Creating a Business Greeting for Your Voice Mail

A business voice mail greeting should be concise and clear about the information to be left in the message. Examples follow:

You have reached the voice mail of John Doe. Your call is important to me. Please leave your name, your contact number and a brief message. I will get back to your as soon as possible. Thank you.

You have reached the voice mail of Jane Doe. Today is (month,day). I will be in the office today but will be in meetings for most of the morning. Please leave your name, contact number, and a brief message and I will return your call at my first availability.

Out of office messages:

You have reached the voice mail of John Doe. I will be out of the office from (month,day to month,day). During that time I will not be returning calls. I you need immediate assistance, please contact (contact person) at (telephone number). If you would still like to leave a message, please include your name and your contact number. I will return your call when I am back in the office. Thank you.

You have reached the voice mail of Jane Doe. I will be out of the office from (month,day to month,day). During that time I will be checking voice mail and returning calls periodically. I you need immediate assistance, please contact (contact person) at (telephone number). If you choose to leave a message, please include your name and contact number. Thank you.

Your greeting can include your company name, your department and your position or function. Keep the greeting as brief as possible while still conveying the information necessary to the caller to ensure that (1) the caller immediately know that he/she has reached voice mail, (2) your availability to return calls and (3) an alternate contact if you are not going to be available.