Cold Calling, How to get your Voice Mails Retunred!
Posted: Monday, September 15, 2008
by Kevin Boyle
The Fine Art of Selling
Ever wonder how to get your voice mails returned? Cold Calling and getting your voice mails returned is indeed an art, but like all other arts you can learn how, let me show you!
One of the most frequent questions I get asked by salespeople and business owners is how many voice mails should I leave and at what frequency?
1) My first rule on how to get your voice mail returned - is to leave one! If you are not leaving voice mails you are really doing yourself a disservice!
So let's get in to the "meat" of the blog, would you like to meet a lot of new and interesting people?
If cold calling and prospecting for new business is fairly critical to your success as a company and/or as a salesperson, then I hope so! Yet, I work with a lot of salespeople and as important as it is, some salespeople would do just about anything rather than cold call. Some of my best friends and business associates I have met through cold calling. Think about it, most of your friends were strangers at one point or another.
Therefore, the first step in having success at cold calling is your attitude.
Think of cold calling and prospecting for new business as a way to make new friends.
Secondly, the reality of today's very competitive marketplace is that cold calling can be a very frustrating experience if you don't have a strong pitch or a compelling message. That's why many salespeople grow complacent or reluctant to prospect for new business by cold calling.
Your cold calling strategy should be part and parcel of an entire prospecting strategy, a strategy that places you as "top of mind" with your prospects and also serves to educate your prospects as to why you would be the person to do business with in your industry. Think of it as planting seeds.
Many sales people and business owners I work with express the frustration of having to deal with voice mail and I often get asked, "How do I get my voice mails returned?"
So let's look at a sample voice mail.
"Hello, (pause) my name is Bob, I work for Lumin's Print Shop. I'm just calling to see if you would like some information on our latest promotion this month. If you would like some information on how we can help you I look forward to hearing back from you. My number is (555) 555-5555
Can you see the mistakes Bob made? Before moving along to the next section why don't you reread Bob's voice mail and count how many errors you think he has made.
"Hello" - The goal of a voice mail is "to get a person to call you back" Voice mails should be personable and always begin with the use of the person's name.
The correct way "Hello, Dan"
(pause) One of the key tools in ensuring your success with cold calling, is your CONFIDENCE. You should be practicing what you are going to say and how you are going to say it prior to making your call to ensure that you have a smooth delivery.
"My name is Bob" Hi, my name is sounds like something you would hear at a speed dating event or at a group therapy session. You want to project an image of position and status. In our society, perception is very important.
The correct way "Hello, Dan. This is Bob Simons "
"My name is Bob" actually counts as 2 because Bob didn't leave his last name. "Bob" or "Susan" is found on the name tag of your bank teller or the gentleman who bags your groceries at the local supermarket. "Bob" or "Susan" is NOT the "go to guy" who is your peer in business.
"I work for" This is another way for Bob to imply to his prospect that Bob just isn't that important. Bob is just another employee or worse just another "salesperson".
The correct way "Hello, Dan. This is Bob Simons from Lumin's Print Shop"
Or "Hello, Dan. This is Bob Simons of ."
"I'm just calling." Implies that the call is casual. That there is no real reason to return the call.
"If you would like some information on our latest promotion this month. If you would like some information on how " I think Bob got so nervous he repeated himself.
"My number is (555) 555-5555" - ALWAYS leave your phone number twice. Most people have 3, 4, 6, 8 or more voice mails. Their busy and generally hate to have to replay their voice mails to write down your phone number. Make it easy for them!
The correct way "Hello, Dan. This is Bob Simons from Lumin's Print Shop. If you would like some information on our latest promotion this month. I look forward to hearing back from you. You can reach me at (555) 555-5555. That's Bob Simons at (555) 555-5555."
No salutation at the end. People like the personal touch. It's important that you are courteous and mindful of proper business etiquette.
The correct way ""Hello, Dan. This is Bob Simons from Lumin's Print Shop. If you would like some information on our latest promotion this month. I look forward to hearing back from you. You can reach me at (555) 555-5555. That's Bob Simons at (555) 555-5555. Thanks Dan."
So how many mistakes did you find? Did you expect to find 9?
Bob actually made 10 mistakes and the last one is absolutely crucial to getting your voice mails returned. Do you know what it is?
The worst mistake Bob made, was that he didn't leave a compelling reason for his prospect to call him back, he didn't leave a hook.
Cold calling, prospecting and getting your voice mails returned is an art all by itself. If you're not experiencing the results that you want, you might be making mistakes that you are not even aware of. Cold calling doesn't have to be "just a numbers" game. If you know what to say and you structure your pitch properly you can and will get that appointment.
And if all else fails you can always try the "Hail Mary, I don't have a hope" approach : "Hi Dan, I know you desperately want to place an order with us, but you're probably trapped under your desk and can't reach the phone Don't move, we're coming to get you!"
Kevin Boyle is an expert sales coach/trainer and the author of "The Secrets to Sales Mastery"
If you would like to learn more innovative new skill sets and strategies to help you build an incredibly successful business and dramatically improve your sales results, visit my web site and subscribe to my FREE 8 part email home study e-course on relationship sales and marketing!
Do you someone who needs help with their cold calling skills?
How to cold call anyone, anywhere, without fear of rejection! Stop your prospect from what they are doing, get their full undivided attention and have them instantly build rapport with you!
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