Every month I receive a variety of questions from salespeople and their managers. These come from a variety of sources - my live seminars, the monthly phone seminars, questions that are sent into my newsletter, and issues that arise in the course of my consulting work. Out of all of these, I select those that I think have the most universal application, and respond to them here.
What's the next step after you have left two or three voice mail messages without receiving a return call?
There are a number of options. First, before you even get to that point, think about calling after you have sent something to the prospect. In other words, the phone call is not the first contact you attempt, but rather follows some other contact. There are a number of ideas about what to send first in my video program "Victory over Voicemail".
Now, let's say that whether or not you sent something first, you still have made a couple of phone calls, left voice mail messages, and the message is not being returned. What now?
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I think you have to decide whether or not it is worth it to invest additional time and energy in this prospect. If it is, then try sending a fax. In the fax, very briefly explain that you have been trying to reach them without success. Ask them to check one of the boxes and fax it back to you. The boxes say things like, "I really have no interest in your product, please don't call me again." And "I've been busy. Call me at_____________". Write out four or five statements that describe variations on their situation, each describing a possible reason why they have not returned your phone call. Don't be afraid to use some humor. A lot of people have had great success with this approach.
If all else fails, and if you have determined that this prospect is worth the time and effort, try making a personal cold call. Just show up and see if you can get to see him/her. Explain to the gatekeeper that you have left several messages, and now are here to see this person face-to-face.
Here's one more powerful approach, although it something that you can rarely accomplish. If you know someone who knows the person you are trying to reach, ask that person to introduce you, or to send an introduction email. Then follow up with your own email, referencing the mutual acquaintance and letting your prospect know that you will call soon. Then try again.
I realize how frustrating voice mail can be. Ultimately, the answer lies in developing creative ways to communicate with your prospect.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
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If you have any comments or questions, email them to me. I do, of course, reserve the right to edit.
Here are a few articles by Dave
that you might be interested in reading:
- Victory Over Voicemail... Voice mail has become the number one irritant for salespeople in the Information Age. And with good reason. If you can't communicate with your customers, you can't get to see them. And if you can't get to see them, you've been knocked out of the sales process. Unless you learn to work through this electronic obstacle, the likelihood of you making a sale is dramatically reduced.... {Read More}
- Quit Wasting Time With Worthless Follow-Ups; How to Know Who to Pursue, and What to Do to Close Them by Art Sobczak... Right now, deep in your computer's hard drive, or perhaps buried in a rat's nest of manila files and post-it notes, you probably have prospects or old accounts you're clinging onto in hopes that some day they�ll buy from you. Hey, I know very well how this system works. You have ownership of the prospect or low-volume account. If for some reason the prospect finally sees the light and calls you with an order, you can puff out your chest, take credit for the sale, and pocket the commission. But, if you're expending effort with people who never could or would buy from you, or making mistakes with those who are valid longer-term prospects, it's actually costing you money.... {Read More}
- The Intrigue Syndrome - Getting a Response to Your Voice Mail by Jim Domanski... Getting a Response to Your Voice Mail can be tricky, you must leave your prospect hungry for more. He or she must want to pick up that phone in the telephony equivalent of turning to the next page. How do you do this? Intrigue Builders! Intrigue is defined as "mystery, suspense; to arose interest or curiosity.".... {Read More}
There are also many other action-packed articles for sales professionals that offer how-to solutions to every day sales problems that you can read online at www.davekahle.com/article.htm.
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