Cold Calling, How to get your voice mails returned!
Welcome to my blog on how to get your voice mails returned. One of the most frequent question I get asked by salespeople and business owners is how many voice mails should I leave and at what frequency and of course, how do I get my voice mails returned?
1) My first rule on how to get your voice mail returned – is to leave one! If you are not leaving voice mails you are really doing yourself a disservice!
2) As far as frequency goes I would say every 3-5 days is enough to ensure that you look “serious” without looking like a “stalker”.
So let’s get in to the “meat” of the blog, would you like to meet a lot of new and interesting people?
If being able to get your foot in the door and winning over new accounts is critical to your success as a company and/or as a salesperson, then I hope so!
Yet, I work with a lot of salespeople and as important as it is, some salespeople would do just about anything rather than prospect for new business by cold calling. Some of my best friends and business associates I have met through cold calling. Think about it, most of your friends were strangers at one point or another.
Therefore, the first step in having success in “getting your foot in the door” is your attitude.
Think of cold calling and prospecting for new business as a way to make new friends.
Secondly, the reality of today’s very competitive marketplace is that cold calling can be a very frustrating experience if you don’t have a strong Client Centered Value Proposition or a compelling message. That’s why many salespeople grow complacent or reluctant to prospect for new business by cold calling.
Your ”Getting Your Foot in the Door” strategy should be part and parcel of an entire prospecting strategy, a strategy that places you as “top of mind” with your prospects and also serves to educate your prospects as to why you would be the person to do business with in your industry.
Think of it as planting seeds.
Many sales people I work with express the frustration of having to deal with voice mail and I often get asked, “What is the secret of leaving a voice mail that gets returned?”
So let’s look at a sample voice mail.
“Hello, (pause) my name is Bob, I work for Lumin’s Print Shop. I’m just calling to see if you would like some information on our latest promotion this month. If you would like some information on how we can help you I look forward to hearing back from you. My number is (555) 555-5555″
Can you see the mistakes Bob made? Before moving along to the next section – why don’t you reread Bob’s voice mail and count how many errors you think he has made.
“Hello” – The goal of a voice mail is “to get a person to call you back” Voice mails should be personable and always begin with the use of the person’s name.
The correct way – “Hello, Dan…”
(pause) – One of the key tools in ensuring your success with cold calling, is your CONFIDENCE. You should be practicing what you are going to say and how you are going to say it prior to making your call to ensure that you have a smooth delivery.
“My name is Bob” – Hi, my name is… sounds like something you would hear at a speed dating event or at a group therapy session. You want to project an image of position and status. In our society, perception is very important.
The correct way – “Hello, Dan. This is Bob Simons… “
“My name is Bob” actually counts as 2 – because Bob didn’t leave his last name. “Bob” or “Susan” is found on the name tag of your bank teller or the gentleman who bags your groceries at the local supermarket. “Bob” or “Susan” is NOT the “go to guy” who is your peer in business.
“I work for…” This is another way for Bob to imply to his prospect that Bob just isn’t that important. Bob is just another employee or worse just another “salesperson”.
The correct way – “Hello, Dan. This is Bob Simons from Lumin’s Print Shop…”
Or “Hello, Dan. This is Bob Simons of ….”
“I’m just calling….” – Implies that the call is casual. That there is no real reason to return the call.
“…If you would like some information on our latest promotion this month. If you would like some information on how …” – I think Bob got so nervous he repeated himself.
“My number is (555) 555-5555” – ALWAYS leave your phone number twice. Most people have 3, 4, 6, 8 or more voice mails. Their busy and generally hate to have to replay their voice mails to write down your phone number. Make it easy for them!
The correct way – “Hello, Dan. This is Bob Simons from Lumin’s Print Shop. If you would like some information on our latest promotion this month. I look forward to hearing back from you. You can reach me at (555) 555-5555. That’s Bob Simons at (555) 555-5555.“
No salutation at the end. People like the personal touch. It’s important that you are courteous and mindful of proper business etiquette.
The correct way – ““Hello, Dan. This is Bob Simons from Lumin’s Print Shop. If you would like some information on our latest promotion this month. I look forward to hearing back from you. You can reach me at (555) 555-5555. That’s Bob Simons at (555) 555-5555. Thanks Dan.”
So how many mistakes did you find? Did you expect to find 9?
Bob actually made 11 mistakes and the last 2 are absolutely crucial to getting your voice mails returned. Do you know what they are?
Tell you what, I have a deal for you – if you can tell me the 2 remaining critical mistakes Bob made in getting his voice mail returned I’ll give you a copy of my book “The Secrets to Sales Mastery” absolutely free (I’ll even pay for the shipping!) and I will autograph the copy for you!
Email me at kevin@salesmasterybook.com with your answer or you can call me directly at (604) 525-5185.
Getting your foot in the door and winning over new accounts is a learnable skill.
And as you probably know by now, old tired scripts like this, just don’t work any more.
I teach new innovative sales skill sets and strategies that will not only help you get your foot in the door and win over new accounts – it will also help you get your voice mails returned!
I will give you the exact words and scripts I use to get my foot in the door, get my voice mails returned and win over new accounts.
I will also help you come up with your own unique “Client Centered Value Proposition” that you can use for your own business.
Kevin, I need your help in getting more business…
ps – if all else fails you can always try the “Hail Mary, I don’t have a hope” approach : “Hi Dan, I know you desperately want to place an order with us, but you’re probably trapped under your desk and can’t reach the phone… Don’t move, I’m coming to get you!”
Kevin Boyle
Author / Public Speaker / Sales Trainer and Coach
“The Secrets to Sales Mastery”
ps – Did you enjoy this post? Do you have any tricks or tips on how to get your voice mails returned? Please feel free to add your comments!
Other Blog Articles on Sales and Marketing Techniques;
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How to slay your dragon and get what you really want out of life!
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ps. Do you need help with cold calling?
How to cold call anyone, anywhere, without fear of rejection! Stop your prospect from what they are doing, get their full undivided attention and have them instantly build rapport with you!
