Voicemail Tips

From SalesDog.com:

Do's and Don'ts of Voice Mail Messaging

by Trish Bertuzzi

Whether we like it or not, voice mail has become the first step in the sales process. There is quite a bit of debate surrounding whether to leave voice mail messages or to just keep dialing in the hope that the prospect will answer. We vote for leaving voice messages. Why miss an opportunity to create an impression?
On average, only 5% of the voice mail messages you leave will result in a return call. Depressed about that? Well, don't be. Your voice mail message can and does serve more than one purpose. Of course it is fantastic when a prospect returns your call but even if they don't, you still have laid the groundwork for effective communication of your value proposition.

When leaving a voice mail message, don't:
• Refer to your company as the industry leader
• Spew your company history or name drop more than 2 relevant customers
• Reference the fact that they recently attended a trade show or downloaded a white paper
• Ask for a commitment of their time before you have established credibility
• Leave your email or web address in your voice mail message

In your voice mail messages, do:
• Be concise; outline what you want to say before you make the call
• Limit yourself to 90 words or less - it will force you to focus on the message and not the fluff
• Provide a compelling reason for them to call you back
• Use vocal variety, people will hear the passion in your voice much more than they will hear the actual words
• Ask them to call you back "today" to convey a sense of urgency

If you view each voice mail message as a mini commercial and invest some time in developing these sound bites, when you do get in touch with your prospect, they will have a basic understanding of your value proposition and you will be that much more ahead of the curve.

Trish Bertuzzi founded The Bridge Group with a mission to help technology companies build highly successful inside sales teams. Since founding The Bridge Group in 1998, Trish has helped over 130 technology clients build, evolve, and validate their inside sales strategies. Trish writes about Inside Sales metrics, tips and trends at the Inside Sales Experts blog.

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