Short answer
A good sales voicemail script runs 20 to 30 seconds, about 50 to 75 words. Say your name and company slowly, give one specific reason you called (a fact about their company), offer one idea or result, say what happens next ("I'll email you a short note today") and leave your number twice, slowly. Pair every voicemail with an email sent within the hour, and leave voicemails yourself rather than prerecorded drops.
- Keep it to 20 to 30 seconds: at an average speaking pace, that's about 50 to 75 words.
- Lead with a checked fact about their company, not your product.
- Say what happens next, usually an email, and send it within the hour.
- A phone number said twice uses about 8 seconds, so slow down for it.
- Prerecorded voicemail drops to cell phones are prerecorded calls under FCC rules and need consent for telemarketing.
On this page
This page is for SDRs, account executives, founders and account managers who call businesses and reach voicemail. It covers what to say on a first call, a follow-up and a last attempt, how long to talk, the email to send afterwards, the rules on prerecorded "voicemail drops" and a greeting for your own phone, for when prospects call you back.
What a sales voicemail is for
Treat a callback as a bonus. The voicemail does three quieter jobs: it tells the prospect a real person is trying to reach them about something specific, it makes your name familiar when your email arrives, and it gives a second channel to the same message. A voicemail that does those jobs in 25 seconds is a success even if the phone never rings.
The structure, with a word budget
Every script on this page uses five parts:
- Who you are. Your first name and company, said slowly. People often miss the first words of a voicemail.
- Why them. One checked fact about their company: a new site, a hire, a launch. This is what makes it not a robocall.
- One idea. What that fact usually means, or a result from a similar company. One sentence.
- What happens next. "I'll email you a short note today" or "I'll try you again Thursday morning."
- Your number, twice. Slowly, in groups: "512, 555, 0147."
Psychologists Keith Rayner and Charles Clifton put normal speaking rates at 120 to 200 words a minute. That makes the budget:
| Length | Words at 120 a minute | Words at 150 a minute | Words at 200 a minute |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 seconds | 40 | 50 | 67 |
| 25 seconds | 50 | 62 | 83 |
| 30 seconds | 60 | 75 | 100 |
A ten-digit phone number said twice, with "that's" in between, is about 21 words: roughly 8 seconds at 150 words a minute. In a 25-second voicemail, that leaves about 40 words for everything else. That's why the scripts below are so short.
Finding the "why them" fact is the slow part when you're calling 50 accounts a day. Bebop researches each account in your list and writes a playbook with what's happening at the company and the angle to open with, so the fact is ready when you dial. Check it before you say it.
Sales voicemail scripts
Each script is marked with its word count before the phone number. Replace every bracket with something you've checked.
Hi [first name], it's [your name] from [company]. I'm calling because [company] [the fact, e.g. opened two new branches this summer]. Usually that means [the problem, e.g. invoicing from timesheets gets slower]. I'll email you a short note today. My number is [number], that's [number].
Hi [first name], [your name] at [company]. I'm sending you an email in the next few minutes with the subject "[subject line]". It's about [topic in five words]. If it's useful, reply there. If you'd rather talk, I'm on [number], that's [number].
Hi [first name], it's [your name] from [company]. [Referrer's name] suggested I call you about [topic]; they thought it might matter with [the fact or project]. I'll send you a short email so you have my details. My number is [number], that's [number].
Hi [first name], it's [your name] from [company], returning your request about [what they asked for]. I have the answer to [their question], and two quick questions so I send the right thing. Call me on [number], that's [number], or reply to my email.
Hi [first name], [your name] from [company]. Thanks again for [day]'s call. I've sent [what you promised] by email. The one thing to look at is [the key point], since it answers [their question]. I'm on [number], that's [number].
Hi [first name], it's [your name] at [company], about the proposal I sent on [date]. I wanted to check if [decision maker] has questions I can answer before [their decision date]. I'll try you again [day], or reach me on [number], that's [number].
Hi [first name], [your name] from [company] again. One more thing on [the original fact]: [new detail, e.g. a 12-branch agency cut its invoice disputes in half after the same change]. I'll email that example today. My number is [number], that's [number].
Hi [first name], it's [your name] from [company]. I've tried you a couple of times about [topic], so this is the last voicemail I'll leave. If it becomes a priority, my email is in your inbox and my number is [number], that's [number]. Thanks.
Hi [first name], it's [your name] from [company]. Nothing's wrong; I'm calling about [the reason, e.g. your renewal on 1 December / a change in your usage]. I'd like ten minutes before [date] to [purpose]. I'll email two times that suit, or call me on [number].
Subject: [the fact], re: my voicemail Hi [first name], I left you a voicemail a few minutes ago. In short: [the fact], which usually means [the problem] for [type of company]. [One line of proof or one idea.] Is that on your list this quarter, or not a priority? [Your name] [Phone number]
Hi, you've reached [your name] at [company]. I'm on a call or away from my desk. Leave your name, number and what it's about, and I'll call you back today. If it's about an email I sent, a reply to the email works too.
Your own greeting matters more than people think. A prospect who returns your call and hears a generic carrier message, or a full mailbox, often won't try again.
Worked example: voicemails and emails in one sequence
Illustrative example. The companies, people and figures are fictional, to show the method.
The caller: Jordan, an SDR at Northpoint Books (northpointbooks.example), accounting software for multi-branch service firms. The prospect: the controller of Harlow Staffing (harlowstaffing.example), a staffing agency that opened two branches in August.
| Day | Touch | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Call, voicemail 1, then email within the hour | The two new branches and what they usually do to invoicing |
| 4 | Email follow-up | A second fact: Harlow is hiring a billing specialist |
| 8 | Call, voicemail 2, then email | A short example from a similar agency |
| 15 | Call, last voicemail | Closes the loop |
Voicemail 1 (35 words before the number, about 59 spoken in all: roughly 24 seconds at 150 words a minute):
Hi Megan, it's Jordan from Northpoint Books. I'm calling because Harlow opened two branches in August. When an agency grows like that, invoicing from timesheets usually gets slower. I'll email you a short note today. My number is 512 555 0147, that's 512 555 0147.
The email went out 20 minutes later with the subject "the two new branches, re: my voicemail". Megan didn't call back, but she replied to the second email on day 9: "Got your voicemail and the note. Billing is mine. Thursday?" The voicemail didn't book the meeting; it made the email familiar.
The time it takes. Suppose Jordan leaves 40 voicemails a day, and each takes about 40 seconds: 15 seconds of ringing and greeting, then a 25-second message. That's 1,600 seconds, about 27 minutes a day. Prerecorded voicemail drops promise to give that time back, which is why the rules below matter before you buy one.
The rules on voicemail drops and ringless voicemail
This is general information, not legal advice. Check with counsel before you use any prerecorded or automated voicemail tool.
- A voicemail you speak live is an ordinary call. Most business-to-business calls are exempt from the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule, though calls selling nondurable office or cleaning supplies, and calls asking employees to buy for themselves, are not.
- A prerecorded voicemail is a prerecorded call. Under the FCC's rules (47 CFR 64.1200(a)(2)), a telemarketing call to a cell phone using an artificial or prerecorded voice needs the called party's prior express written consent. That applies whether the number belongs to a consumer or a business owner's mobile.
- Ringless voicemail counts too. In November 2022, the FCC ruled that "ringless voicemail" to wireless phones "requires consumer consent because it is a 'call' made using an artificial or prerecorded voice".
- Prerecorded messages must identify you. The same FCC rule requires every artificial or prerecorded voice message to state the responsible business's name at the beginning and a phone number during or after the message.
- Watch mobile numbers from data tools. Many "direct dials" are cell phones. If you use any automation on a number, know whether it's a mobile.
The safe pattern for sales voicemail is simple: a person dials, and a person speaks.
Mistakes to avoid
- Mumbling the name and number. The two things they need are the two things people rush.
- Pitching the product. A voicemail can't answer objections, so features only give a reason to delete it.
- Mystery voicemails. "Call me back about something important" without saying what feels like a trick, and it is one.
- Pretending to be a customer or a friend. "It's Jordan, give me a call" with no company misleads the listener.
- Leaving a voicemail on every call. One every few attempts, each with something new, is enough. The others can be email.
- No email afterwards. Without the email, a voicemail is a message they can't easily act on.
Checklist before you dial
- The fact you'll mention is true, recent and on your screen.
- Your script is under about 45 words before the phone number, and you've timed it out loud.
- You'll say your name, company and number slowly, and the number twice.
- The follow-up email is drafted and ready to send within the hour.
- You're dialing and speaking live, with no prerecorded message.
- Your own voicemail greeting is current and your mailbox isn't full.
Next step: most calls you make will be answered by voicemail, but the ones that connect need a plan too. Prepare openers and branches for every answer with the outbound call scripts.
Sources
- Declaratory Ruling and Order, Petition for Declaratory Ruling of All About the Message, LLC (FCC 22-85, CG Docket No. 02-278), Federal Communications Commission, 21 November 2022
- 47 CFR 64.1200, Delivery restrictions, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, accessed 26 October 2026
- Complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule, Federal Trade Commission, accessed 26 October 2026
- Language Processing in Reading and Speech Perception is Fast and Incremental: Implications for Event Related Potential Research (Rayner and Clifton, Biological Psychology 80(1)), PubMed Central, US National Library of Medicine, January 2009
Written by the Bebop team at Blackpearl Group. Last updated .
Questions people ask
What should I say in a sales voicemail?
Your name and company, one specific reason you called (a fact about their company), one idea or result, what happens next and your number twice, slowly. For example: "Hi Megan, it's Jordan from Northpoint Books. Harlow opened two branches in August, which usually slows invoicing. I'll email you a short note today. My number is 512 555 0147, that's 512 555 0147."
How long should a voicemail message be?
Twenty to 30 seconds. At normal speaking rates of 120 to 200 words a minute, that's 40 to 100 words, or about 50 to 75 at an average pace. A phone number said twice takes about 8 seconds on its own, so keep everything else to around 40 words. Time your script out loud: reading it silently always feels shorter than saying it.
Should you leave a voicemail on a cold call?
Yes, on some calls, as long as each one adds something and is paired with an email. Callbacks are rare, but a short voicemail makes your name familiar and gets your email read. You don't need one on every attempt: leave one on the first call, one later with a new detail and a final one that closes the loop.
Is it legal to use voicemail drops for sales?
Be careful. Under FCC rules, a telemarketing call to a cell phone using a prerecorded voice needs prior express written consent, and in 2022 the FCC ruled that ringless voicemail to wireless phones is a call that requires consent. Prerecorded messages must also identify the business at the start and give a phone number. Live voicemails left by a person are treated differently. This isn't legal advice.
What is a good voicemail greeting for a salesperson?
Short, personal and specific about what happens next: your name and company, that you're on a call or away, a request for their name, number and what it's about, and when you'll call back. Adding "If it's about an email I sent, replying works too" helps prospects who are returning your call. Keep the mailbox from filling up.