We’ve all heard stupid voicemails, and if you’re like me, you do two things.
One, you delete them before they’re done, and two, you remark to yourself how the person leaving it is a village idiot.
Voicemail can be a great tool when used correctly.
Let me share with you 5 stupid voicemail mistakes. Are you making any of these same errors?
1. Speaking without any energy or volume.
The other person can’t see you, but they are still painting a picture in their mind as to who you are.
The last thing they want to do is to be talking to someone who has no enthusiasm for what they are doing.
2. Stating they need to call you back between “x” time and “y” time.
When you do this, you’ve just made it that much harder for them to call you back. Unless you have an amazing relationship with the person for whom you are leaving the message, don’t expect the call to be returned.
3. Failing to state why you’re calling in the first 6 seconds.
If you can’t say it quick, don’t say it. When you leave a voicemail, the person receiving it is looking to do one thing: Delete the message as quickly as possible.
This means if you spend the first 10 seconds droning on about nothing, you’re gone!
4. Not saying your phone number clearly.
Getting people to return voice mail messages is hard enough, but when you spit your number out so fast that no one can understand it, how could they ever call you back?
State your number clearly and if possible twice. Why? It allows the person to get your phone number the first time they listen to the message.
5. Not using a decent telephone.
Don’t forget that the person listening to the message is not in the same room as you. Depending on the equipment they use–or you use–the quality of your voice can sound pathetic.
I recommend a good quality not just for quality of sound, but also so you can use your hands to talk!
Click here for more phone prospecting tips.
I know there are no guarantees that every voicemail message will be returned, even if you don’t make any of the above mistakes.
But the person receiving your message is more likely to view you in a more positive light if you don’t make these mistakes. And this means there is greater potential for you to communicate at a later point.
The phone isn’t dead. And I’ll show you why in this masterclass:
My Phone Prospecting Masterclass is a great opportunity to improve your skills. I’ll teach about how to get past the gatekeeper, what time/day to call, how to overcome objections, voicemail (including scripts!) and more.
It’s a ton a knowledge at an incredible value, $59. Click here to enroll or discover more.
Plan for Success on Your Next Sales Call
Watch this episode of The Sales Hunter Podcast with Art Sobczak as he shares the art of preparing what you’re going to say on the phone. Or you can find it (and many more episodes) wherever you like to stream.
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Copyright 2014, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price.
2 Responses
Very good points. Short and sweet. I always say my number twice. I don’t know how many times a person has mumbled or speed talked their number for me to restart the message 4-5 times. Once in a blue moon I will drone and drabble on when my mind is full of noise. I will catch myself and wish I had a way to delete that!
Great advice. Recall how you judge voicemails you receive. A variation of the Golde
n Rule.