If you have a home-based business, chances are customers get a voice mail message when they call outside of business hours. Is your recorded greeting professional? Does it sound crisp, clean, and trustworthy or is there a dog barking and a washing machine spinning in the background? It's crucial your voice mail greeting sounds as professional as possible. After all, the message your callers hear is akin to that all important "first impression."
Many home-based business and small business owners try to record their own greetings. That's OK and it may work if done properly. Here are some things to keep in mind when recording your welcome message.1. Avoid Built-in GreetingsBe sure to use a wired phone to record your greeting rather than a mobile phone. Even if you have the best cellular service, the quality rendered on a cell phone will likely not be as good as a wired phone. You don't want a crackly recording on your greeting.
3. Remove All Background NoisePrepare what you are going to say, which for most people means writing it down. The trick is to read from a script without sounding like you are -- make sure your voice and cadence sound natural. Practice on a few friends or your spouse beforehand. 4. Prepare a ScriptDon't have that impressive speaker's voice? Or maybe you want a more professional touch on your voice mail greeting? ProVoiceGreetings is a company that provides custom-recorded, professional greetings for small businesses. The service is surprisingly affordable; for less that $40 you can have a customized greeting recorded for you. The company also offer a service that lets you upload the greeting to your voice mail system.
For a treasure trove of advice on how to operate a home business, don't miss 101 Secrets to Running a Successful Home-Based Business.
This slideshow was derived from the article Tips for Creating Professional Voice Mail Greetings by Frank Ross.5. Hire a Professional VoiceIf you have a home-based business, you may think marketing is an unnecessary expense. But, in fact, since your business has no storefront to attract attention, you actually need more marketing efforts than traditional businesses do -- not less.
Be sure to check out 10 Marketing Tools for Home-Based Businesses for some good tips and advice.
Many home-based business and small business owners try to record their own greetings. That's OK and it may work if done properly. Here are some things to keep in mind when recording your welcome message.1. Avoid Built-in GreetingsBe sure to use a wired phone to record your greeting rather than a mobile phone. Even if you have the best cellular service, the quality rendered on a cell phone will likely not be as good as a wired phone. You don't want a crackly recording on your greeting.
3. Remove All Background NoisePrepare what you are going to say, which for most people means writing it down. The trick is to read from a script without sounding like you are -- make sure your voice and cadence sound natural. Practice on a few friends or your spouse beforehand. 
4. Prepare a ScriptDon't have that impressive speaker's voice? Or maybe you want a more professional touch on your voice mail greeting? ProVoiceGreetings is a company that provides custom-recorded, professional greetings for small businesses. The service is surprisingly affordable; for less that $40 you can have a customized greeting recorded for you. The company also offer a service that lets you upload the greeting to your voice mail system. For a treasure trove of advice on how to operate a home business, don't miss 101 Secrets to Running a Successful Home-Based Business.
This slideshow was derived from the article Tips for Creating Professional Voice Mail Greetings by Frank Ross.
5. Hire a Professional VoiceIf you have a home-based business, you may think marketing is an unnecessary expense. But, in fact, since your business has no storefront to attract attention, you actually need more marketing efforts than traditional businesses do -- not less. Be sure to check out 10 Marketing Tools for Home-Based Businesses for some good tips and advice.
