6 Goals for Leaving Voice Mail

Doyle Slayton | Jun 14, 2009 | Comments 30

I spent the majority of my career believing that leaving messages was a waste of time. Why? Because return phone calls are rare, and I preferred calling multiple times until I finally got a voice-to-voice connection with the decision maker. I felt like it kept me in control of the follow up process, and it was the most efficient way to crank out more calls throughout the day. I figured I’d save 15+ seconds per call by not leaving messages.

More and more, it seems like people are not answering their phone. No matter how often or what time of day I call, they just aren’t answering. When I call over and over again and never get an answer, it’s like spinning my wheels. So I began thinking, “Am I really in control?” and “Am I really being more efficient?” I realize now, that if I’m going to regain control and gain traction over time, I have to leave messages.

So much of sales is about maintaining perspective. I need to leave messages with the expectation, not that the prospect is going to call me back… but instead, leaving the prospect knowing that… whether they return my call or not… I am going to call them back.

The following is a list of six goals I’m looking to accomplish with voice mail.

1. Build Awareness – Leaving a message lets my prospect know that I exist. The best time to do that is right at the beginning! Leaving a message plants a seed. It is the first step in opening the door. The prospect knows that, moving forward, I’m going to be searching for an opportunity to reach them.

2. Generate Interest – One thing is certain, my prospect is getting hammered with sales calls all day long. That is why they aren’t answering their phone. Voice mail acts as a filter where sales people move themselves into or out of the picture. Leaving a message puts me in the game!

3. Introduce an Alternative – When calling on qualified prospects, they will likely be looking for new solutions, upgrades, and alternatives… if not now, then at some point in the future. My voice mail positions me as an option and a backup plan. There is nothing worse than finally getting the decision maker on the phone after months of calling and hearing, “Actually, we just signed on with one of your competitors.” That’s when you think, “How did I miss out on this deal? I should have left a message.”

4. Create an Opportunity – I need to leave targeted 15 – 20 second commercials. There are plenty of prospects who initially make the statement, “I’m not interested… we’re fine where we are.” Click, they hang up the phone. “Wait a minute!” you think, “I haven’t even said anything yet.” What good is it to finally get someone on the phone if they are going to hang up as soon as they realize you are a sales person? A compelling voice mail, prior to the first conversation, can create an opportunity for a more professional discussion when they finally answer the phone. Leaving quality messages begins the process of opening doors that were once closed tight!

5. Develop Credibility – One way to differentiate myself is to consistently follow-up. While my competition is, not following through, not using their CRM, and turning over sales people left and right, I have to be the consistent consultative voice breaking through all the noise.

6. Throw Combinations – I need to have multiple influencers within the company, for example, I will leave messages for the CFO, Controller, and Director of XYZ. I want them to know that I just left a message for their colleague. The goal here is to have them sitting in a meeting or conversing over lunch about a problem and all of a sudden my name comes up! My new strategy must include a very specific set of five to eight targeted voice mail, email, and maybe even regular mail messages that I can leave and send over the course of time. If I am dealing with targets that are very difficult to reach, I have to prepare for a long term attack!