Find power within messaging

“Maybe you should leave a better voicemail message.” This is what the president of a company I used to work for told me in passing when he asked the status of a prospect, and I admitted that I felt stuck. I had left the prospect four voicemails — and never received a return call. I couldn’t force the guy to call me back.

Sure, leaving a better voicemail message sounds like an obvious way to solve the problem. I was hurt at my boss’s blunt feedback, and he was 100% correct. I had been leaving voicemails that were all about me: my company, my product, and what I wanted to talk to him about.

I needed to shift my mindset — fast. So, what if I put myself in the prospect’s shoes and left a message that was all about him/?

First, I decided to practice. I left myself sample voicemails and listened to them. Then, I asked myself these questions:

• If I was the prospect, would I return that call?
• Did I tune in to their favorite radio station – WIIFM? (What’s In It for Me?)
• Was this message different than the others they received that day?

Once the mindset changed, the answers to those questions changed, too. After I started leaving messages that were about the prospect instead of me, then more people returned my calls.

So why is this so important? Consider these stats:

• 80% of calls go to voicemail, and 90% of first time voicemails are never returned.
• The average voicemail response rate is 4.8%.
• The optimal voicemail message is between 8 and 14 seconds.

Get more return calls

Since the odds are stacked against you, there’s room to improve. Here are 10 tips, plus one bonus tip, to help you get more return calls:

1. Record your voicemails: Listen to them and self-coach.
2. Shorten them up: Keep the message less than 30 seconds long.
3. Personalize: Use the person’s name and share something unique to them.
4. State your purpose: Tell the prospect why you are calling.
5. WIIFM: What’s in it for them? Why should they return the call?
6. Be enthusiastic: Would you call a boring person back?
7. Track your progress: Use calling software and/or a customer relationship management (CRM) tool.
8. Ask for what you want: A callback? A meeting? A demo?
9. Practice: All professional athletes practice. You should, too.
10. Don’t shoot from the hip; use a script: Just don’t sound “scripty.”
11. Be credible: Mention others you have helped.

So, whatever happened with the prospect that didn’t call me back after I left four voicemails? Well, I changed my mindset. I called back a fifth time and left a message focused on his business — his needs, sharing what he would want to know. And, I kept it brief, informative and personal. Then he called me back!

If you feel stuck with a prospect and aren’t getting the results you expect, pause before you leave another message and think about what the person on the other line really wants. Change your mindset, use the tips here, practice — and enjoy new success.

Curt Vondrasek is a senior vice president at MarshBerry. He can be reached at 630.315.9031 or Curt.Vondrasek@MarshBerry.com. Opinions expressed here are the author’s own. 

This article is part of a monthly series from MarshBerry on achieving organic growth. Read more here: 

• Is what you’re working on the best use of your time/?
• The 5 ways high-performing firms achieve above-average organic growth
• Decision time: Will the prospect stick with the old broker or give you a shot?