An example that works to get more returned voicemails.
One of the ways to get people to return voicemails is to arouse their curiosity. No great revelation there, right? But here’s the way to do it.
I often talk about the fact that most of our targets don’t think they are in the market for what we’re selling when we call them. So if that is, indeed, the case, why do we think telling them about how we can help them do something better than they are doing it today will work? It doesn’t. It’s one of the reasons why the percentage of voicemails being returned is dropping. Here’s a better way.
Instead of telling them how you think you can help them, tell them about how you helped someone like them. I know, it is a subtle difference, but it is important. There are two reasons for this.
- First is that most of us have a deep seated fear that everyone else knows something we don’t know. It’s why we are interested in further educating ourselves. It’s why we read blogs, etc. Maybe, just maybe, one of my peers or competitors knows something that I don’t and it’s giving them a competitive edge.
- The second reason is that our target believes it is presumptuous of us to think we really can really help them if we know nothing about them. After all, every sales person says that. And, how do we know we really can save them money, anyway? (Although I sincerely hope you’re not leading with that…) Maybe they have a sweetheart deal from their brother-in-law.
Here’s an example of how we apply this concept. Instead of me leaving a message that says I can increase the number of appointments your sales team is setting, here’s one of our voicemails: “…the reason I called you today is that our clients consistently tell us that their sales teams have doubled or better the number of appointments their sales team was setting after going through one of our Prospector’s Academies. I thought you might be interested in how they were able to do that.”
As I said earlier, the difference is subtle, but I am also getting third party credibility here. My clients are saying they are getting this result, not me. When I get them on the phone, my offer is also to tell them how my clients are able to consistently accomplish that.
If you’d like more information on voicemail and email strategies, or why no team of sales professionals has ever failed to at least double the number of Initial Appointments they were setting after going through one of our programs, give us a call or drop us a line. We love talking about the challenges of appointment making!
Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called Coldcalling101™. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations—the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 817 224-9900 or at bcaponi@caponipg.com. You can also find answers to many of your challenges in our books: Contrary to Popular Belief, Cold Calling DOES Work! Volume I: Effectiveness, The Art of Appointment Making and Volume II: Efficiency, the Science of Appointment Making.
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