Over the past several weeks I’ve been delivering workshops and webinars about acquisition strategies. It seems our industry believes that the world, while economically challenged, will not implode on itself and that there are still millions of viable companies to reach out to. One of many challenges I am seeing as Resource Managers prospect is their voice mail skills. I’ve seen statistics that business to business voice mails are returned as low as 8% of the time. There are many reasons:
The message is too long
- The message sounds the same as everyone else
- The sender’s diction, speed and tone are all wrong
- The sender uses old sales tricks that have been outmoded since the 1908s
- The message gives the receiver no impetus for a call back
The actual words that are shared in a voice mail are individual to each Resource Manager. Trying to script this won’t work for everyone. Here are a few ideas though that have helped our clients see as much as a 70% call return rate:
- Prepare – not with a script but with some bullet points that you can say in a dynamic manner
- Stand to make the call. It stretches out your diaphragm and makes your sound energetic. It can also serve to calm your nerves some if that is an issue
- Start with a greeting and their name
- Speak slowly and distinctly
- Leave an intriguing message that has impact and something about their business or industry versus “I would like to come out and show you how we can save you money on…”
- You have about seven seconds to get and keep their attention. So state something of value early and leave your name, organization, and your telephone number—slowly—at the end of the message. We’ve found just by making that small behavior change call back rates go up as much as 3 times
- Suggest you will call back at a specific time/date if they do not call you. Hold the receiver accountable
- Don’t make the message URGENT. That is an outmoded and sleazy sales trick that will get you in lots of hot water. Urgent messages are reserved for family and business emergencies
Finally, don’t forget that the # sign can be your friend in voice mail. I leave hundreds of 20 second voice mails a week – really I do. At the end of each message I hit #. This allows me to listen back to my message, add to it or most importantly change it if necessary. I will redo a voice mail several times to get it to the point where I am comfortable that it will land in the receiver’s life in the most positive and value added way. Don’t have time to redo it? Then don’t make the phone call in the first place. We read lots these days about the customer experience and it is true that everything you say, everything you write and every call you make leaves an impression on the marketplace. Make yours be the most positive it can be by making your voice mails stand out.
Want to know more about how one bank is developing Resource Managers? Send me an email to jhubbbard@stmeyerandhubbard.com and I will send a copy of an article about that important topic that appeared in the December 2012 RMA Journal.