Sales teams today have more ways than ever to touch base with their prospects. Even so, sales professionals can’t seem to evade the most common (and oftentimes the most frustrating) method of sales prospecting communication, which is voicemail.
There’s simply no way to get around it; salespeople find themselves spending a significant chunk of their time leaving voicemails. Unfortunately, most of those go unanswered. Consider these shocking sales statistics:
- 80% of phone calls are directed to voicemail, and a whopping 90% of first time voicemails are never answered
- 15% of sales professionals’ time is spent leaving voicemails
If the above sales statistics make you want to avoid leaving voicemails altogether, that’s perfectly understandable. However, there is some good news — a few changes designed to effectively integrate voicemail into your current marketing strategy can make a profound impact. Certain studies, such as this one here, have concluded that well-written voicemail messages can improve your response rates by around 3% to 22%.
Today we’ll be discussing how to effectively blend voicemail marketing with your overall marketing strategy and improve your response rates. Let’s get right into it!
1. Offer prospects a clear value proposition.
When sending a voicemail message to your prospect for the first time, your initial goal should be to secure a follow-up conversation with them. So instead of delving into your product features and specifics, provide a clear-cut value proposition that demonstrates the ways in which your product or services will help the prospect. Consider this example:
“Based on the work we’ve done for similar companies, our service can improve your engagement rates by 150%, generate 200% more qualified leads, and boost your overall revenue by 10% within 6 months.”
Such a clear value statement will catch a prospect’s interest, and will entice them to learn more about your product or services.
2. Provide context to personalise your voicemail message.
When you leave a voicemail message, it’s important to set yourself apart from everyone else in your prospect’s mailbox. You can make your voicemail unique by providing context in the beginning. Conduct research about the prospect prior to the call, and tell them how you discovered them, or mention specific details about their company.
Not only will this help your voicemail stand out; you’ll also show your prospect that you’ve done your research to understand where they’re coming from and what they need.
3. Keep your voicemails simple and straight to the point.
A voicemail, as a general rule, shouldn’t exceed 30 seconds in length. Any longer, and you risk annoying the prospect or overwhelming them with too much information at once. Remember, your goal for now is to secure a callback or follow-up. Keep your voicemails brief by only including the details that will spark your prospect’s interest and give them clear instructions on how to reach you.
4. Use a personable and relaxed tone in your voice-based messages.
To win your prospect’s attention, be mindful of your tone and speak as if they were right in front of you. The more natural and pleasant you sound, the more the prospect will believe that you genuinely want to start a meaningful business relationship with them. Your voicemail messages should sound like you’re talking to an old acquaintance or friend, respectful and helpful without being too loud or overly enthusiastic.
5. Create a sense of urgency in your message.
There are times when a prospect plans to follow up with you, but gets sidetracked by more critical tasks along the way. While you can’t prevent this altogether, you can take measures to make it less likely to occur by adding a sense of urgency to your voicemails. We recommend mentioning a timeframe when you ask prospects to follow up with you. Tell them that they must call you back by a specific date and time. If the prospect is genuinely interested in your services, they’ll make it a point to call back within the timeframe you specified.
You can also present the prospect with a time-sensitive special offer, which may consist of a free trial or a significant discount.
Automated Voicemail Marketing
If the above strategies have you excited, you can take things to the next level by using an automated voicemail delivery service such as Straight2Voicemail, which boosts sales processes and enhances efficiency. Its unique voicemail broadcast feature enables you to record and upload a personalised voice message then send it through to thousands of prospects at the click of a button. This is significantly less intrusive than cold calls, telemarketing, or robo-calls.
Take Straight2Voicemail for a free test drive here. No credit card or registration required. Experience firsthand how you can boost your productivity, lead generation, and sales today.
