The telephone is still a great prospecting tool, despite what some naysayers might want you to believe.
Voicemail is a great extension of it and can get you connections you’d never get any other way.  In my new book High-Profit Prospecting, I devote several chapters to the discussion of the telephone and voicemail.
Here are 11 things you need to know when using voicemail as a prospecting tool, which I cover in far more detail in my book.
1. Â Only include three things: a greeting, a call to action, and contact information.
2. Â Never let your voicemail go longer than 18 seconds and strive to keep it as close to 12 seconds as possible.
3. Â Give the prospect information they will value and want to receive.
4. Â State your message with confidence and a full voice.
5. Â State your phone number twice and say it slowly.
6. Â Do not leave your website address or say when you’re available.
7. Â Use a headset to allow you to speak with your hands.
8.  Note in your CRM what message you left, so you never leave the same message twice.
9. Â Leave your subsequent messages on different days of the week and different times of the day.
10. Â Use the person’s first name twice.
11. Â Use voicemail along with other prospecting tools.
- Prospect can listen to your voice and feel your confidence and energy.
- You can leave a tight and concise message that demonstrates you respect the prospect’s time.
- You have a chance to build awareness with the prospect. Your messages serve as a form of advertising, helping the prospect become more familiar with you.
- You can leave messages at different times of the day, which shows the prospect you’re willing to work hard.
- The prospect can listen to messages at a time convenient for them.
Cons of Voicemail
- Learning how to leave a good message takes time and practice.
- Depending on your CRM system and the tools you have, the information you leave might be harder to get into the system.
- There is a risk of the prospect not listening to the message; however, this risk is no greater than with any other prospecting tool you might use.
Copyright 2016, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.
Hi Mark,
as usual great post and information, many thanks and keep up the great work. – Barry.
Embarrassed to say, after 33 years as a territory manager, leaving voice messages is something that I am uncomfortable with and have relied on “cold calls”, customer referrals, etc, for my growth and success. I will definitely incorporate voicemails into my prospecting arsenal, utilizing your suggestions. Thanks for sharing.
Tim
Great insight, thank you! These are awesome tips about the content of a voicemail. I’m wondering if you have suggestions/data to support the best calls on which to leave a voicemail? Should I leave one on the 2nd call, 3rd call and 4th call? Or 2nd and 5th call?
How many and when?
Hey Mark! Great blog post! I can’t wait to use these tactics for http://www.callonthego.com. Also, I can’t wait to checkout your latest book. Is it in audible?