How to Leave Voice Mail Messages that Get Returned -- Part I

What does it take to get a prospect to return your call after you leave a message? Unless your voicemail is truly compelling, it will have been deleted long before you finished talking.

Your prospects have fast fingers. They sit with their finger on the delete button, ready to bleep you into oblivion if you deliver the standard voicemail that every seller leaves. Here's the traditional format:

• Mr/Ms __. This is (your name) calling. 

  
  

• I'm a sales rep with (your company.) 

  
  

• We specialize in (fill in the blank)

  
  

• Our offering is (state-of-the-art, innovative, leading edge)

  
  

• I'd like to get together to learn more about how you do __.
• And tell you how (your company) might help with this.
• I'd be glad to meet at your earliest convenience.
• You can reach me at ....

Remember, this does NOT work. Let me repeat myself: This approach does NOT work. I don't care if that's how you were trained.  The world has changed.  Even your own mother wouldn't call you back today - and that's pretty darn bad!

Compelling Messages

To be compelling you have to leave an entirely different type of message - one that's relevant to their business, tied to a high priority, and establishes your credibility.

And let me assure you, those types of messages are not something that roll off your tongue at the spur of the moment. Instead, they're well-researched and careful planned to ensure the proper alignment and emphasis.

Here are five strategies you can use to increase your enticement quotient:

1. Reference Your Research

Do you know how few sellers actually invest time studying their clients before placing a call? Very few. You'll immediately set yourself apart if you mention it in your voicemail.

You might say:

• "In researching your company prior to calling you today, I noticed that ..."

• "In reviewing your company's website and marketing collateral, it became apparent to me that a critical issue you're facing is ..."

• "In reviewing your organization's strategic direction and comparing it to others in your market segment ..."

If you're not doing this pre-call research prior to contacting a big company, you're making a huge mistake.  Dig in. Do it.  What you learn can help make your voicemail even more enticing.

2. State a Strong Value Proposition

Powerful value propositions focus on the business outcomes companies get from using your products or services.  Framed in business terminology, they highlight specific measurable results.

Examples of enticing value propositions include:

• In working with another firm like yours, we reduced space requirements by 10 percent, saving them over $500k on lease payments and capital equipment reductions of over $300,000."

• "We help shrink time-to-revenue on new product introductions - a big issue facing companies today. In fact, research into failed product launches shows that 70 percent of executives blame weak value propositions as a major factor in their poor sales results."

• "After working with our firm, our average retail clients see sales conversions increases of between 39-57 percent and their average order size increase by 13-18 percent."

Prospective customers are enticed by strong value propositions because they address critical business issues AND demonstrate significant value. To increase their effectiveness, mention that the results come from businesses like theirs - or even name-drop some prominent clients.