{"id":1361,"date":"2012-09-27T11:00:16","date_gmt":"2012-09-27T16:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etereman.com\/remanu\/?p=1361"},"modified":"2012-09-27T11:00:16","modified_gmt":"2012-09-27T16:00:16","slug":"should-you-leave-a-voicemail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etereman.com\/remanu\/2012\/09\/27\/should-you-leave-a-voicemail\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Leave a Voicemail?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I hear that leaving a voicemail for a prospect is a waste of time. I\u2019m told that it\u2019s much better to hang up and call back later in hopes of actually reaching your prospect. The argument is that nobody listens to voicemail anymore. Or, if they start listening, they delete it the moment they realize it\u2019s a sales call. Or, if you leave a message, you\u2019re probably annoying your prospect. Worst of all, they never call you back anyway.
\nWake up. Voicemail is not the problem. You are.
\nOr, I should say, your inability to use voicemail effectively is the problem.
\n\"\"Let\u2019s look at why your voicemails don\u2019t get returned:
\nYou\u2019re not prepared to leave a voicemail, so you wing it each time.<\/em>
\n You don\u2019t leave any detail about why you\u2019re calling or what\u2019s in it for them if they call you back.<\/em>
\n You sound like a cold-caller rather than someone with relevant and personal information and ideas.<\/em>
\n You\u2019re not offering anything of value in your message.<\/em>
\n You don\u2019t include a compelling call to action.<\/em>
\nThe reality is that you can learn to use voicemail to your advantage, and to leverage it as a valuable sales tool. The key is to have fun. Be creative. Take risks. Do something different. Every time you leave a voicemail, you have an opportunity and a choice: do you blend in with every other voicemail by being \u201cprofessional\u201d and \u201cnormal,\u201d or do you leave a friendly, fun, and value-based message that helps you to stand out and to get your call returned?
\nPersonally, I inject as much fun, humor, and value as I possibly can into every message I leave. My goal is two-fold: either I want my prospect to call me back, or I want my prospect to remember me and to be more likely to take my call the next time.
\nThe trick is that you have to be prepared before you call. Before you dial the phone you have to have a plan for what you\u2019re going to say if you reach your prospect, and for what you\u2019re going to say if you reach their voicemail.
\nHere are a few reasons why you should leave a voicemail each time you call:
\n– Odds are they know you\u2019re calling even if you don\u2019t leave a voicemail.<\/strong> Some people review their caller ID frequently. And, if you happen to hang up after their voicemail greeting plays, their system tells them who called anyway. So you might as well leave a message.
\n– Your prospect likely receives far fewer voicemail messages than email messages.<\/strong> So if you\u2019re thinking that you\u2019ll hang up and send an email instead, think again. Pressing delete in Outlook is even easier and it\u2019s very possible your email will get lost in the mix for a few days, wind up in junk mail for a week, or not read at all. I\u2019m all for a two-pronged approach, though, in which you both leave a message and send an email. Stay tuned for more info on how to do that best.
\n– Sometimes your prospect wants to do business with you but just happens to be extremely busy.<\/strong> You may not be priority number one at the moment, but the more contact you make, the higher up the list you will become. The difference between an annoying salesperson and an appreciated salesperson is that the appreciated salesperson is following up because they know its best for the prospect. They call with new ideas or additional information each time. Don\u2019t call \u201cjust to follow-up\u201d or \u201cjust to check in.\u201d
\nA few ideas to get you started:
\n1.<\/strong> Write out your message (a few bullet points are fine) in advance and practice it before you call.
\n2.<\/strong> Change the format of your message to sound more like a radio ad than a voicemail. In other words, don\u2019t start with \u201cHi, this Jenny Salesgirl from XYZ Corp. I\u2019m just calling to\u2026\u201d Instead start with an engaging question that captures their attention and draws them in. Announce yourself near the end of the message and save your phone number for the very last thing you say.
\n3.<\/strong> Keep it brief. Your message should be just long enough to work, and short enough that you don\u2019t run the risk of being cut off by your prospect\u2019s voicemail system. A minute at the longest is a good rule of thumb.
\n4.<\/strong> Try leaving a message letting them know you\u2019ll be sending an email with more detail. This is a great way to improve your chances of getting through. Say, \u201cHi Bob, I have a few ideas that will help you to become more profitable, more efficient, and more successful and rather than leaving you a ten minute voicemail, I\u2019ll send you an email shortly with one idea, my contact info, and an appointment request to discuss the rest. If you want to save yourself from having to read the email, you can simply call me back directly at 212-555-1212.\u201d
\n5.<\/strong> Leave them one value message from a series of messages you will continue to deliver over time. For instance, the first time you get their voicemail you say, \u201cHi, it\u2019s Bob from XYZ Company. There are 6 things you probably don\u2019t know about the best way to use our product. Here\u2019s the first:\u201d \u2013 and then you share something cool and valuable. Do that a few days in a row and then the next time you call, say \u201cI\u2019ve left you the first four ways \u2013 if you want the rest, you\u2019re going to have to call me back.\u201d If your ideas are any good, they will.
\n6.<\/strong> Think about the voicemail you receive. Which ones do you delete? Which ones do you return? Why? Use the best messages you receive as a template for yours.
\n7.<\/strong> Inject some sense of urgency by including a deadline if you can. Maybe your company is offering a special promotion that requires the contract signed within the next few days. Maybe you\u2019re calling to invite your prospect to an event that is taking place next week. Maybe you have two tickets to the ballgame tomorrow night. Maybe there are external influences that dictate when it\u2019s best to buy from you (fiscal year, end of quarter, or even legal sunset dates). The urgency has to be on their part rather than on yours. I once had a salesperson call and tell me that his quarter was ending and he\u2019d really appreciate if I could meet with him before that so he could try to squeeze in our sale. I could have cared less about his quarter ending and it became apparent to me that he cared more about his commission check than he cared about helping my business.
\n8.<\/strong> Practice by calling your colleagues and trying out new things. Ask them for honest feedback. If that makes you nervous, first practice by calling yourself. You can call your office phone from your cell phone, or your cell phone from your home phone. Think: would you call you back?
\nThat\u2019s just a start. You\u2019ll find your own voice, style, and method over time. It takes practice. It takes doing it. If you put the hard work in, you\u2019ll become a master in a few weeks or months and you\u2019ll be in the small category of salespeople who get their calls returned.
\nSo, should you leave a voicemail? Only if you want to make more sales! What are you waiting for? Reach out and sell something.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I hear that leaving a voicemail for a prospect is a waste of time. I\u2019m told that it\u2019s much better to hang up and call back later in hopes of actually reaching your prospect. The argument is that nobody listens to voicemail anymore. Or, if they start listening, they delete it the moment they realize […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":1362,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[7],"tags":[144,14],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nShould You Leave a Voicemail? - REMANU<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/etereman.com\/remanu\/2012\/09\/27\/should-you-leave-a-voicemail\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Should You Leave a Voicemail? - REMANU\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I hear that leaving a voicemail for a prospect is a waste of time. I\u2019m told that it\u2019s much better to hang up and call back later in hopes of actually reaching your prospect. The argument is that nobody listens to voicemail anymore. 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