A person's voicemail says a lot about them. It can convey confidence or timidity, professionalism or immaturity, even how closely you pay attention to details. Many people take for granted how important having an appropriate and adult voicemail can be, especially if you are applying for jobs. These tips can help you achieve the right tone:
Think about what kind of presence you want to convey. If you are a teenager who is not applying for jobs and expecting calls only from friends and family, then sounding professional may not be your top priority. Conveying confidence and maturity is still important, however, because you never know who is going to call you.
Think up a script. It should be no more than a few sentences long, and it is not necessary to write it down. If you read off your voicemail, people will be able to tell, and that shows a lack of confidence. A simple "Hello, you've reached John Smith. I can't come to the phone right now, but leave a message and I'll call you back" is fine. It may not be original, but it's concise and professional.
Be natural. On the one hand, you certainly want to convey a high degree of professionalism, but you do not want to come off stuffy. This tends to happen when people over practice their voicemail or answering machine message. It is a good idea to go over what you are going to say a few times out loud so that it will flow nicely once you are recording, but avoid speaking in a monotone.
Record your voicemail in a quiet room. You may not realize it while you are recording, but phones pick up much of the ambient noise you may not even have noticed. Speak loudly and clearly, being sure not to mumble.
Test your message. Once your message is recorded, listen to it and see what you think. Afterwards, have your friends listen to it, and get their honest opinion. Find out if they can clearly understand you and if you are properly conveying the presence you intended.
Maybe the most important advice to remember is that, though having a good voicemail is important, you don't have to over think it. You will best convey your personality if you simply do what comes naturally, and in the end, you will have the best possible voicemail for it.
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