.
See for yourself, below is a copy of my own voicemail. When recording mine, I can assure you I smiled, practiced several times, and intentionally added value to the recording. Try this with your own, and take note of the impact it has on the people who hear your voicemail.
“Hi, it’s Emily with entreQuest! Thanks for your call today. I’m likely in a meeting talking about the upcoming event, Betacity, on September 29th in Baltimore. It’s a celebration of innovators, leaders and makers in Baltimore all coming together. As soon as I’m available, I promise you’ll be the first one I call back. And if you’re interested in learning more about Betacity, make sure to ask me about it! Talk to you shortly and have a great rest of your day.”
