Recording a professional voicemail greeting as an insurance agent seems simple at first, but it’s easy to overlook basic things that might turn prospects away. A professional and informative voicemail greeting can boost your credibility and invites whoever’s on the other end to continue the relationship. As you can imagine, an unprofessional greeting (or perhaps one that’s just not thought through) does the opposite: it casts doubt in your competency and encourages your prospects to run in the other direction.
The Basics of a Professional Voicemail Greeting
At its most basic level, your voicemail greeting should include the following:
- your name and title
- what information you’d like them to leave in your voicemail
- alternative ways to contact you (if applicable)
- when to expect a return call from you
But, as with all communication, there’s more to a professional greeting than just the above content. Your tone, your cadence, and your confidence are part of what people will hear. If this is their first impression of you, it should be the best impression you can give. So, to get started, here are eight tips you should consider when recording your voicemail greeting for your business.
Simple Things to Improve Your Voicemail
1. Sound Upbeat
No one wants to hear a monotone, uninterested individual on the other end of the greeting. Trust us, it’s obvious to people when you aren’t happy in your voicemail. In order to sound upbeat, be sure to record your greeting with a smile on your face.
2. Be Concise
The ideal greeting should be about 30-45 seconds – but that doesn’t mean you talk as quickly as possible! Keep your cadence slow and clear so your prospects can understand you. Once you’ve identified yourself and your title, always consider the first reason they might be calling and address that first.
3. State Reachable Hours
You may want to be available 24/7 or you may want to train your clients and prospects to reach you within specific business hours. If the latter is the case, state this in your voicemail. For example, “I am available by phone from [time – time] Monday through Friday.” Many callers will appreciate this as they might prefer to speak directly with you instead of leaving a voicemail.
4. Request Details
Request the caller to leave the details you need to fulfill their request. For example, “If calling to register for a seminar, leave your name and telephone number.” Alternatively, you can ask them to leave the reason they are calling. This is useful for you to determine if it requires an immediate response.
5. Give Alternatives
There may be circumstances where a caller can get their needs fulfilled more quickly if they contact you through email or your website. If this is the case, state this in your voicemail. For example, “If calling for Medicare quotes, please email at [email] with your name, contact phone number, date of birth and zip code. I will respond within 48 hours.”
6. Repeat Yourself
When giving prospects lists or alternative contact methods, make sure to repeat yourself. They may not be ready for you to list your email and find themselves scrambling for a pen and paper. So, after you’ve said it the first time, come back around and repeat it slowly one more time. For example, “Once again, that’s [email] and I’ll need your name, contact phone number, date of birth and zip code.”
7. Rehearse (and then rehearse again)
Don’t just wing it. Think through what you want to say and then write down your message before recording it. Read it aloud several times, practicing where you want to pause or give emphasis to certain words. The more you’ve rehearsed, the easier the message will be to record with pizazz and professionalism.
8. Avoid Background Noise
Background noise can make it difficult for your callers to understand your greeting. It can also be distracting or just seem unprofessional. So, don’t record your greeting in a loud coffee shop, somewhere windy, or in a tiled room that will echo.
3 Example Scripts for a Professional Voicemail Greeting
Putting all these tips together, here are some possible scripts that may help you form your own professional greeting. Don’t forget to smile!
Example Script 1:
“Hi, you’ve reached [name], [title]. If you are calling for Medicare information or quotes, please state your name, contact phone number, date of birth and zip code. Again, that was your name, contact phone number, date of birth and zip code. For all other inquiries, please state your name, number, and the nature of your call and I will respond within [time frame]. Have a great day.”
Example Script 2:
“Hello, you’ve reached [name], [title]. If you require a quick response, please email me at [email]. Again, that’s [email]. If it’s not urgent, leave me a message with your name, number, and the nature of your call and I will respond within [time frame]. Have a great day.”
Example Script 3:
“Thank you for calling [name], [title]. If you are a client [leave instructions]. If you are looking for insurance quotes or information [leave instructions]. Otherwise, please leave your name, number, and the reason you called, and I’ll get to back to you ASAP.”
Lastly, we’ll leave you with one bonus tip for recording a professional voicemail greeting: don’t record your voicemail yourself. Instead, pay someone else to record it for you. It’s simple, but it works!