Most sales reps leave voicemails that get deleted in three seconds. The prospect hears your name, doesn’t recognize it, and moves on. You never hear back.
However, the problem usually isn’t the channel, it’s the script. A strong voicemail script gets attention fast, delivers clear value, and ends with one specific action. Do all three in 30 seconds or less, and your callback rate will climb.
In this guide, you’ll get four ready-to-use voicemail script templates each written for a different buyer persona. You’ll also learn the core rules that make a voicemail worth returning.
Why the 30-Second Rule Matters
Voicemails have a short window. Most listeners decide within the first five to eight seconds whether to keep listening or delete.
Therefore, every word counts. A voicemail that runs 60 seconds loses most listeners before you reach the point. A voicemail that hits the value in the first sentence and wraps up by second 28 performs significantly better.
The 30-second rule isn’t just about length. It’s about discipline. It forces you to cut the filler, lead with relevance, and ask for one clear next step, nothing more.
Moreover, a well-structured voicemail positions you as someone who respects the prospect’s time. That alone builds credibility before they even call back.
The Anatomy of a High-Converting Voicemail Script
Every effective voicemail script follows a simple structure. Memorize this, and every message you leave will be sharper.
1. Hook (3–5 seconds): Say your name, your company, and one specific reason you’re calling. Don’t open with “How are you?” or “Sorry to bother you.”
2. Value statement (8–10 seconds): Name a specific outcome, problem you solve, or result you’ve delivered for a similar company. Make it relevant to them.
3. Social proof or trigger (5–7 seconds): Drop a reference, a mutual contact, a company they’d recognize, or a recent event that prompted the call.
4. Clear CTA (5–7 seconds): Ask for one specific action. Give your number slowly twice. End clean.
Additionally, always use the prospect’s name. It signals personalization and increases the chance they listen past the first sentence.
If you’re pairing this with a cold calling strategy for B2B outreach, this structure maps directly to your live call openers too.
4 Voicemail Script Templates by Persona
Template 1: The C-Suite Executive
C-suite buyers are time-starved. They don’t want features – they want outcomes. Your voicemail needs to speak to revenue, risk, or efficiency from the very first line.
Script:
“Hi [First Name], this is [Your Name] from [Company]. I’ll be brief. We helped [Similar Company] reduce their sales cycle by 22% in one quarter – without adding headcount. I think there’s a fit here for [Prospect Company]. I’d love 15 minutes to show you how. I’m at [Number] – again, that’s [Number]. Hope to connect soon.”
Why it works: It leads with a specific result, not a product pitch. It respects their time by promising brevity. The callback ask is clear and low-commitment – just 15 minutes.
Tone: Confident, direct, peer-to-peer. Avoid sounding like a vendor. Sounds like someone bringing a business idea.
Template 2: The Mid-Level Sales Manager
Sales managers deal with quota pressure, team performance, and reporting up. They care about pipeline, conversion rates, and hitting numbers on time.
Script:
“Hey [First Name], [Your Name] here from [Company]. Quick one – we work with sales managers at companies like [Reference Company] to help their teams book 30% more meetings without changing their current tools. I know Q[X] pressure is real. I’d love to share what’s been working. Reach me at [Number] – I’ll send you a quick case study too. Talk soon.”
Why it works: It names a specific, relatable pain point – quota pressure. It offers immediate value (a case study) before the call even happens. This lowers the friction of responding.
Tone: Casual but credible. Peer energy, not salesperson energy.
If your team is using proven cold calling scripts that get meetings, layer this voicemail into your sequence as a touchpoint between live call attempts.
Template 3: The IT Decision-Maker / MSP Buyer
IT leaders and MSP buyers think in terms of risk, security, uptime, and compliance. They’re skeptical of vendor calls. Your voicemail needs to show technical awareness fast – without going too deep.
Script:
“Hi [First Name], [Your Name] from [Company]. We work with IT leaders at [Industry] companies to reduce security gaps without disrupting existing infrastructure. One of our clients – [Similar Company] – cut their incident response time by 40% last quarter. I think we can do something similar for [Prospect Company]. My number is [Number] – again, [Number]. Would love five minutes to share what we did.”
Why it works: It speaks their language – security, infrastructure, incident response. The specific metric (40%) builds credibility instantly. The ask is minimal: five minutes, not a demo.
Tone: Technical but accessible. Serious and measured. No hype.
Template 4: The Small Business Owner
Small business owners wear every hat. They’re overwhelmed, budget-conscious, and highly skeptical of anyone trying to sell them something. Your voicemail needs to feel like a conversation, not a pitch.
Script:
“Hey [First Name], this is [Your Name] from [Company]. I work with small business owners in [Industry/City] who are trying to grow without burning out. A lot of them came to us spending too much time on [specific pain] – and we helped them get that time back. I’d love to share how in a quick call. I’m at [Number] – I’ll also drop you a quick email so you have it. Looking forward to connecting.”
Why it works: It validates their reality without being condescending. “Without burning out” is a phrase most small business owners feel immediately. Mentioning the email follow-up creates a two-channel touchpoint, which increases recall.
Tone: Warm, human, and empathetic. Avoid corporate-sounding language entirely.
6 Rules Every Voicemail Script Must Follow
These rules apply regardless of persona or industry. Break one and you risk losing the callback.
1. Say your number twice, slowly. The prospect is likely driving or multitasking. Give them a second chance to catch it without replaying the message.
2. Never start with an apology. “Sorry to bother you” immediately signals weakness and reduces your credibility before you’ve said anything meaningful.
3. Use their first name at the start. It creates an immediate sense of personalization and grabs attention faster than a generic opener.
4. Name-drop when relevant. A mutual contact or well-known client mentioned in the first 10 seconds dramatically increases listen-through rate.
5. End with one action only. Don’t ask them to call back AND check your email AND visit your website. Pick one. A fractured CTA produces zero callbacks.
6. Keep emotion out of follow-ups. If you’ve left multiple voicemails with no response, your follow-up script should stay neutral and value-focused – never frustrated.
Additionally, always practice your voicemail out loud before recording. What reads well on paper often sounds rushed or flat when spoken. Time yourself and aim for a natural, conversational pace.
How to Use Voicemail Scripts in a Multi-Touch Sequence
A single voicemail rarely gets a callback. However, voicemail becomes significantly more effective when it’s part of a structured sequence.
A typical high-performing outreach sequence looks like this: Day 1 – cold call + voicemail. Day 3 – follow-up email referencing the voicemail. Day 5 – second call with a slightly different angle. Day 8 – final voicemail with a soft close.
This layered approach keeps you top-of-mind without being aggressive. Each touchpoint reinforces the last one.
Moreover, if you’re running cold email outreach alongside cold calling, your voicemail and email messaging should be aligned. The prospect should hear and read a consistent story across every channel.
For teams managing outbound sales lead generation at scale, voicemail sequences should be built into your CRM or sales engagement platform. This ensures nothing falls through the gaps and every prospect gets the right follow-up at the right time.
Common Voicemail Mistakes That Kill Callbacks
Even experienced reps make these mistakes. Avoid them and your voicemail script performance will improve immediately.
Mistake 1 – Being too vague: “I’d love to connect sometime” is not a call to action. Be specific about what you want and when.
Mistake 2 – Leaving a 90-second voicemail: If you’ve gone past 35 seconds, you’ve lost them. Edit ruthlessly before you hit record.
Mistake 3 – Leading with your company name: Prospects don’t know your company yet. Lead with a result or a pain point instead.
Mistake 4 – Using the same script every time: If you’re calling the same prospect multiple times, rotate your angle. Reference something new – a case study, a trigger event, or a different pain point.
Mistake 5 – No follow-up email: A voicemail without a matching email is a missed opportunity. Always send a brief email within an hour of leaving a voicemail. Keep it to three sentences.
Final Thoughts
A great voicemail script is short, specific, and persona-driven. It leads with a result, references something relevant, and ends with one clear ask. Everything else is noise.
The four templates above give you a starting point for four of the most common buyer types. Customize them with real metrics, real client names, and real pain points from your market. The more specific you are, the more callbacks you’ll earn.
Ultimately, voicemail is a channel that most reps underuse or misuse. When done right, it becomes one of the most personal touchpoints in your entire outreach sequence and that’s exactly what gets the phone to ring back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Keep it between 20 and 30 seconds. That’s roughly 60 to 80 spoken words. Anything longer risks losing the listener before you reach your call to action. Practice out loud and time yourself before leaving a real voicemail.
Research consistently points to mid-morning (10–11 AM) and late afternoon (4–5 PM) as the highest callback windows. Avoid Monday mornings and Friday afternoons prospects are either catching up or winding down and are less likely to respond.
Not necessarily. Most sales experts recommend leaving a voicemail on the first attempt, skipping one or two calls, and leaving another on the fourth or fifth attempt. Leaving a voicemail on every call can feel aggressive and reduces the impact of each message.
Yes when it’s paired with email and other touchpoints. Voicemail alone has a low callback rate. However, a voicemail followed by a matching email within 60 minutes increases response rates significantly. The two-channel approach creates familiarity that a single channel can’t achieve on its own.
Lead with relevance, not your name or company. Reference a specific pain point, a result you’ve delivered for a similar company, or a trigger event like a funding round or new hire. The goal is to make the prospect think “this is about me” within the first five seconds before they even consider deleting the message.