465: Let's Talk About Voicemails w/ Denny Corby

We break down why a short, friendly, and current voicemail can shape first impressions and speed up callbacks, especially in the club world where every touchpoint matters. Practical tips help you record a clear greeting, set expectations, and add just enough personality.

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hey everybody, welcome to the Private Club
Radio Show, where we give youthe scoop on all things private
golf and country clubs frommastering leadership and
management, food and beverageexcellence, member engagement
secrets, board governance, andeverything in between, all while
keeping it fun and light.
Whether you're a club veteran,just getting your feet wet, or
somewhere in the middle, you arein the right place.

(00:20):
I'm your host, Denny Corby.
Welcome to the show.
In this episode, we are talkingabout voicemails.
You ever call someone, and allyou get is after a bunch of
rings, you reach the voicemailof Bob Jones.
Boop.
Like that's the whole vibe.
No hello, no info, nopersonality, just Bob Jones.

(00:44):
I know voicemails might not seemlike a lot, but sometimes the
small things are the big things.
And voicemails, yes, voicemails,they matter.
And in this episode, I'm gonnashare with you some tips and
tricks to have the bestvoicemail possible.
Oh, and hey, real quick, if youare now planning your 2026 fun

(01:07):
member events and yourtournaments, and you're looking
to add some fun, uniqueentertainment, whether that's an
MC, someone who's good on themic to help with some auction
items, to help with thetournament, to help with the
fundraiser at the club, or funmember event night, let's chat
dennycorby.com.
Hashtag shamelessplug.
And I know it's 2025 and peopletext, people email, they send

(01:31):
carrier pigeons, but peoplestill call, people still leave
voicemails, and you still getvoicemails every day from
members, from vendors, from jobapplicants, other club pros.
People call.
And when you don't answer, theyget sent to your voicemail.
And that may or may not be theirfirst impression of you.
And as we all know, firstimpressions are everything.

(01:52):
A voicemail can say a lot or alittle.
Um, and if that voicemail iscold and robotic, hard to hear,
not existent, well, that alsosends a message to your
voicemail is an extension ofyou, your personal brand, you
yourself, and it's a quickreflection of how you do things.
And I know sometimes we alldon't get to control the whole

(02:15):
voicemail in phone systems.
And if it's just an automatedsystem saying extension one,
two, three.
I know that's not exactly alwaysscreaming professional and
approachable, but I get it ifthat's all you have and you have
nothing that you can do aboutit.
But most of us can and we do,and even if it's not your club
phone, it's your cell phone, itstill says a lot about you, your

(02:35):
personality, and you and yourbrand.
So, real quick, we're gonna gothrough some of the worst
voicemails that you can have.
And a lot of you have an angrysounding tone.
Like it'll be boop, this is BobJones.
Leave a message.
Like, sorry to bother you, bud.
Then on the other side, you havepeople who have a way too long
of a voicemail.
Hi, this is Susan, membershipdirector, 2008 board chair,

(02:59):
rotary club president,pickleball enthusiast, dog mom,
and all right, listen, we didn'task for the LinkedIn bio, but
your voicemail should be nice,short, and sweet.
If you can hear the bar, thekitchen, dishes, music, anything
else in the background, youmight want to redo it and change
it up.
Not a good look.
So those are some of the thingsthat make a bad voicemail, but

(03:19):
let's dive into what makes agood and great and amazing
voicemail.
Now I'm going to dive into acouple tips and tricks to make
you have the best voicemail inthe club biz.
Tip number one is smile when yourecord it and stand up.
It's one of the oldest tricks inthe book, and it works.
People can hear a smile.

(03:40):
It changes your tone intensity,it changes your tone instantly,
and you sound more friendly,more warm, more confident, and
more human.
You don't have to sound like aDisney cast member.
You just have to smile.
Tip number two, keep it shortbut personal.
You don't want to say, leaveyour name, number, time you
called, and reason for calling.
It's 2025.

(04:00):
We all know what to do after thebeep.
Instead, you can say somethinglike, Hey, it's Denny Corby.
I'm probably in a meeting or onthe road.
This is my personal cell phonenumber, so feel free to shoot me
a text if that's quicker, orshoot me an email and suit your
email.
And I'll get back to you withinX amount of time.
Bang.
Boom.
Quick personal help.

(04:21):
And a couple extra tips as well.
It's always good and fun to useyour club name.
Hey, this is Denny Corby withbogey links.
You know, uh, you can drop infun stuff that you have going on
that week.
So going back to the voicemailsand making them a little bit
more custom.
Hey, we got a big member eventthis week.
Hey, we have a big corporateevent.

(04:41):
Hey, we're running, we have ourfinally have the tournament come
into town.
So hang tight.
Responses might be a little bitslower.
You know, put it in, add giftsand personality.
Listen, are voicemails the endof the world?
No, far from it.
I just talk to and chat with alot of people and make a lot of
calls.
And I hear a lot of voicemails.
And to me, voicemails can justmean a really big difference in

(05:04):
how you show up in all aspectsof your life.
But in our world in 2025, wherecommunication matters, this
small thing can make such a bigimpact.
So I challenge you to call yourown voicemail, listen to it like
you've never heard it before,and ask yourself, how does this
sound?
How do I sound?
Is this the best version of me?

(05:24):
This whole thing from listeningto recording a new one can take
less than five minutes and makea nice impact.
And really, that's all it takes.
That's this episode.
Short, simple, and hopefullyhelpful.
And if you know someone, whetherin the club space or not, who
might not have the bestvoicemail, feel free to forward
this episode to them and letthem listen.

(05:45):
But but that's it.
That's this episode.
I'm your host, Annie Corby.
Until next time.
Catch y'all on the flippityflip.