The holidays are a time when we all come together to experience gratitude, joy, and support. In recent troubling times, we’ve all seen how having each other’s back and just bringing a smile into another one’s day can make a huge difference. For business, spreading joy and care through personalized holiday voicemail greetings can be seen as just a little detail added to your regular customer interactions, but like the lights on your Christmas tree, it illuminates ordinary business conversations and sparks bright emotions.
Business voicemail greetings and music on hold are like those holiday lights. In an instant, they can turn a bored caller into a smiling customer, illumine someone’s day, and share more about your business mission statement than a ton of words.
At MightyCall, we’ve already supplemented our holiday music library with new holiday voicemail greetings and music on hold that you can add to your business phone right now.
As for personalized holiday voicemail greetings, take a look below for amazing and fun ideas from small business owners across the world!
1. Instrumental Jazz Classics
Daniel Foley
Founder, Daniel Foley
“I have been using the phone a lot more recently, so I decided to set up an on-hold tone. I decided to use some old school instrumental covers of the classic Christmas songs, so people can recognise them without [someone] shouting carols down the phone at them and it being too much. It is relaxed and calm.”
How to adapt to your business
If you feel like you’ve got a lifetime’s share of carols in the shops and malls, playing a nice instrumental classic as your holiday on-hold message is a polite and classy way to wish your callers happy holidays. The nicest time spent on hold is the one that makes callers forget they’re “on hold”, so adding a touch of sweet nostalgia may be just the right option to freeze time for your audience.
2. Holiday cheer from all the employees via Zoom record
Ethan Taub
CEO, Loanry
“We always do holiday and seasonal voicemails for our customers and colleagues, to help them be in the festive cheer. With this year being different, we have had a rendition of Jingle Bells recorded over Zoom being used. It was very fun and we hope that we can continue these into the new year.”
“The customers love it, and it says it helps to feel happy before they speak to one of us. Our colleagues want to do one now too, so I expect more voicemails like ours next year!’
How to adapt to your business
Want to combine a great team-building activity with something special for your callers and customers? Record a joint carol via Zoom! It doesn’t have to be Jingle Bells, but should be a popular song you’re all familiar with! The recording process will be unforgettable and your customers will love the off-camera family spirit. Make sure to mention that it’s a special greeting from your team!
3. Special offer or holiday discount
Dan Bailey
President, WikiLawn Los Angeles Lawn Care
“Wishing you a very happy holiday from the entire WikiLawn family! We know you don’t want to sit through another canned holiday message, so as a treat for making it through this one, we’d like to give you 20% off your next order. Use the code holiday greetings at checkout, and in the meantime, please wait for an associate to assist you.”
“Basically we wanted to do something fun that would give us a way to give back. We were planning on doing this sale anyway, so making it more apparent in a hold message has worked out well for us.”
How to adapt to your business
Sharing a promo is one of the coolest business ideas for holiday voicemail greetings and on-hold messages. If your business can afford it, offering a special discount or promo just for waiting makes the offer twice as irresistible. First of all, callers aren’t likely to hang up — your bounce rates will improve drastically. Secondly, having been surprised so nicely, they will most likely spread the message to their family or friends. As in, “Did you hear about the cool discount x has going on?”. As a result, you get happy customers, returning customers, and free word of mouth. What goes round, comes round!
4. Holiday jokes or fun poems
James Dyble
Managing director, Global Sound Group
“If you have a brand which is light-hearted, why not include a load of festive jokes which will make the listener laugh while they wait as opposed to some boring jingle? It is all about thinking outside of the box.”
“Holiday voicemails and greetings are a great way to stand out from the crowd. It is often the case that many greetings are generic, thus creating no long-lasting impression for the business in question.”
How to adapt to your business
We don’t suggest reciting the whole of “‘Twas the night before Christmas” to your callers (though there may be an eager audience for that, too!) but if you’re out of ideas for business voicemail greetings for the holidays, a short, fun poem should do the job. (Just google “short holiday poems” for ideas.) All you have to do is record yourself (or your kids, which is always super cute) reciting a holiday poem or greeting in verse like this one — *feel free to shorten*.
That time of year’s come ’round again,
So we wish you all the best.
The joy that comes from knowing you
Makes us feel that we’ve been blessed.
So we’ll share with you our feelings
At this special time of year:
May your holidays be a delight,
Filled with happiness and cheer.
Happy Holidays!
By Karl and Joanna Fuchs
5. Personal karaoke rendition of a popular song
Emily Deaton
Financial Journalist, LetMeBank
“I like to have fun with my voicemail with my colleagues so I decided to up the ante this year. For my holiday voicemail, I recorded the first 30 seconds of the popular Mariah Carey song, “All I want for Christmas is You” with my talented (?) voice on top of it. It’s fun and helps to boost my spirits.”
“When people do get round to recording their voicemail, they are roaring with laughter, so they end up sending another after to make up for time. I’m glad I can make people smile with my brilliant skills.”
How to adapt to your business
Are you the only one on your team with a flair for singing or dormant music skills? If so — or you’re a solopreneur, or your team is just shy — how about a karaoke rendition of your favorite holiday song? For this one though, make sure you’ve got a good ear and a tasteful approach. (No bashing and smashing, please!)
6. Tidings of peace and joy from your family to theirs
Robert Johnson
Founder, Sawinery
“Hello! It’s my favorite time of the year! Which one should I first eat, the cookies my wife baked or the turkey I made? Oh, I’m sorry my hands are full to answer this call. How about you? Talk soon when this happy Holidays end!”
“I want to relay a message that I am spending a great time with my loved ones and not with papers or laptop screens, of course in a humorous manner. It’s also my way of tapping the callers that they should have too because it’s a once in year celebration in a life that is so short to be facing monitors instead of your family.”
How to adapt to your business
Not into singing or poetry? That’s perfectly fine. A warm, mindful holiday voicemail message is just as perfect for business. Your message doesn’t need to be long. Make this one just 2-4 sentences long, but personalize to fit your audience. Whether you make it fun and light or more family-oriented and uplifting is completely up to you. Just give those couple of sentences from your heart, and your callers will appreciate the warmth!
7. Simple and professional
Danny Pollack
CEO, Bespoke Extracts
“Thank you for calling Bespoke Extracts. All of our staff are currently unavailable in observation of the holiday season. If this is an urgent matter, please email [insert email], but please refrain from doing so if it’s not. We appreciate you reaching out to us and wish you a happy holiday season!”
How to adapt to your business
Not every business will find fun on-hold music, carols, or even personalized greetings appropriate for their audience. If that’s your industry, or you’re not into all the holiday stuff, you should still record a voicemail greeting for the holidays. In such cases, just stay on the informative and professional side. Don’t forget to give a number or email for emergency contact and wish your callers happy holidays.
8. Special strokes for special folks
Cindy Corpis
CEO, SearchPeopleFree.net
“May your holidays be blessed with the warmth and love of your family and friends. A valuable client of ours is known as a friend. Thank you for the great business we did together, and Merry Christmas!”
“This is a particular holiday greeting message, which showcases your genuine concern about your clients, and also demonstrates that you value their business. Customers were elated to receive this message as I showcased my immense gratitude with this seasonal message. The best wishes and a word of appreciation went a long way in allowing my customers to identify that I am similarly appreciated while doing business with them. These made the most significant impact on my business, and I was able to boost my revenue.”
How to adapt to your business
Since not all of your callers are clients, try uploading this special greeting only for clients, or your VIP callers! The ability to record personalized voicemail greetings for special callers is part of MightyCall’s VIP call routing feature and is available for all MightyCall’s customers.
9. Helpful and trustworthy
Sean Kelly
Co-Founder, BookRetreats.com
“Thank you for contacting us at Bookretreats. It is Christmas time and our team is off duty on 24th December and 25th December. You can contact us again on 26th December from 9 AM – 5 PM. For emergency cases please call the following number …. or email us at … Merry Christmas from our entire team!”
“As the first direct communication message, delivered to clients or prospects; I think it has met the 3 requirements: solid, professional, and trustworthy. Last year I used an equivalent voicemail, they seemed to love it. That’s why I continue to use the holiday message I’ve mentioned.”
How to adapt to your business
Whether you’re a local or international business, customers are always happy to be provided with concrete information. This message is so versatile, it needs no adaptation and is ready to work for you right out of the box. Just fill in the blanks with your business information. If you own an international business, you can also modify the dates and holidays accordingly.
10. Global holiday classic
Nick Chernets
CEO of Data for SEO
We chose to use an instrumental version of Jingle Bell Rock. This is a famous tune that everyone loves and it’s very cheerful. The reason we chose instrumental is the fact that we work with international clients. We figured this was the best choice since people recognize the song, yet we didn’t have to choose one language.
“So far, our clients loved it and they mention it being very different from typical on-hold tunes that are relaxing and slow. As the holidays approach, everyone is more in a mood for something cheerful.”
How to adapt to your business
If U.S. businesses have their share of jingle rolling from every loudspeaker, international businesses may definitely try an instrumental holiday classic as their on-hold music this holiday season. With an instrumental version of a carol or holiday classic, your international clients can hum to the song in their own native language. And they’ll thank you for the extra cheer. Just remember to keep your music on hold royalty-free or record a personal version.
Summary:
- Play an instrumental holiday classic as your holiday on-hold music. MightyCall has already added new holiday music to our built-in music on hold gallery, or you can download a royalty-free recording online.
- Record a team-sung carol via Zoom as your holiday on-hold music, or if you’re into singing, a personal karaoke version of a holiday classic.
- Write a few words from your family. Make it sincere and warm.
- Give a special discount or promo code/word to your callers while they wait on the line, so they can use it to get % off your products/services
- Recite a holiday poem as your on-hold message or voicemail intro. If possible, have your kids recite it for extra sweet vibes.
- Use only royalty-free music as your on-hold music. Playing a regularly-downloaded or bought song that’s not labeled as “royalty-free” is considered a violation of copyright law.
- Whatever option you choose, remember to add relevant information about your business such as: holiday working hours, emergency contact, holiday greeting.
Discover more
Have you picked your favorite holiday voicemail greeting or on-hold music yet?
If that’s a yes, save and complement this guide with these 6 tips to make your callers hold the line.
And check out our out-of-this-world fast, mobile, and budget-friendly phone system for small business. We’ll help your team talk anytime, anywhere, and about anything, with some stunning holiday deals going on now!
