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    9 Tips to Get Prospects to Call You Back

    Bob Apollo
    Post by Bob Apollo
    December 21, 2011

    Is your sales team struggling to get through on the phone? Leaving voicemail messages that never get a response? It's a common problem, and I wanted (with her permission) to share a recent one-page tipsheet by Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling. As usual, Jill's advice is concise and to the point, and identifies 9 simple strategies to use in your voicemail messages to encourage today's crazy-busy buyers to get back to you.

    You can download Jill's tipsheet here, but in the meantime, here are the headlines:

    1. Get down to business right awayJill Konrath
    2. Reference any referrals upfront
    3. Show that you've done your homework
    4. Mention a recent newsworthy event
    5. State a strong value proposition
    6. Share a fresh perspective
    7. Eliminate any self-serving verbiage
    8. Sound like a trusted peer
    9. Use a script as a foundation

    These are all excellent guidelines - and in particular the idea of using a script as a foundation. That doesn't and shouldn't mean, by the way, that your message sounds in any way mechanical to your listener. It simply means that you're organised, focused, confident and relevant.

    As the tipsheet points out, you have 30 seconds (at the most) for any message you leave to make an impression and to avoid the delete button. If you know what you want to say in advance, you'll be in much better shape to make an impact - and to make the listener want to learn more.

    I'd add one more tip - and that's to make the phone just one part of your contact strategy. Following up with a succinct email (or leveraging business social network connections) can increase your chances of getting that all-important initial conversation going.

    Remember - this isn't about you, it's about them, and what you might be able to do to help them achieve something that is important to them. Imagine how many voicemails they receive in a day? You're going to have to be smart to break through the clutter. This checklist can help.

    I'm interested in your experiences - what techniques have helped you break through the voicemail barrier that surrounds so many of the business people you're trying to reach? 

    One More Thing

    Sharing best practice in areas like voicemail technique is just one aspect of running a well-aligned sales and marketing operation. Is the effort worth it? A recent Aberdeen report suggested that highly-aligned companies enjoyed a 37% higher average revenue growth than their poorly-aligned peers. You can learn more about how to drive better collaboration in our latest webinar - please register here.

     

    Bob Apollo
    Post by Bob Apollo
    December 21, 2011
    Bob Apollo is a Fellow of the Institute of Sales Professionals, a regular contributor to the International Journal of Sales Transformation and Top Sales World Magazine, and the driving force behind Inflexion-Point Strategy Partners, the leading proponents of outcome-centric selling. Following a successful corporate career spanning start-ups, scale-ups and market leaders, Bob now works as a strategic advisor, mentor, trainer and coach to ambitious B2B sales organisations - teaching them how to differentiate themselves through their provably superior approach to achieving their customer's desired outcomes.

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