Effective Message Writing Guidelines

Before you consider having us professionally record your answering machine or voice mail message for you, here are some suggestions to help you write the best possible outgoing greeting for your business or company.

Write the message as if it were being spoken aloud, not read silently.

Keep your message brief and to the point, thirty seconds or less.

Stress the single most important benefit of your products or services in the first ten seconds of your message.

Keep the tone of the copy professional, but friendly.

Avoid negative phrases like "we're too busy". They sound insincere and off-putting.

Don't promise a return call unless you are absolutely certain you can do it in a timely fashion.

Make the message upbeat and positive. Create a desire for the caller to leave a message by sounding like a business they want to do business with.

Here's an example:

"Hello, and thank you for calling PowerHouse Marketing, providing cost-effective fundraising for animal shelters throughout the United States. We appreciate your call and look forward to speaking with you. If you're calling to speak with Steve, Stephanie or anyone else in the office, please leave a detailed message at the tone, and we'll get back to you just as soon as possible. Thank you!"

Here's a variation:

"Hello, and thank you for calling PowerHouse Marketing, providing cost effective fundraising for animal shelters throughout the United States. All of our representatives are currently helping other callers. Rather than keep you waiting indefinitely, please allow us to return your call by leaving your name, telephone number and the best time to reach you at the tone. We'll return your call just as soon as possible. Thank you!"

Need a message longer than thirty seconds? That's no problem. Just call for a free quote. We'll provided a discounted rate that's based on the total time involved. We can write, produce and deliver your custom outgoing message for a lot less than you might think!

800-875-4995

24 hours