Many times, when people call a chiropractic clinic, the phone goes unanswered, or they are greeted by an outgoing voicemail message that gives them no real information. If the name of the doctor is given at all, often you will not hear his/her full name. Sometimes you aren’t even given the clinic’s name, never mind a tag line for the clinic. These are missed marketing opportunities
Adding your clinic’s tag line to your telephone greeting is a simple way to reinforce your clinic’s brand and to build awareness about its work. Of course, you first need a succinct, effective tag line. A good example of this is “Optimal Health Through Quality Chiropractic Care.”
When creating your outgoing voicemail message keep these simple tips in mind:
1. Brevity is the Soul of a Good Message. When you leave your outgoing message, do you often find that recording time expires before you're finished, so you have to re-try? That is God's way of telling you that you talk too much. Get to your point quickly about who you are and how you would like the caller to best get a hold of you. An excellent idea is to provide an early means for the person to bypass the entire greeting. That helps the caller abbreviate her time even if your message is long. Though they have reached your voicemail system, the caller needs to be made to feel that this is the same as reaching you, or at least as effective.
2. Practice Polite Positivity. There's nothing worse than getting to the actual voice of a voicemail system and recognizing immediately that the person doing the talking would rather be somewhere else and really doesn't want your call. Tell me it hasn't happened to you. When it does, do you leave a message? Probably not, because what you heard put you in a bad frame of mind. So when you leave outgoing messages, write down what you want to say and rehearse it 3 or 4 times so it sounds natural. Sit up in your chair, a smile on your face, and your head held high. In your most optimistic voice begin the recording, and whatever you do, don't leave your message when you’re in a bad mood. You won't be able to disguise your attitude.
3. Establish Identity. "Hello. You have reached Solana Beach Chiropractic, the office of Dr. Timothy Gay, helping you achieve optimal health through quality chiropractic." This is a great introductory line, because it tells the caller who you are and what you do, and makes use of the clinic’s tagline thus branding the clinic.
4. Give Your Hours of Operation. Make sure your outgoing message clearly tells your callers your hours of operation. This should include any hours you are closed for lunch.
5. Tell Them What to Do. You need to tell in specific terms what you want them to do to be the most effective and timely. Ask them to leave the following information:
- Their first and last name
- The purpose or importance of their call
- How and where can they be reached
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