5 Voicemail Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making

“This is John Smith. Please call me back at your earliest convenience.”
That’s a dull message, isn’t it? Unfortunately, many salespeople utter those words every day. What they don’t realize is that their voicemail message is a powerful lead management tool that can charm the prospect into calling back. A dull sales message is often ignored and almost never results in sales. Want to become a rock star at leaving voicemail messages?
Start with avoiding the following 5 voicemail mistakes:

1. Failing to state the purpose of the call

If you don’t tell the prospect who you are and why you’re calling, you’re setting the prospect – and yourself – up for disappointment. If your prospect hears your message, he might think that you’re a customer, a friend, or a job applicant. When he calls you back and hears you rattle off your sales pitch, he’s going to be disappointed. It’s definitely not easy to get someone to transition from being disappointed to being interested in whatever you’re selling. Stating the purpose of your call right upfront gives your prospect the opportunity to make a decision on whether or not to call you back. And if he does call you back, there will be no disappointment to butt his purchasing decisions.

2. Leaving out a reason for them to call you back

You want to give your prospect a reason to pick up the phone and actually call you back. “Call me back, please” doesn’t do the trick. Instead, let the prospect know that you’re going to tell him something he didn’t know before.

3. Not having any enthusiasm

If you’re not enthusiastic about the product or service you’re selling, your prospect won’t be, either. You have to be upbeat and show a lot of faith in your product or service. Act like it’s a great opportunity that cannot be missed, and the prospect will begin to believe it.

4. Neglecting to set a time expectation.

Your prospect is busy, and he might be reluctant to call you back because he’s afraid that you’ll take up too much of his time. You want your prospect to know how much time he’s going to spend listening to your pitch. If you say, “I just literally need 30 seconds of your time to talk to you about how our system can help your organization more,” your prospect will feel more comfortable about calling you back because he knows that he can spare 30 seconds from his busy schedule.

5. Not letting your prospect know when you’re available to talk.

The last thing you want is to play phone tag with a prospect. If you tell him which days and times you’re free to give him your undivided attention, he’ll be more likely to get ahold of you the first time he calls back.
Here’s an additional tip: leave an email address. Some people don’t like to talk on the phone and would very much prefer to communicate via email. The more follow-up options you give your prospect, the more likely he will contact you.
Take another look at John Smith’s message in the beginning of this article (“This is John Smith. Please call me back at your earliest convenience.”) Now look at this one:
“Good morning, Mr. CEO! This is John Smith from ABC Insurance Company, and we’ve discovered some really crazy new rules about business insurance that can really help your company save money. I can tell you all about it in less than a minute. If you’re interested, I would love to chat with you about it any day this week after 9:00 in the morning. Here’s my number, and here’s my email address. Have a great day!”
It’s so much better than the first one, isn’t it? 
Crafting an engaging voicemail message is crucial for sales success. Avoid common mistakes like failing to state the purpose, lacking enthusiasm, and neglecting to set a time expectation. Clearly communicate your identity, offer a compelling reason to call back, and provide alternative contact options. By implementing these strategies, transform a dull voicemail into a powerful lead management tool that captures attention and boosts sales.