Best professional voicemail greetings for 2023

In today’s fast-paced business world, first impressions are crucial.

One of the first things your clients may hear from you is your voicemail message. A well-crafted voicemail message can leave a lasting impression and help you stand out. 

In this post, we’ll: 

• Go over the elements of an excellent professional voicemail message, 
• Give you some tips and tricks for creating a great message, and 
• Share some examples of professional voicemail messages.

Let’s start.

What are the elements of a great professional voicemail greeting?

A professional voicemail message is a recorded message that lets the recipient know you are unable to take the call at that moment.

The focus of your voicemail message should be on making the caller feel appreciated and informed. 

As it is prerecorded, you have the ability to craft it carefully and make sure you include all necessary information and make it engaging.

Let’s see what the essential elements of a good voicemail message are.

Element #1: Your information 

First of all, a voicemail needs to include relevant information.

At the very start of the message, state your name and the name of your company. This way, the caller will know that they’ve reached the right person. 

Furthermore, if you feel it’s necessary, you can state your position.

You can also include your office hours so that they’ll know what time you’re available.

Element #2: A thank you and sorry 

The next important element of a good voicemail message is a thank you.

You should thank the person for calling to show your appreciation. This will surely lighten the mood of the person who unsuccessfully tried to contact you.

In the same breath, you can apologize for missing their call. 

This simple gesture will make the caller feel appreciated and valued, and help prevent them from feeling annoyed for not reaching you.

Element #3: Reason for missing the call

Your appreciation should be followed by the reason you’re unavailable in the first place.

You don’t need to go into detail about why you’re not picking up, but if you have a straightforward reason such as “I’m on holiday”, use it.
If you want to be more general, just state that you’re currently unavailable.

Follow this by stating when you will be able to get in touch so that the caller knows when to expect to hear from you.

Element #4: Alternate way of communication

This element will depend on your industry and your work-life balance.

If you’re in a position that requires you to be available 24/7, it may be a good idea to include an alternative way the caller can reach you.

You can state your email address or another phone number.

However, if your work day ends at five o’clock and you want to keep it that way, don’t feel obligated to include this information.

You have the right to not be contacted after working hours. In some countries, it’s actually illegal for your company to contact you after your work day has ended. And according to research, more employees want this to be the law. 

Element #5: Nonverbal communication

When you’re recording your voicemail message, pay attention to your nonverbal communication.

Although the caller won’t see you, your voice does reveal a lot about you.

Firstly, maintain a light and pleasant tone throughout your message. Make sure to sit upright and maintain a good posture to sound more confident.

Another way to sound more pleasant is to smile while you’re talking. This can really lighten up your voice.

Make sure to speak clearly and at a slow enough pace so that the caller can get all the information they need.

Avoid mumbling or speaking too fast.

Element #6: Length

Although it may seem that there are a lot of elements that go into a voicemail message, the end product shouldn’t go on for too long. 

If you keep talking for too long, you risk the chance that the caller will become bored and hang up before leaving their information.

Therefore, make sure to keep it under 30 seconds.

The caller will appreciate the concise way you’ve laid out all the necessary information.

Element #7: Personal touch

Adding a personal touch to your message can be a fun way to engage the caller and elicit a positive response.

However, you have to be mindful of your industry and position. 

If you’re a senior partner at a large firm, you may want to lay off the jokes. 

But if you know that your position doesn’t warrant direct communication with important clients and most of your missed calls will be from colleagues — maybe you can get away with a more informal voicemail message. 

Element #8: Call to action

Last but not least, make sure to include a call to action.

This encourages the caller to take a specific action after listening to the voicemail message. 

Here are some examples of how a CTA can be implemented:

“Leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible.”

“For any further information, please visit our website at [website].”

“Leave your name and number, and I will contact you soon.”

“Leave a message with your information after the beep.”

“If you urgently need me, please email me at [email address] to get in touch.”

Examples of great professional voicemail greetings

Below you’ll find some examples of different types of voicemail messages.

Feel free to use these examples when recording your message or take inspiration and create your own.

Examples of formal professional voicemail greetings

Here are some examples of general, formal greetings that you can use for a variety of purposes:

“Hello, you have reached [name of company]. We cannot take your call at the moment. Please leave your name and number. We will return your call soon. Thank you.”

“Hi, thank you for calling [name of company]. I am busy at this time. Please leave your name and number and I will call you back soon. Thank you for calling. Have a nice day!”

“Hello, you’ve reached [your name] at [company name]. I’m unavailable at this moment. Please leave your message after the beep. I look forward to connecting with you soon. Thank you and have a good day.”

“Hi, this is [your name] from [company name]. Sorry for missing your call. Please leave a message after the beep. If you prefer an email, you can write to me at [email address]. I will get back to you soon. Best regards.”

Examples of vacation professional voicemail greetings

Here are some examples of voicemail messages you can record before taking off on your vacation:

“Hi, you’ve reached [your name] at [your company]. Thank you for calling. I’m away on vacation until [date]. Please leave your name and number and I’ll return your call when I come back to the office. Have a great day.”

“Hi, you’ve called [your name] at [your company]. I’m currently living it up in Europe on vacation so I won’t be answering calls until I get back. Be sure to leave a message with your information so I can get in touch. Gracias!”

“Hello, you’ve reached [your name]. I’m currently on vacation, and won’t be back until [date]. Leave your contact information and I’ll get in touch as soon as I come back. Thank you for calling and have a great day.”

“Hello, this is [your name] from [your company]. Thank you for calling. I’m not in the office until [date]. In the meantime, you can contact [coworker’s name] at [email address] and they can answer any questions you have. Bye-bye.”

Examples of holiday professional voicemail greetings

Here are a few examples of voicemail greetings for the holidays:

“Hi, you’ve reached [your name]. Our office is closed today due to a public holiday. Leave your name and number, and I will get back to you by the end of the day tomorrow. Thank you.”

“Hi, thank you for calling [company name]. This is [your name]. We are closed today because of the public holiday. Leave a message with your information, and I will contact you as soon as possible. Have a great day.”

“Hello and Merry Christmas. You’ve reached [your name]. If you’re listening to this message, it means I’m out of the office for the holidays. Please leave a message with your name and number, and I will return your call as soon as I get back. Thank you and happy holidays.”

“Hi, you’ve reached [your name]. Thank you for calling. We’re closed for the holidays until [date]. Do leave a message and I will return your call when I get back. Happy holidays.”

“Hello. Thank you for calling [company name]. Our team is currently celebrating the holidays and will be back in the office on [date]. Leave a message and we’ll reach out to you as soon as we get back. If you have any questions, please feel free to email our support team at [email address]. Happy holidays.”

Examples of sick leave professional voicemail greetings

If you’re on sick leave, use some of these examples of voicemail messages:

“Hi, you’ve reached [your name]. I apologize for missing your call. I’m currently away on sick leave. Please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you for calling and have a great rest of the day.”

“Hello, this is [your name] at [your company]. I’m currently out of the office on sick leave. I’m not sure of the exact time I’ll get back, but I would love to return your call as soon as possible. Leave your information after the beep. Thank you for calling.”

“You’ve reached [your name] at [company name]. I’m on sick leave for the rest of the week. If you need urgent help, contact me at [email address]. If not, leave a message, and I’ll call you back. Thank you and goodbye.”

“Hello, this is [your name]. I cannot take your call right now, but please leave a message and I’ll return your call as soon as I come back from sick leave. Thank you.”

Examples of funny professional voicemail greetings

As mentioned before, if you work in a more informal setting, you may be able to add a personal touch to your message, like in these examples:

“Hello, you’ve reached [your name]. I’m currently not taking calls because…well, I don’t feel like it. Leave a message and I’ll call you back as soon as possible. Thanks.”

“Hi, this is [your name] at [your company]. I’m away from the phone, so you can leave a message after the beep. But, make sure it’s something actually important, I don’t want to waste my time. Thanks for calling.”

“Hi, this is [your name]. I’m away on vacation and I really don’t want to come back to a million messages. So, if you have something to say, make sure it matters. Leave a message after the beep. Thanks.”

“Hello, you’ve reached [your name]. I’m not in the mood to talk, but if you start your message with a nice compliment, I may just call you back. Thanks for calling and have a great day.”

“Hello, you’ve reached [your name]. If this is Jack from HR calling, don’t even bother leaving a message, I don’t want to talk to you. If it’s anyone else, please leave a message with your name and number and I will call you back as soon as possible. Thanks.”

However, always remember to stay professional and don’t get carried away with these types of messages.

Not everyone will appreciate your sense of humor, and it can be received negatively. 

With these types of messages, make sure to put a smile on your face to sound cheerful and not annoyed.

If there’s any chance you may offend a caller, opt for a more professional greeting instead.

Tips for proper professional voicemail etiquette 

After going through these examples, you’re one step closer to a great professional voicemail message. Let’s just go over a few etiquette tips to make sure you know what is expected of you in a professional setting. 

Tip #1: Update voicemail with new information

If you’ve recently switched positions or changed your email address, don’t forget to update your voicemail message with the new information.

This will avoid any misunderstandings or missed messages.

Even if your information hasn’t changed, it’s a good idea to change it from time to time.

If you have clients who you talk to regularly, they will appreciate the change.

Tip #2: Check voicemail regularly 

Don’t just set it and forget it.

Make sure to keep on top of all of your missed calls and messages. 

Make it a habit to check first thing when you come into the office, or set a reminder at some other time in the day.

This will ensure that you never miss any important messages and show the caller that you’re on top of your game.

Tip #3: Don’t ignore calls

We’re all guilty of it. You’re sitting there and you hear your phone ring, but you really don’t feel like taking the call right then and there.

That can sometimes be the right thing to do, especially if you are overwhelmed, but don’t make it a habit. It’s easier to pick up the phone when you can than to have multiple missed calls that you need to catch up on later.

Therefore, if you can answer the phone, do it.

Tip #4: Be aware of your environment

When you’re recording your message, look around you.

Is there a paper shredder going or colleagues chatting in the office? Make sure to get away from the noise.

You should be in a quiet environment to avoid distractions from background noise.

Not only can that be distracting for you, but it can also be hard to listen to. 

Be especially mindful of any background chatter as that can blend in with your voice and make it hard to distinguish.

Tip #5: Be polite and professional

All in all, the most important thing to remember is to always be polite and professional.

Make sure to:

• Use appropriate language, 
• Keep the message clear and concise, and 
• Keep in mind that this is your chance of a good first impression. 

Bonus tip: Write out your message before recording

If you’re finding it hard to record a great voicemail message, why don’t you try writing it out?

If you’re not great at improvisation or the phone gives you anxiety, this may help. You may find it easier to read your message from a script rather than memorizing it.

Use our examples, or come up with your own and write it down on a piece of paper. 

When you hit record you only have to read your message without thinking about it too much.

However, do be mindful of the way you read it. 

Try to sound natural and spontaneous, rather than rehearsed.

With this tip, you may be well on your way to a great voicemail message that doesn’t cause you anxiety to set up.

Conclusion: Always stay polite and professional

Using the tips and tricks in this blog post, you will surely be able to craft the perfect professional voicemail message.

Use this as an opportunity to connect with your clients and showcase a professional and friendly attitude.

You can use our examples or take inspiration from them and write your own.

Just make sure you remember to be:

• Be clear and concise,
• Maintain a polite and professional tone, and
• Stay on top of your inbox.

✉️ What about you? Do you have a need for a voicemail in your position? Do you struggle with finding the right words to use in a professional message?
Share your experience and tips at blogfeedback@pumble.com and we may include your answers in this or future posts. If you liked this blog post and found it useful, share it with someone you think would also benefit from it.