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How to Effectively Use Voicemail as a Sales Prospecting Tool
Michael HalperFounder and CEO
SalesScripter
Getting Prospects on the Phone
Prospects simply don’t answer their phones:
• Prospects able to screen calls with Caller ID• The decision makers you are trying to reach are in meetings all day and
away from their desk• When the prospect is at their desk, they are too busy to answer the phone• The prospect gets cold calls from sales people all day and cannot answer
any incoming calls or they would talk to sales people all day
You can spend more than 90% of your time reaching voicemail messages.
Key Assumption
Prospects will most likely not call you back.
This is a safe assumption for four reasonable reasons:
1. The prospect is too busy2. The prospect is not interested3. The prospect has a certain level of ego4. The prospect assumes you will call back5. The prospect intends to call you back but forgets6. The prospect does not listen to your message
* Assumption applies to cold calling more than warm calling
Importance of this Assumption
Fully embracing this will help with:
1. Determining when to leave a message
2. What we say in our message
3. What we do after leaving a message
4. Our expectations after leaving a message
Voicemail Message Do’s and Don’ts
• Do: Use brevity - 20 to 30 seconds in length
• Don’t: Goal is not to get a call back
• Don’t: Do not ask the prospect to call you back
• Do: Goal is to educate the prospect
• Don’t: Do not completely “wing it”
• Don’t: Do not mention trying to schedule an appointment.
• Do: Say contact info slow and twice
• Do: Send email after you leave a message
• Do: Use some sort of logic for when to leave a message and when to not
Voicemail Message Examples
Focus on your value:
Hello [Prospect Name], this is [Your Name] from [Your Company]. Purpose for my call is that we help [type of business or prospect title] to:
(Share 1 to 3 benefits)
I actually do not know if you are a fit for what we do and that is why I was calling you with a question or two. I will try you again next week. If you would like to reach me in the meantime, my number is [Your Number]. Again, this is [Your Name] calling from [Your Company], [Your Number].
Thank you and I look forward to talking with you soon.
Voicemail Message Examples
Focus on the pain you resolve:
Hello [Prospect Name], this is [Your Name] from [Your Company]. Purpose for my call is that we find that many [type of business or prospect title] have challenges with: (Share 1 to 3 common pain points) I actually do not know if you all are concerned about any of those areas and that is why I was calling you with a question or two. I will try you again next week. If you would like to reach me in the meantime, my number is [Your Number]. Again, this is [Your Name] calling from [Your Company], [Your Number]. Thank you and I look forward to talking with you soon.
Voicemail Message Examples
Focus on a name drop example:
Hello [Prospect Name], this is [Your Name] from [Your Company]. Purpose for my call is that we worked with [a name drop client of yours] and helped them to [technical benefit] and this led to [business benefit]. I actually do not know if we can help you in the same way and that is why I was calling you with a question or two. I will try you again next week. If you would like to reach me in the meantime, my number is [Your Number]. Again, this is [Your Name] calling from [Your Company], [Your Number]. Thank you and I look forward to talking with you soon.
Follow-Up Email Message - Value
Subject line: Following up my voicemail – [Your Company]
Email body:
Hello [Prospect First Name],
As I mentioned in a voicemail I just left you, I am with [Your Company} and we help [type of business or prospect title] to:
• Benefit #1• Benefit #2• Benefit #3
I don’t know if you are interested in any of those improvements and that is why I am reaching out to you. I will try to give you a call next week.
If you are interested in talking before then, I can schedule a/an brief 15 to 20 minute meeting next Tuesday or Thursday morning where we can discuss your goals and challenges and share any value and insight that we have to offer.
Best Regards,
Your NameYour TitleYour CompanyYour Phone Your Email
To leave a message or not leave a message? That is the question.
Things to Consider
• Leaving messages is time consuming
• Limits your call back timing– You can call back in a shorter time period without
leaving a message– Calling multiple times in same day is OK without a
message
• The voicemail box is one channel for communicating
Round 1
Answer Call?
Go Through Call Script
Do Not Leave Voicemail
Send Pre-Call Email #1
Step #1 FIrst Cold Call
Start
Yes No
Start Pause 1 Day
Call Cadence
Call Cadence
Round 21 Day Pause Expires
Yes No
Call Back
Go Through Call Script
Leave Voicemail #1
Send Post VM Email #1Answer
Call?
Pause 7 Days
Round 3 7 Day Pause Expires
Yes No
Pause 7 Days
Call Back
Go Through Call Script
Do Not Leave VM 5 – 10 times
Leave Voicemail #2
Send Post VM Email #2
Answer Call?
After 1 week or 5 - 10 attempts
Start Step 1 -Round 1 for New
Contact
Move Horizontally and Laterally to
Find a New Contact in
Organization
Call Cadence
Call Cadence
Round 4 7 Day Pause Expires
Yes No
Call Back
Go Through Call Script
Do Not Leave VM 5 to 10 Times
Leave Voicemail #3
Send Post VM Email #3
Potentially Close Prospect as a Lead
and add to Email Drip Campaign
Answer Call?
After 1 week or 5 - 10 attempts
When You do not Leave a Message
• Press “0” to go back to gatekeeper
• Try to connect with someone else– Someone that does something similar– Someone above or below– “I am trying to connect with Mary Phillips but can’t seem to get a hold of
her. Do you know who in her organization I should connect with? Is there someone else that holds the same role as her? Is there anybody that reports to her? Who does she report to?”
• Try to connect with department executive assistant– Gather information– Find additional contacts
Key Takeaways
• One of the biggest challenges you face is getting a prospect on the phone
• You can spend as much as 90% of your prospecting time reaching prospect voicemail boxes
• Turn voicemail from a challenge to a communication tool
• Focus more on educating the prospect on why they should talk to you instead of trying to get them to call you back
• Focus your messages on value, pain, and client examples
• Follow every voicemail with an email
• Use some sort of call cadence that includes messages, no messages, emails and repeated calls to improve your connect rate
SalesScripter
What do you sell? ___________
How does it help? ___________
What problems do you fix? ___________
What questions should you ask? ___________
SalesScripter
SalesScripter
If You Want More Help
• https://www.youtube.com/user/LaunchPadSol• Or search Sales Scripter• Over 130 videos• Sales Prospecting 101 Training Program• Webinars• Sales Tips• SalesScripter demo videos• Subscribe
Step 1 – Go to our YouTube Channel
If You Want More Help
• Five ebooks – Found at https://salesscripter.com/ebooks/– Do’s and Don’ts of Cold Calling– How to Get around Cold Call Objections– How to Build a Value Proposition that Generates
Leads– How to Build Sales Campaigns that Sell– How to Build Email Drip Campaigns that Convert
Sales
• The Cold Calling Equation – PROBLEM SOLVED– Found at
http://www.amazon.com/The-Cold-Calling-Equation-Problem/dp/1468173545
Step 2 – Get One of Our Books
If You Want More Help
• Free 30 day trial– Found at https://salesscripter.com/members/signup
• Scripter Walk-Through– 2 hour coaching session– We answer all of the questions with you– Included with an annual subscription
Step 3 – Sign up for SalesScripter Trial
If You Want More Help
• One-on-one Sales Coaching
• Sales Consulting– Script development– Strategy development– Sales process development
• Sales Training– Custom sales training programs– Content aligned with your information in SalesScripter– Delivered virtually or in-person
Step 4 – Contact us for Coaching, Consulting, or Training
Questions?
Michael HalperFounder and CEO
www.salesscripter.com
