For many B2B telemarketers, voicemail is a common encounter during an average day. Should you leave a message? What should you say? Should you follow it up? etc. etc.
I have been away recently and when I got back to the office I had a number of voicemail messages. When I played them there were quite a few from the same B2B telemarketing person.
Message 1. Good morning Mr Richardson, I’d really like to talk to you, please call me on 08*** *******
Message 2. Hi Mr Richardson, I’ve not heard back from you, please call me on 08*** ********
Message 3. Mr Richardson, I really do need to speak to you, call me on 08*** ********
Message 4. Mr Richardson, this is the 4th message I have left you can you please get back to me on 08*** *****
He did get through to me after that once I was back in the office. As I suspected it was a cold call from somebody trying to sell me advertising space.
Once he introduced himself I recognised his voice so I asked him if it was him who had left me 4 messages without leaving his name, company or reason for calling and why he was getting annoyed when I didn’t call back.
His answer was that he had a great offer for me that didn’t have long left. This chap had quite a good telemarketing manner but he had ensured that I would never buy anything from him by annoying me before he even got through to me – there aren’t many callers or companies who have managed that.
I would probably have been more annoyed if I have called him back, thinking it was as important, to then only be sold to. It was an absolutely no win situation for him because of his dreadful deceitful voicemail tactics.
Voicemails can be a powerful tool for a telemarketer. One of our callers uses them on the first call they make if they can’t get through to the recipient, they explain who they are, why they are calling and when they will be calling back, she also leaves a telephone number so she can be contacted.
There have been a lot of people who do get back to her and quite a few who are expecting the call when she does ring back.
Voicemails, like any element of telemarketing, can be powerful but can also damage your brand and chances of success. So my tips for voicemails are:
– Be brief
– Know what you want to say prior to the call
– Explain who you are, your company, why you are calling and when you will call back
– Don’t leave lots of messages for the same person
– Be honest, don’t try and trick people into calling back
– Be confident