How to Create a Family Answering Machine Greeting

When you get a new answering machine for your home, enlist the entire family's help when composing the outgoing message. Consider these strategies to devise an exchange that will entertain your callers without annoying them and encourage them to leave a message.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Encourage the entire family to help create the answering machine message, but consider only letting one person deliver it on the tape. Messages with multiple voices are often difficult to follow, particularly if some voices are louder than others.
2. Write a script if more than one person will be speaking. Record it several times until everyone reads their part clearly and without dissolving into fits of giggles. Consider having a frank friend listen to the message and give his opinion before leaving it on your machine permanently.
3. Consider holding a brief conversation or telling a "knock knock" joke that ends with your family inviting the caller to leave their name, number and a brief recording. However, steer clear of inside jokes that only your family finds funny. Remember that business contacts, teachers and telemarketers will also be listening to the message, not just friends and family.
4. Allow younger kids leave the message only if they speak clearly and can get to the point quickly. Callers may hang up if the message features stops, starts and long pauses. Just because you think your toddler's message is adorable doesn't mean your callers will.
5. Warn family members not to divulge too much personal information on the message for safety reasons. You may even want to limit the details to your phone number and eliminate first and last names entirely. You never know who will reach your home number by mistake.

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