In our last couple of blogs, we championed the use of VoIP telephone services at your business in 2015. One could say that VoIP is the “wave of the future”, but we think of it as the cutting edge technology of today. To be completely honest, the traditional phone line is beginning to take on that “archaic” feel. There are just far too many amazing features and benefits that come along with our VoIP Commercial Telephone services to deny that it’s a business necessity.
Of the many benefits that Canadian business owners receive from using VoIP is that it helps them to operate their phone systems in more professional ways. With Telephone Features that include an Automated Attendant Receptionist, businesses are able to set up auto-attendant voice menus that provide various options and actions. Having a “secretary who works around the clock” helps for small businesses to represent themselves the same way that big named corporations do.
There are ways, of course, to set up your auto-attendant so that it gives off the best impression of your business possible. In many cases, business owners like to do record messages themselves. They suppose it’s just as easy as recording outgoing messages for their personal lines. Other businesses hire voice actors to clearly and professionally provide recorded instructions. What would you prefer? Here are five tips to creating the ideal auto attendant prompts.
1. Practice makes perfect. Before recording anything, be sure to go over what it is you plan on saying. It’s just like rehearsing for a live performance, so feel free to have some fun with it. In this case, you should read your script aloud and try different ways of saying it. You may find that you’ll want to change a few words or use a different tone than what you first assumed would work best.
2. Record in a quiet environment. Have you ever contacted a business and heard an answering machine message complete with background noise and music? Not too professional, is it? You’ll want to make sure that you find a quite place to record your outgoing greetings. Do your best to either be alone or inform others that you don’t wish to be interrupted during the recording process. You’ll want your voice prompts to be as clear as possible.
3. Keep calm. It’s great to have energy in your voice, but you definitely don’t want to sound as if you’re shouting. Using a calm and professional tone will endear your brand to your customers. You should sound friendly and have your personality shine through the way you speak. If you attempt to sound like a commercial or news broadcaster, you may come off as phony. Be comfortable with your own genuine speaking voice keeping all of this in mind.
4. Smile. We’ve probably asked this question several times before. But have you ever heard a smile through the phone? We have! It may sound strange, at first, but the truth is that when you smile, you can’t help but change the tones and inflections in the way you speak. Give it a shot! It will make a big difference. Consider the mood of your callers and how you would like them to feel when they call your company. Smiles, like laughter, are infectious.
5. Take your time. It’s not a race. Even if you think you have a lot of information to get through, you don’t want to rush through it, as your callers will likely miss a lot of it. Be sure that, while you’re recording, you speak at a pace that people can clearly understand. It may take a few tries to get to the pace that is just right. Listen back to your recordings and re-record them until you’re totally happy with how they sound.
Of course, you can always get MeloTel’s Voice Talent Production team to take care of all of your recording needs for you! Don’t hesitate to call us at 1-888-MELOTEL for more information.
