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Making your voicemail work for you (cont.) What comes after "hello"... The next part of the message is more difficult. Like all outgoing voicemail messages, you have to admit to not being available, and ask the caller to leave their details. But you can do so in such a way that makes not being available a virtue, rather than a nuisance, while also subtly telling them a thing or two about your studio. So instead of "I’m not able to take your call right now. Leave your name and number after the beep." Consider "I’m probably in the studio teaching at the moment. I’d love to chat with you though—leave your name and number, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can" This leaves the caller with several important impressions: 1) That you are often busy teaching in the studio. So your studio must be a busy one. So you must be doing a good job. 2) That lessons at your studio are not interrupted by phone calls. Students get your undivided attention, while voicemail handles the distractions. 3) That you’re friendly and outgoing. "I’d love to chat with you though" is much more welcoming than the more neutral "Leave your name and number". 4) Just in case they missed the name of your studio in the initial greeting, further reference to the studio in the second half of the message confirms that they have reached the right number 5) The fact that you have taken the trouble to refer twice to your studio in the message means that teaching is obviously no mere hobby for you. You are prepared to proudly state it at the gateway to your home.   Delivering the message with flair Getting the text of the message right is not enough—most of the impression will be created by how you actually deliver it. You don’t need to sound like a World Championship Wrestling announcer, but if your message is delivered in a flat monotone, then callers will picture flat, monotonous music lessons. It has to sparkle, it has to feel friendly and inviting...in short it has to sound like someone who should be working with kids. Nobody likes listening to themselves on tape, but you have to preview the message before you let it represent your studio. If there is anything you are not happy with, then record it again. And again. And again. Experiment with different inflexions, with different speed of delivery. Try punching different words. It can take quite a while before you declare "That one! That’s it"—but once you’ve produced a version you’re happy with, it will represent you for a long time. This might sound like overkill. It’s not. Everything in your Lobby matters, and if your extra care results in just one extra student, your efforts will all have been worthwhile. Don’t memorize this piece Before you push the "record outgoing message" on your machine, take a moment and write out exactly what it is that you’re going to say. That way you can concentrate on delivery, rather than stumbling over trying to remember the words. Making the message friendly If you want your message to sound friendly as well as engaging, you should actually smile as you’re delivering it. Truly. Forget that you’re talking to a machine, and pretend you’re addressing a cute six-year old instead. Your tone will soften, and your message will sound warmer and more inviting. It’s not just smoke and mirrors. Part of your job is that you do have to talk to cute six-year-olds anyway, and parents who listen to your message need to be able to imagine you relating to their child. Make it easy for them with a message that will speak volumes about your manner. Found this helpful? It's just a start - the PracticeSpot Guide to Promoting your Teaching Studio is the largest collection of studio promotion techniques ever assembled. Over 240 pages of ideas, inspiration and analysis from Philip Johnston, founder of PracticeSpot, and author of The Practice Revolution. Free shipping to all destinations - this is the ultimate guide for teachers who are serious about growing their studios.

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