Categories: Business

Sales Voicemails 101 – How To Do Sales Voicemails The Right Way

When making sales over the phone, it takes on average 18 dials to connect with a customer. That’s a lot of missed or ignored calls that could be used to sell your products and services. However, leaving sales voicemails initiates contact with potential customers and starts their journey with your business. Leaving voicemails makes use of every missed call, also reducing the number of future calls required to reach your customer with your message.

IMAGE: PEXELS

What Are Sales Voicemails?

Whether from one of the best SaaS companies, a small business, or a well-known brand, sales calls will be missed by customers, requiring voicemails to be left. To convince the customer to re-engage with your business, your voicemail needs to gain their interest and cover important information. This voicemail acts as your initial contact with the customer.

A sales voicemail lets customers know you called and gives them an overview of why. Their purpose is to briefly convey your message and direct customers back to your business. This may involve scheduling a meeting together, calling back at another time, or leading customers to your ecommerce website or customer service channels.

How To – Leaving A Sales Voicemail

1. Introduce Yourself

First and foremost, the customer needs to know who called them. Start with your name and the business you work for, telling them who you are. If a customer thinks you’re a stranger, they’re unlikely to keep listening to your message. Likewise, even if they do engage with your voicemail, they won’t look up your business if you don’t tell them what it is.

There is some debate within effective sales tips about how beneficial announcing your sales role is. For some, this may lead customers to listen on, while others will ignore the message as soon as they realize it’s a sales call. However, mentioning previous conversations and personal details prevents your message from sounding generic and makes customers listen.

2. State Your Point

Voicemails are short and aren’t the place to launch into a full pitch of all your services and products. Get to the point of your message quickly, explaining why you are calling and what you had hoped to talk about. This immediately engages listeners with your message and shows you’re not a spam phone call, getting their attention without long and wordy voicemails.

Including a question in the main content of your message prompts your customers to respond. Ask direct questions with easy answers for the customer. These may concern the products or services they already use, their experience with your business, or why they haven’t tried your options. Questions get customers thinking and engaging with your business.

3. Tell Them When You Will Call Again

Leaving a voicemail isn’t the end of your sales with that customer. However, it can improve your likelihood of reaching them on your next attempt without explaining what is a virtual call center so they can navigate yours. Notifying the customer of when you will call means that they can make themselves available, allowing your conversation and sales pitch to happen.

Alternatively, offer to talk when it suits them, asking when would be a good time for you to call. This does rely on customers then notifying you either by calling back or through another communication channel. Therefore, this method may be more suited to customers who you have already spoken with and are following up on, as they are expecting you to contact them.

4. Leave Your Contact Details

Whatever you say in the body of your voicemail, make sure to finish with how customers can contact your business or learn more. It’s no good asking questions or piquing their interest in your products if they can’t search for your business or call you to find out more. Otherwise, customers are left unnecessarily waiting on you for their next sales conversation.

IMAGE: SOUTHEAST WATER

Make sure to leave these contact details clearly, repeating yourself to give customers time to note down what you are saying. This may be your business phone number with auto attendant, website address, or email, as long as it connects them to a sales representative. Contact details also provide an obvious next step for customers to respond to your voicemail.

Things To Remember

Keep It Brief

As mentioned above, sales voicemails are not the place to launch into a full explanation of your business, the range of products, and how these can be used by customers. The longer your voicemail lasts, the more chance of customers giving up and missing important information. Before you start your voicemail, know what you’re going to say and stick to your point. The opportunity to explain more will come in future calls once you reach the customer.

Speak Clearly

Voicemail audio can be troublesome at the best of times and muffled or rushed speaking doesn’t help this. Unclear audio is likely to be skipped or, with a voicemail to email service, inaccurately transcribed. To avoid this, ensure the voicemail is recording before you start speaking. Always use a slow, clear voice, speaking loudly to record your message. This will help customers understand and engage with what you’re saying.

Always Leave A Voicemail

After reaching voicemail multiple times, it can be tempting to not bother. However, every voicemail left is a chance to interact with customers and interest them in your business. Similarly, keep following up on your calls if they aren’t being picked up. Using a different method of communication where possible may be useful, such as reverting to emailing a customer. This may be better for your customer and allow your sales conversation to take place.

Have You Been Leaving Sales Voicemails?

Even something as small as leaving sales voicemails with missed calls can improve customer awareness of your business and prompt future customer engagement. These build your customer relationships and show an interest in their needs and experience with your business. For customers, this brings them back to your products and services to consider a purchase.

With some preparation, your sales voicemails can succinctly cover what you hoped to talk about and regain contact with customers. These vary from person to person, depending on your style of sales, your business, and your previous history with the customer. However, by practicing, you’ll become more comfortable recording voicemails and knowing what to include.