10 tips for
effective (sales) voice-mail messages…….
Have you honed your
skills at "elevator pitches" — that is, the quick sales pitches to
influential executives or potential customers that could be pivotal to your
business?
You want to
interest someone in calling you back.
And that's why, as
an entrepreneur maximizing
business resources, it behooves you to make the most of voice mails—both in
those you leave with others and in your voice-mail greetings to incoming
callers.
Here are 10
strategies to make your voice mails more effective and, ultimately, more
beneficial to your business.
First, tips on what
to do when you're the one leaving the message.
1. Get to the purpose of your call. In this
lightning-paced day and age, businesspeople can't afford a lot of time for
ambling chitchat. Instead, when leaving a voice mail, make it plain upfront why
you're calling. Is it a call to action, to give an update, or are you just
returning their call? Put the call in context so they know why they should
return your call.
2. Put contact information up front as
well. It's
happened to every one of us—you retrieve a voice mail only to have the message
cut off before it's finished. That happens. But minimize the damage by pushing
critical information to the top. Always
say, 'This is Jim Lester from the Cookie Factory' and give them your number. Then say, 'Please call me back,' and give them a deadline. That way, if
the call drops, the most important information is conveyed."
3. Don't repeat what the system already
knows. Sophisticated
voice-mail systems will record the date and time of incoming phone calls. Don't
waste time by repeating those in your message. Also, don't say your phone
number more than once. If the recipient misses it, that's why rewind buttons were
invented.
4. Get to know the person who's getting
the message. If you
know the person gets a ton of voice mails every day, don't bog down the
system—and her patience — by leaving too many voice mails when a few better
crafted ones will do the job just as well. If it's your boss, just ask for
guidance on how they like their messages.
5. Avoid trying to leave a message about
numerous topics. Trying
to cover a variety of complicated issues in one voice mail is nigh impossible.
Instead, break them up into individual voice mails or, even better, opt for
e-mail to do as thorough a job as possible of covering every topic of
importance.
Now then, here are
tips for your recorded voice-mail greetings.
A. Consider changing your greeting every
day. This is
particularly important if you keep in touch with people who need to know when
you're available and when you're not. Few things create a more negative
impression than an out-of-date greeting.
B. Offer specifics. A caller who hears
that you're out of the office or away from your desk was likely able to figure
that out on their own—after all, you're not answering the phone, are you?
Instead, offer specific, helpful information, such as dates and times when you
will be back or when you may be reached if the caller wants to try to call you
again.
C. Encourage detailed messages. Ever get a voice
mail saying that someone has important new information, and to get back with
them ASAP? That isn't overly detailed—and may not be overly helpful to you,
either. In your outgoing message, urge callers to leave as many specifics as
they think are necessary. That way, you can get back to them with all the
needed information without playing phone tag and wasting a lot of their time
and yours.
D. Use humor and
offbeat material with caution. As a
rule, it's nice to make your outgoing message unique or memorable in its own
way. But don't go overboard with risqué jokes or other material that may cross
the line in some manner. While some callers may find that entertaining and
clever, just as many may be put off by something they feel is in bad taste.
E. Always review your outgoing message! One common mistake
that can lead to ineffective outgoing messages is a failure to actually listen
to what you've just recorded. Every time you change your message, take a minute
or two to critique it. Do you sound enthusiastic or bored? Do you include all
the information that you need to and in the most effective order possible? If
you're not satisfied, don't be gun-shy about re-recording your message. If need
be, record it several times until what you have on tape is the sort of message
you want to convey to whoever may be calling. That sort of attention to detail
can make a big difference, particularly with first-time callers.
Chris
Wilkinson.
Certified
Business Behaviour & Attitudes Analyst.
Business
Coach.
Tel:
(905) 275-2907 (Mississauga).
E-mail: buspilot@bell.net
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