9 years ago
January 7, 2015

5 Tips for a Super Effective Sales Voice Mail

Make sure that your sales voice mail is effective and unlikely to be deleted with these tips.

Rhys Metler

These days everyone is swamped at work. As a professional sales rep, you know that the likelihood of reaching a person by phone on the first try is pretty small. Due to the difficulty we all have in reaching our prospects, you want to make sure that your sales voice mail is effective and is unlikely to be deleted.

When you are leaving a sales voice mail, there are some tips that you should make sure to include in your message.

1. Speak clearly and concisely.

We have all gotten a voice mail at some point that is hard to understand. Sometimes the caller is muffled and other times the caller gives their name and number so rapidly that you don’t have any idea what they are saying. When you leave a sales voice mail, especially if you are calling on a cell phone, make sure you are in a quiet place, free of background noise and wind. These noises are picked up by a cell phone and muffle your message. State your name, number, and message. At the end of your message, repeat your name and your number.

2. Don’t give extraneous information.

When you leave a sales voice mail message, state the purpose of your call right away. A voice mail is not the place for chitchat. Provide a call to action with your message that entices the recipient to call you back. Do not tell the person that you will call back. Telling them you will call back gives the recipient a reason not to call you back. Also, you probably don’t need to leave the time and date of your call. Most of us check our voice mail several times each day and have smart systems that keep this information.

3. Don’t over load your message.

When you leave a sales voice mail message, don’t leave a list of numerous topics. Your sales voice mail should be simple, not complicated. The more topics you try to cover, the less likely you are to hear back from the recipient. Pick a broad overview of your topic that will encompass the general idea of what you need to say. Make it succinct and simple. If you need to leave a sales voice mail that covers a couple of topics, state this before you leave the information.

4. Mention referrals.

If this sales voice mail is a cold call, make sure to leave the name of the person that referred you. Stating the name of someone that the recipient knows is one of the best ways to get a call back.

5. Be professional.

A sales voice mail message is not the place to try to be witty or clever. This is especially true if the call is your first contact with this person. You want to be personable and friendly while staying professional. A great way to do this is to smile while you leave the message. Studies have shown that, even over the phone, a smile will change the tone of your voice and make you sound more approachable and friendly.

Remember, when you are leaving a sales voice mail, your goal is to have the person call you back. You want to leave a message that the caller can understand, that is short and concise, and that has a friendly and professional tone. Using these tips will help you to get the call backs that you want.

Rhys Metler

Rhys is a tenacious, top performing Senior Sales Recruiter with 15+ years of focused experience in the Digital Media, Mobile, Software, Technology and B2B verticals. He has a successful track record of headhunting top performing sales candidates for some of the most exciting brands in North America. He is a Certified Recruitment Specialist (CRS) and has expert experience in prospecting new business, client retention/renewals and managing top performing sales and recruitment teams. Rhys enjoys spending quality time with his wife, son, and daughters, BBQing on a hot summer day and tropical vacations.

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