How to Leave a Voicemail That Gets Results

Being told to buy a product through voicemail is a big turn-off for many people. Instead, use an interesting feature of the product or service to entice the listener and lower the sales pitch.

Sometimes, it can be a bit tough to reach someone, and you do not wish to disturb that individual by calling over and over again. At such times, it is best to leave a message and wait for the person to respond.

This is where a voicemail comes in handy. If the person you have called is busy, perhaps in a meeting or on another call, you just have to leave your name, number, and a short message, and hope that he or she calls back.

Unfortunately, if you are calling a client, or a potential client, it is very likely that he won't call you back. You cannot, for sure, call them over and over again till they finally pick up the call.

In some places, there are laws restricting the number of calls a business can make to a person, especially if it is for any marketing purpose. Besides the law, people also get annoyed if you make multiple calls to them in a day.

Here, the best thing to do is to leave a single voicemail message, that is effective and gets the desired result. Here are some pointers to help you create such a message.

The beginning of your messaging is vital, followed by what you say. Here are some pointers to help you structure your message -

Start with a greeting, his/her first name, and follow immediately with your full name. For example, instead of saying 'Hello, I'm calling from Orion', say 'Hello Peter, I am John Swift from Orion'. Using the first name of a person will immediately connect you to him. Don't use the full name as it will sound too formal and distant.

You want your message to sound personal and friendly, but polite too. Saying 'Hey Peter' or 'Hello Peter Johnson' will not elicit any response. Instead, go for a semi-formal tone. Stating your name will make the call a lot more personal, and give the person a clear idea of what to say and whom to contact when he calls back.

Mention your purpose as concisely as possible - 'SwankSwift E, our new line of sewing machines are on sale, and I would like to give you a demo of the same'. This will work well, whereas, just saying, 'We have launched SwankSwift E, a brand new machine from Orion', won't. Don't mention the features unless they are unique or new.

For example, mentioning that it consumes less electricity won't work. On the other hand, if you have developed a portable model, that no other manufacturer has, you must mention it.

Ask them to call you during a particular time period. For example - 'I will be available in my office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m'. Doing so, will convey a sense of urgency, and make him feel that the call is important, and has to be done during the given time frame.

Research suggests that mentioning the listener's name twice during a conversation is most effective. So, do mention it again before disconnecting. Also, repeat your name and telephone number. For example, say - 'Have a great day, Peter. My number is 555-6789-232, John Swift from Orion'.

Saying the right thing won't be effective unless you also get how to say it. You must sound confident, but friendly and polite. To achieve the right tone for your message, use the following tips:

Ideally, a voicemail message should not go on for more than 30 seconds. At the most, 45 seconds. Anything over and above that, the customer will lose interest, paying scant attention to what is being said, and not remembering the little that he did listen to.

Putting too many details, say for example, the features of your product, might prompt the listener to disconnect the call without listening to the entire message. On the other hand, a short message only with the important details, is much more effective in eliciting a response.

Have a friendly, chatty tone of voice. Being too formal can alienate the listener, whereas, using a very casual tone might make the person think that your product or service is not credible. Try to modulate your voice, bringing in slight changes in its intonations, to have maximum impact.

Another thing to remember here is that, any kind of hesitation or delay in talking might make the person think that you are not confident. So, prepare a script and keep it in front of you for reference, but let the words 'flow' out. Also, avoid using crutch words.

Some people might not understand your accent, especially when you are talking about an uncommon word, say the company or product name. In such a case, the person will simply ignore the message. So, speak slowly, clearly, and with as little of an accent as possible. Also, take small pauses between sentences, and before anything you want to emphasize.

In some cases, your message will not be returned. Don't lose hope though, because you can always follow up with a few calls. Here is how to do it:

If the person does not respond to your call, do call back after a couple of days, but change your message. Say, 'Hello Peter, I am John Swift from Orion again.

I called you two days back regarding the demo of...'. This will make the person think of you as an old acquaintance, rather than regarding it as just another cold call. If your product has other unique features, mention them as well.

Calling a person more than once a day, or for 5 days continuously, will only annoy him or her. Space out your calls, and do keep mentioning any previous calls you made. If the person hasn't responded to your fourth call, leave an impression that this is your last call.

If he still doesn't call back, stop there, and grab the phonebook to search for another viable customer.

Use these pointers to send effective voicemail messages, that will get you the desired results, and leave a good impression on other people, increasing your brand awareness and value.