Is your sales team struggling to get through on the phone? Leaving voicemail messages that never get a response? It’s a common problem, and I wanted (with her permission) to share a recent one-page tipsheet by Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling. As usual, Jill’s advice is concise and to the point, and identifies 9 simple strategies to use in your voicemail messages to encourage today’s crazy-busy buyers to get back to you.
You can download Jill’s tipsheet here, but in the meantime, here are the headlines:
- Get down to business right away
- Reference any referrals upfront
- Show that you’ve done your homework
- Mention a recent newsworthy event
- State a strong value proposition
- Share a fresh perspective
- Eliminate any self-serving verbiage
- Sound like a trusted peer
- Use a script as a foundation
These are all excellent guidelines – and in particular the idea of using a script as a foundation. That doesn’t and shouldn’t mean, by the way, that your message sounds in any way mechanical to your listener. It simply means that you’re organised, focused, confident and relevant.
As the tipsheet points out, you have 30 seconds (at the most) for any message you leave to make an impression and to avoid the delete button. If you know what you want to say in advance, you’ll be in much better shape to make an impact – and to make the listener want to learn more.
I’d add one more tip – and that’s to make the phone just one part of your contact strategy. Following up with a succinct email (or leveraging business social network connections) can increase your chances of getting that all-important initial conversation going.
Remember – this isn’t about you, it’s about them, and what you might be able to do to help them achieve something that is important to them. Imagine how many voicemails they receive in a day? You’re going to have to be smart to break through the clutter. This checklist can help.
I’m interested in your experiences – what techniques have helped you break through the voicemail barrier that surrounds so many of the business people you’re trying to reach?
One More Thing
Sharing best practice in areas like voicemail technique is just one aspect of running a well-aligned sales and marketing operation. Is the effort worth it? A recent Aberdeen report suggested that highly-aligned companies enjoyed a 37% higher average revenue growth than their poorly-aligned peers. You can learn more about how to drive better collaboration in our latest webinar – please register here.
