Salespeople: No One Is Listening To Your Voicemails
You hate getting voicemails, right? We hate voicemails. Everyone hates voicemails.
It takes time out of your day to dial through the stupid phone system just to hear someone ramble on a message that you could have read in seconds via text or e-mail. There are three of them sitting here unheard on my phone right now.
For goodness sake, even some of the world’s largest companies like Coca-Cola are disconnecting voicemails.
They are time consuming, annoying to the receiver and just plain ineffective.
So Why Do Sales People Leave Voicemails For Prospects?
- There is the lazy salesperson – Yeah, I know leaving a voicemail is the easy thing to do. That doesn’t make it the right thing to do. When was the last time you left a voicemail and a prospect actually called you back?
- There is the uncreative salesperson – Voicemails are the easy way out when you can’t get through to a prospect. You need to get creative and try some other ways to get in front of them.
- There is the demotivated salesperson – If you are going to be lazy enough to leave a voicemail, then chances are you don’t really even want this sale in the first place. It’s time to get your priorities straight.
- And then there is the sales guy who thinks the prospect will call back – Perhaps customers you know very well may call you back, but remember you are the sales guy. Your job is to be the one who reaches out and makes things happens. Don’t count on someone calling you back, take the initiative and follow up.
While we’re on the topic, don’t think your creative, teaser voicemail message — “John, I have some important news for you. ” — is going to get anyone to call you back. All that does is signal to the prospect you are a sleazy sales guy trying to con them into a phone call.
What Should A Sales Person Do?
Call back later – I know, it is more work. But if you really want the sale you need to show some initiative and call back later. Keep calling back until you actually reach the prospect.
Call the contact’s other phone – If they have two numbers and you are leaving a voicemail on the first one you call, then you are just being straight up lazy. Call their second number, it’s at least worth a shot.
Send an e-mail – If your prospect is like most professionals today, they hate voicemail as well. They would rather open an e-mail from you that gets the message across quickly than listening to you ramble on for a minute via voicemail. Use an app, like Spiro, that will smartly suggest that you email someone if you have been calling, calling, calling without any success.
Don’t say “I tried to reach you” in your e-mail. This just puts your prospects in the boat to ignore you even more. Just be straight forward and get your point across.
Also — don’t just email them. Call them first. It’s simply way more effective.
Maybe text them – Send a brief polite text to them. Don’t blow up their phone or send an essay. Instead just send a brief short text that gets your point across. Maybe they can’t answer your call now, but a text at least gets your message in front of them.
The Bottom Line For Salespeople
Seriously, stop leaving voicemails. No one likes them and if you leave voicemails no one will like you.
Take some initiative and seek other ways to get in touch with your prospects.
Photo courtesy of Flickr user peddhapati.
