Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/120653
Keep It Professional Which Message Shines? You have reached 555-123-4567. The number you have dialed is busy. Please leave a message after the tone. Hi, this is Karla. I���m not here right now, but your call is important to us, so please leave a message and I���ll call you back as soon as possible. Ideally, you should have a separate phone line for your business. If you take both business and personal calls on the same phone, always use your professional message and voice, just in case. It���s far better to accidentally give your mom a business greeting than to accidentally pick up a new client���s call and say, ���Hey.��� Before you answer, consciously take a deep breath (this steadies and lowers your voice slightly, making it sound more pleasant on the phone) and smile. Even though the caller can���t see your face, the physical act of smiling affects your voice in subtle ways and can make a noticeable difference to how friendly you come across. Answer by saying the name of the business and your name. Here are some sample greetings: ���Hello, Midtown Skin Salon, this is Trina speaking. How can I help you?��� ���Hi, this is John Sherman of Deluxe Wax Studio.��� ���Good morning, this is Becky at Beautiful You.��� If you work from home, you must set rules about who can answer the phone and how it should be answered. Write out a short script and keep it near the phone so others can answer properly and get the appropriate information from the client. Children who are too young to follow a script should never be allowed to answer on behalf of a business, and don���t have them perform on your voice mail message either���it���s not nearly as cute as many business owners think. MAKE THE MOST OF Voice mail Hi, this is Karla Jones at Karla���s Skin Care. We���re open every day from 9 to 6, with late nights on Thursdays until 8 p.m. I���m with a client now, so please leave your number and I will call you back. You can also visit www.mywebsite.com to make an online booking and see this month���s specials. Thank you for calling, and have a beautiful day! 28ASCP Skin Deep May/June 2013 Few people these days are put off by getting a recording when they call, as long as it���s a good one. Bad voice mail greetings are great ways to get rid of potential clients. Worst of all is leaving your phone���s greeting set to the default robo-voice. This is inexcusable and can drive clients away. Record your voice mail message yourself (see the sidebar for a sample script), speak slowly and clearly, and make sure there���s no distracting background noise. Nancy Friedman, founder of the customer service training company Telephone Doctor (www.telephonedoctor.com), says there are four voice mail phrases to avoid at all costs: ������ ���I���m not here right now.��� This is both negative and obvious. Instead, let your callers know when you are in: ���I���m here weekdays from 11 to 6, and on Saturdays from 8 to 4.��� ������ ���Your call is very important to us.��� Being told this by a recorded message will drive some clients crazy. Do you ever believe this clich�� when you���re on hold with the bank or electricity company? ������ ���I���m sorry I missed your call.��� This only draws attention to the fact that you didn���t pick up the call personally. ������ ���I���ll call you back as soon as possible.��� Or, even worse, ���as soon as it���s convenient.��� These are not effective phrases and can sound very rude to some people. ���I���ll call you back��� is enough, or specify ���within 24 hours��� or ���by the end of the day.��� Your voice mail should also offer the caller an alternative way to contact your business; for example, direct them to your website to make an online booking.