I have been looking at 5 ways voicemail can work for prospecting. You can check out the first 3 ways here, here and here.
Now we come to #4: Don’t expect your single voicemail message to be returned.
That’s right! Your single voicemail won’t be returned! Instead, view your message as one of a series of messages you’ll be using to reach your prospect across different mediums.
This is where most sales prospecting efforts fall apart.
A salesperson makes a single call, and because it’s not returned, they give up. Worse than giving up is the salesperson who somehow thinks making a second call to the same person six months later is somehow going to work this time. It won’t.
If this has been your strategy, I’m sure I know what your results have been — poor!
The key in using voicemail as a prospecting tool is to ensure you have frequency. This does not mean daily phone calls, but it does mean to have frequency that matches your industry and uses several forms of media.
If you’re prospecting into an industry where the prospect buys your services daily or minimally several times per week, then making several calls a week is by no means too many. (Examples of this would be the transportation industry.)
If the industry you’re calling into only buys from you or your competitors on a monthly basis, then making one contact per week, mixing between phone and email, is a good mix.
For those industries where the prospect may only buy from you or your competitor once a quarter or less, make a contact a week for six weeks and then step back for 90 days before starting contact again.
Key is developing a flow that works for you and your industry. Two rules I stress are:
1. Whatever the typical salesperson feels is the right frequency of contact, you can double.
2. The most valuable asset you have is your own time. Don’t start what you can’t finish!
Single call prospecting simply does not work. Frequency is essential, but if you can’t follow through, there is no sense in even starting.
Copyright 2015, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price.
One Response
What about texting prospects? I am really curious on how sales leaders feel on this topic. When we polled our Spiro readers, the majority said texting a prospect was okay. Thoughts? Too “new school”?