Voicemail. Love it or hate it, it’s here to stay as the new gatekeeper. Here are a few ideas to get it working for you.

When you call a prospect and get their voicemail, consider it a blessing. You get to leave a detailed message without interruption. Plus, the message will be without potential errors that an operator/receptionist might make, or worse, forget to pass along the message.

Before you start dialing for dollars, have a clear idea of what you want to say. That may sound pretty obvious, but when you make a connection it’s easy to get a wee bit flustered and confused. You can ramble on about this and that, hang up and then realize you forgot to leave your phone number or other pretty important information.

It’s also a good idea to write it down. Not so much as a script, but highlights to keep you on track.

Speaking of a message, it’s usually a good idea to have one. Don’t just say, “Hi this is Mortiemer Marketer. Please call me back at 555-5555.” Unless the prospect is already aware of your brilliant capabilities and stellar services, there’s no incentive to make that long stretch to the keypad and punch in your number.

A better idea might be saying something like, “Hi Ms. Bigbucks. This is Mort with ABC Design. Jane Doe suggested I give you a call. She thought you’d find our free report, “How to make a million bucks in less than 2 hours,” useful. If you would give me a call back at 555-5555, I’d be delighted to share the details with you. I’ll be in the office this morning until 11:15 and back in after 3:30. I’ll look forward to hearing from you! Again, my name is Mort Marketer and the number is 555-5555.”

Let’s take a look at what just happened. First, you made contact. That’s a good thing. Next, you dropped a name to make an association. If you don’t have a referral, you might use a group you both belong to, like the Chamber of Commerce, or reference a news release, their web site, etc. You provided an offer that might be helpful to the prospect. Give to get and become a resource. Finally, you gave your phone number and the times that you’d be available, along with repeating your name and number. That saves the prospect from having to replay your message.

Other things to consider when playing the voicemail game are:
1. Speak slowly and clearly

2. Get to the point and don’t ramble on

3. Your tone should be friendly and approachable

Even though voicemail can be more reliable than a real live human, don’t make book on your message getting through. This stuff isn’t perfect. On occasion, I’ll check my messages and when I sign in to the system, I get somebody else’s voicemail. I can only assume somebody else is getting mine. It doesn’t happen too often, but it does happen.

Also, give your prospects a break. If they don’t come rushing to call you back, it’s likely that they’re busy with their job. Odds are you’re not at the top of the list, unless there’s a very pressing immediate need. That happens too.

If you don’t hear back from them, give it some time and make another call or make some other point of contact like a letter, postcard, etc.

Finally, be sure to keep track of your activities. Trust me, if you don’t you’ll forget who you called, when you called and when you’re supposed to call them back. Keeping track is easiest with a Contact Manager application like ACT! or Now Up To Date. I use an older application called Personal Organizer. It’s still available here.

The nifty thing about these contact managers is that you can make notes about your calls and also schedule reminders for future activities.

So, in the end, consider voicemail your friend and another tool in your marketing toolbox.

Until the next
Marketing Minute
all the best,
nt