The week I announced I was leaving my company to pursue entrepreneurship as a voice actor, my colleague asked if I could record new phone greetings for some of the company's lines of business as they were going through a rebranding effort - the very same week! Talk about support. Fun side note: I still work with this company to this day and they’re one of my favorite clients!
As I reflect on that experience, I am struck by three things:
Work for people, not companies. You spend the majority of your waking hours with your coworkers, so choose the people you work with wisely. They will become a part of your character. I am lucky enough to have worked with some amazing people and I am so grateful that they are a part of me.
The relationships you cultivate will serve you now and in the future, sometimes in ways you don't anticipate. Being kind costs you nothing and only ever adds value.
Your authenticity is your superpower. My colleagues never heard me do voiceover before. They asked me to work on this project “sound unheard.” I am proud that my values and work ethic shined through enough that they trusted me to represent their company.
Think about this. Do your phone greetings reflect your company values? It may sound silly, but stay with me... If you value customer service, does your message point to how well the listener will be taken care of during their experience with your company? If you pride yourself on your whimsy, does your greeting invite a giggle?
Something as unassuming as a phone greeting can be the first impression someone has with your brand - and we all know those first impressions can be hard to shake.
It’s worth taking a listen into your phone greetings and thinking about if the voice behind them authentically reflects the values that your company holds. If they don’t, it might be time to revisit. Search for someone who shares the same values as your company. They’ll do a great job representing you out in the world.