Be Prepared to Leave a Message

As an Eagle Scout and current member of the marketing committee of our local Boy Scouts, I have had the term "Be Prepared" drilled into my noggin since I was a teenager.

It fits almost any area of our lives:

Voice Mail Secrets

Voice mail messages can be a useful selling tool or a major setback to your sales efforts, depending on how you leave or receive them.

Here are a few tips that may help your effectiveness when leaving a message.

Prepare what you plan to say before you leave a message. Rambling or pause-filled messages make the wrong impression to prospects.

Leave all the critical information, but don't make the message too long. It's usually a good idea to leave the prospect with a day and time when you will call back.

Be prepared to talk to the prospect or customer when you call. Some salespeople are so used to going into voice mail that they stammer and stutter when a live prospect answers. Every time you call a prospect, think of it as a possible face-to-face interview, and plan accordingly.


Source: William Keefe, sales manager of Interactive Data (from The Selling Advantage, 05/28/08)

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