If you’ve ever made cold calls, you know the response rates from voicemails you’ve left your sales prospects tends to be low.
In a webinar I recently attended hosted by Michael Pedone, Founder at SalesBuzz, and Jared Haleck, Sr. Product Manager at InsideSales.com, the hosts discussed the topic of why voicemails fail and how can we fix them.
Here are 4 common reasons why your voicemails fail and some suggestions on how you can improve your voice mail response rates to earn more sales.
1. You’re Not Prepared
If you are not prepared prior to your call, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to leave a quality voicemail. To achieve the best result with your sales prospect, it’s recommended that you follow a quick script outline that covers the main points that you want to include in your message and rehearse with that message until it flows smoothly. If you want your message to help stand out, include an interesting piece of news from your research. For more tips on how to prepare for your call, be sure to read our blog post on B2B Social Selling and Cold Calling Tips.
2. Your Message Lacks a Compelling CTA
The main points that you want to include in your message should be unique to your prospect. Think about what value is it that your offer has that is both directly related to your prospect and unique to your organization against competitors’ offers. Be sure to include a clear call to action to help encourage a response. For additional help in crafting a compelling reason for the call back be sure to read 5 Steps to Selling the Solution, Not the Product.
3. Your Message Is Too Long or Slow
Your voicemail should be no more than 20 seconds and should be kept at a comfortable but brisk pace. To help grab your sales prospects attention early on, be sure to lead in with their name. To help you practice your timing and pacing try recording yourself to listen to your own practice playback.
4. You Haven’t Followed Up
After you’ve left a voicemail you should always follow up with a brief email. Michael recommended that the subject line of your email should simply be “Voicemail” in order to peak their interest. In the body of the email, the message should read similar to, “Mr./Ms. Prospect, I just left you a voicemail regarding…”. Avoid including links, bullet points, or lengthy summaries.
Remember, when leaving a voicemail your objective is to get a call back to advance the sales call, or to make the sales prospect willing to take your call the next time you reach out to them.
Learning to avoid these common voicemail failures and implementing the associated tips will allow you to boost your voicemail call back rates. Now that you are ready to leave stronger voicemails, brush up on your other sales and marketing skills with our sales and marketing white papers.
