Professional

• If your voicemail greeting is on the office phone system, always go for the professional greeting. The best business greetings allow you to record your entire message in your own voice, but some office systems just plug your spoken name into a computer-generated greeting. If you can record your own message, do a bit of planning beforehand: write out your script and practice it a couple of times so when the greeting is recorded, it won't be filled with pauses and "uhs" or "ums." Your business message should state your name, title, whether you're in for the day or not, and ask for the caller's name, return number, message and time of day. When you record your outgoing voicemail message, smile and speak naturally but clearly so you can be understood on even the most static-filled connections. People who use their home or cell phones for any business communication should always have a professional voicemail greeting; just one call from a client who hears your toddler or cat when they reach your voice inbox could mean lost revenue for you and your business.
  
  

Personal

• Your personal voicemail greeting can reflect your individual style and humor, but some basic etiquette is appropriate. Even with a personal greeting, it's best to say your name; that way, if a person has reached a wrong number, they will realize it. While you don't need all the information listed in a personal message, it's still advisable to ask for the caller's name and number. Remember to turn down any music or television programs playing in the background, so your voice can be clearly heard. Also, avoid annoying messages like the worn-out gag of "Hello? Hello? Can you hear me? Oh right, I'm not here." While it may be amusing at first, your friends are likely to stop calling if they are tricked every time they ring you up.
  
  

Unique

• Sometimes the no-nonsense personal greeting just doesn't fit. The voicemail greeting may be for a line used by the whole family, or feel too confining for an extremely creative person. In this case, unique voicemail greetings can be created, complete with sound effects. A family dedicated to a certain sports team can record their greeting while playing the team's fight song in the background. This is especially handy if the phone carrier offers multiple voice inboxes, and each family member can state his team and voicemail number like a pre-game lineup. If you have a favorite TV show or book, use sound effects to create a voicemail greeting that comes directly from the jungle, a spaceship or the vampire's crypt. Have fun with unique personal greetings, and your calls may double just so people can hear your latest message.