Voicemail Messages as Marketing Tools?

A great post by John Jantsch today really caught my eye. In fact, before I read the whole thing, I picked up the phone and changed my company's main phone greeting.

John suggests:

Yesterday, I was sent to voicemail on three phone calls in a row. That's not unusual these days, but what I found annoyingly silly was the fact that each of the would be called had a voicemail message that said "Hi, this is so and so, I'm either on the phone or away from my desk." - word for word identical and painfully boring.

He warns against being overly cute, but offers:

What if you used your voicemail message to send a subtle marketing hint or at least something attention getting. Remember, half the battle for your small business is to find ways to stand out in a crowd. In all things, you've got to start considering how to differentiate a bit.

So, instead of telling me the obvious or what today's date is, why not -

This is so and so, currently I'm providing another patient with a pain-free dental experience, but...   or  "Welcome to such and such, we're busy creating wonderful new products..."

In the end, the little things add up to the whole big thing!

This is a great idea. Some firms spend big bucks on recorded commercials to play while clients are on hold.

A cost saving alternative might be using your own voice, not to say "I'm busy with a client right now" but something just as short yet with more punch like:

• "I'm determining the value of a company right now..."
• "I'm helping a couple secure their family's financial future..."
• "I'm working on a winning case strategy..."

or this approach:

• "I'm eager to help your business grow so won't you leave a message?..."
• "I'm looking forward to securing your family's financial future..."

The list could go on forever. Change it often and see what clients say when they leave your messages...