How to Leave Sales Voicemails that Ensure a Callback

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In this down economy, you’ve got to make every voicemail message count. If your voicemails are off target, off message, or spout generalities, you’ve lost your prospect to the delete button.

 

Yes, your message may sound interesting and the listener may even deicide that what you’re offering may offer some advantage to his/her business, but don’t forget, in this day of instant Google searches, the listener may already have the information you so painstakingly stuffed into your voicemail. If there’s nothing new to what you’re saying, your message will be lost.

 

Michael Pedone, founder and CEO of SalesBuzz.com, notes that if the propsect was given enough information to make a decision… and if your product or service isn’t on their “urgent” list right now, it probably won’t become a priority unless an outside “event” raises the prospect’s awareness and necessity of your solution.

 

Pedone offers a number of suggestions on how to leave voicemail messages. Among them is the idea of piquing their interest. “Entice a callback--or at least have them wanting to take your call when you try again to reach them,” says Pedone. He also advises salespeople to self evaluate test messages. “Call and leave yourself a voicemail message and then listen to it. Would you call that message back?” asks Pedone.

 

Pedone even suggests that you and some of your colleagues leave your sales manager a voicemail. “Play them back in your next sales meeting,” says Pedone. As long as the critiques remain positive and constructive, you and your team will benefit.

 

Sales trainer, speaker and author Peter O'Donoghue notes that preparation is key. “Like every element of successful selling, the voicemail can be prepared for,” says O'Donoghue. He adds that many salespeople are often surprised the first time they encounter their voicemail. An unprepared, unprofessional sounding voicemail can be a waste of time. He advises that you prepare your voicemail message in advance “so that it is clear, punchy and has a big impact.”

 

O'Donoghue suggests that your voicemail message contain something of value, like a free report or white paper, research on their target market, or a solution to a specific business problem they may have encountered or continue to encounter. If you expect a call back, give them a reason to call back. Make them curious and entice them with something they can use. The message should be short and to the point. No general messages about boosting profits, income or increasing efficiency. Such messages have been done to death and go right into the prospect’s mental reject file. “Leave something of value for your prospects,” advises O'Donoghue.

 

photo courtesy of MorgueFile
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  • Gerry F
    Gerry F •
    Very helpful.
  • Alex Kecskes
    Alex Kecskes •
    Thanks for your incisive comments, Gregory. I'm afraid examples would be too industry/customer specific.  Best to keep things general.
  • gregory g
    gregory g •
    Useful but I would like to see some specific examples. I have been using the automated voice mail attendant for years to critique my V/Ms.  While I erase and record over when they don't sound hard hitting enough, the author is correct if there is not something specific or a common denominator to get your potential client's interest, don't expect a call back.  Depending on the industry, I would not be expecting a call back at all. Most of today's decision makers are far too busy to make an outbound call when they receive dozens of calls a month from vendors who could do what you are proposing and I know in my case for less money.  My best success has come from getting the "situational questions" answered by a "cheerleader." These are the questions that when asked, it is almost impossible to put them in a conversational context. Consequently, everyone involved feels as though it is an interrogation.  Find the person who is going to benefit from your service who is not the decision maker.  In every industry it is going to be a different person; if it is office equipment, it will be the person who actually uses this equipment. If it is advertising, it will be the person who actually works with the customers the campaign generates.These people who have some input into who may be used, they are quite often overlooked in the decision making process so they feel their opinion is undervalued. Most of the time they are only too happy to answer those "situational questions"  The  who, what, when,  where, why, how much, what is wrong, ect  questions answered. Of course this takes a little more time but if the account is going to yield ongoing benefits,  chances are it is not a one call close anyway.  If you can not use the "cheerleaders" name on the phone, you can find someone else in the company or the Organization that will make the person who ultimately makes the decision receptive to speaking with you. Let's face it, it this was easy; EVERYONE WOULD BE MAKING $250K A YEAR!
  • Alex Kecskes
    Alex Kecskes •
    Thanks for you comments.
  • Stephen S
    Stephen S •
    Nothing too new
  • Dwight D
    Dwight D •
    This is on point. If you don't pique the interest in less than thirty seconds you will not get a call back
  • gregory g
    gregory g •
    While the article  was long on generic tactics, we usually hear an example of a hypothetical call. I have been telling my staff for years to leave them wanting more, if you even decide to leave v/ms but just how that is done is going to be up to the A/E and how creative they are. Every A/E has their strengths and weaknesses. Many of my more consistent Reps. may not be the most creative, but once given something to implement, they do it and do it until we see the results are positive or negative. Also the demographics that you are attempting to call makes a huge difference. When you are selling to professional sales people, you had better be on top of your game, if not they will eat you alive. The part of the article that is on point is the "repetition is the mother of all skills" so leaving messages your co-workers and seeing how effective they are and playing back the messages you left your prospective client to see how you are progressing is a good way of honing your skills. The bottom line is it does not matter how you make your tools more effective, "just do it" and continue to evolve in your craft!

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