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Call Signs
By: Nicki Weiss
Issue: 2009sep
Twelve ideas for crafting voice mail messages that get returned.
Last week I was waiting to see my client in his rep firm’s main reception area, and I wasn’t alone. Five other people were there, each on a cell phone and each checking voice mail. Since none then proceeded to dial, I became curious about how many of those voice mail messages would be returned. (Some might say I have a bit of a nosy streak.)
So I asked each of them. One said she didn’t plan to return any calls, two said about 20 percent and none said more than 50 percent. Why? Because the messages were too long, irrelevant, vague about how to return the call, somewhat unintelligible or dull.
Given the fact that most people on the listening end of your voice mails are overwhelmed with tasks during any given day, a message must be so compelling that it wins out over the 23 other urgent things on their lists. Yet, many messages do not even come close to addressing the specific needs and concerns of the person being called.
A good voice mail message is like a butterfly: captivating, perfect, light and here for a good time, not for a long time.
I asked successful friends and salespeople to share their best butterfly-like, voice-mail techniques. I cannot guarantee that any of these methods will give you a 100 percent callback ratio, but they will definitely help improve your odds.
1. Brevity is the soul of a good message. Don’t begin your voice mail with small talk, jokes or other needless filler. Your message may be one of many, so get right down to business. Identify yourself and the purpose of calling.
Bad: “Hey, Charlie! It’s me. Got a great one for you. Did you hear the one …?”
Better: “Hi, Charlie. This is Nicki Weiss calling about our meeting in Tuscaloosa.”
2. Put the call into context. The listener is always thinking, “Who the heck are you and why should I return your call?” Say something immediately after your greeting that identifies your connection, especially if you were asked to call.
Bad: “Hello, Jennifer! I’m calling today to let you know of our great new line of …”
Better: “Hi, Jennifer. This is Nicki Weiss. We met last Tuesday at the electronics tradeshow in Chicago at my company’s booth, SalesWise. I’m following up on your request to …”
3. Give the listener a reason to reply. Everyone asks themselves, “What’s in it for me?” so offer something compelling that makes the listener want to get back to you.
Bad: “I’d like you to call me back so we can discuss …”
Better: “I’m holding the training dates for 24 hours until I hear from you. Please call me by tomorrow to secure these dates or plan something else.”
4. Time stamp the message. Let the person know the day and time you called and, more important, when he or she can call you back. Provide a window for the return call that is accurate but not too restrictive.
Bad: “We need to talk about the medical account. Call me anytime to discuss.”
Better: “I’m calling on Thursday around 3 pm. I can be reached in my office tomorrow from 10 am to 1 pm at 416-555-1212. Please call to discuss …”
5. Let the listener know how to reach you. Simple, right? It’s amazing how often I have to go hunting for a phone number (particularly of people I know well). If I have to spend time searching, chances are I’m not going to call back very fast.
Give the listener a phone number for a return call and an alternate contact number, such as a cell phone that’s always with you. If you’re never around and don’t have a cell phone, give your e-mail address.
Bad: “Call me back so we can get to it.”
Better: “I can be reached at 416-555-1212 from 3 to 5 pm today, or call my mobile number at 416-555-2121 anytime. You can also reach me through e-mail at nicki@saleswise.ca. I check it regularly.”
6. Provide instructions. Tell the listener exactly what you want him or her to do. For business calls, discussion isn’t good enough. What is this person needed for? “I need” is the most powerful phrase in the English language.
Bad: “Call me back so we can discuss the Warren account.”
Better: “I need your approval on the final proposal to Bob Warren for the half-million dollar widget order.”
7. Leave ’em guessing. Try leaving messages with nothing more than your name and number. Do not say why you are calling. Curiosity is a powerful motivator. A friend’s sales staff found this one simple technique increased their callback ratio by 40 percent. Busy people calling in for messages from the road will also appreciate the fact that your message is brief.
8. Reference their needs and hint at a useful solution. This is an excellent technique to use as a follow-up to a sales call. In your initial meeting with the prospect, ask questions to determine their needs. Then make a list of those needs and how your product or service can provide specific relief for each one. Each time you leave a follow-up message, mention one of your prospect’s needs and hint at how you can provide relief. Do not leave the solution in the message. For example:
Message No. 1: “Ms. Jones, this is Lee Fox from Fox & Associates at 416-555-1212. I’ve been thinking about your situation. You mentioned your president is concerned that your customers don’t think your company is offering environmentally responsible packaging. I have a solution that might work and I’d like to share it with you. Please call me at …”
Message No. 2: “Ms. Jones, this is Lee Fox from Fox & Associates at 416-555-1212. I’ve figured out a few more solutions to help you reduce those customer complaints about the over packaging that you spoke about in our last meeting. My number again is 416-555-1212.”
Caution: Do not use this technique unless you have something useful to share with the prospect.
9. Eliminate the word “just” and other minimizers from your speech. Subtly implying that your message isn’t valuable will put you at the bottom of the recipient’s callback list.
Bad: “I’m just calling to follow up on yesterday’s meeting.”
Bad: “Nothing important. Just a follow-up call to yesterday’s meeting.”
Bad: “Just a little reminder about how our widget can help build your business.”
10. Speak more slowly and clearly than normal. Don’t slur or run your words together. The person you are calling is not as familiar with the material as you are and will quickly become annoyed if you make him replay the message because he did not understand it.
11. Practice and record your message. You want to sound welcoming, sincere, energetic and helpful. A voice that projects anger, fatigue or boredom won’t get a callback. It’s worth five minutes of rehearsal to get it right. Practice by recording your message on your own voice mail. Listen to your message, then adjust your words or tone of voice if necessary, re-record and listen again.
12. When all else fails, politely explain that you will “close their file.” Making sure you don’t sound hostile or impatient, leave a polite message that goes something like this:
“Ben, I’ve been attempting to reach you for several weeks regarding the proposal you asked us to send on July 24, but I have not received a call back. I don’t want to bug you or clog your voice mail with unwanted messages, so would you please call me back and let me know if you would like me to close your file?”
One person I interviewed said it is almost humorous how quickly this message earns a response. People like to leave their options open, and nobody likes to be terminated.
Nicki Weiss is an internationally recognized certified professional sales management coach, master trainer and workshop leader. Since 1992, Nicki has trained, certified and/or coached more than 10,000 business executives, manufacturers’ reps, corporate sales executives, small-to-medium-size entrepreneurial business leaders and sales teams of all shapes and sizes. She also publishes a free monthly e-zine, SalesWise, on her website.
416-778-4145
nicki@saleswise.ca
www.saleswise.ca
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