Did you get this message when you updated your iOS?
I did, and it stopped me in my tracks. I wondered what Online Sales Specialists might think when they saw this. Would you view it as one more potential challenge in connecting with prospects?
“Ok Mike, see, can we just stop calling already? Nobody wants to talk.”
It is interesting to see the shift. Spam calls are crazy high (hopefully we’ll see changes at the carrier level soon. Check out the article, Stopping Robocalls: What the Big Four Carriers Are Really Doing) and judging by this recent update, people want to manage communications on their own time.
Even with all these changes, I’m not ready to give up on voicemail yet. We just need to shift how we do it.
Before we talk about the tactics, I want to get you excited about leaving that 24-second sound bite:
OK, so let’s talk about changing our tactics on those voicemails. In the good ol’ days, we just had the phone and email. That was it. Now consumers can text, chat, message on social, and more. The bottom line is – voicemail is just one of many tools in your toolbox. Sometimes you have to use complementary tools (or combine multiple forms of messaging) to get the job done.
1) VOICEMAIL: When it’s time to call, be ready to leave a powerful voicemail. It’s all about the customer and injecting your personality. This is a great opportunity to set the tone for all future communication and also set expectations for what is coming next.
2) EMAIL: After leaving a voicemail, immediately send an email letting them know you called. Always encourage them to call, email or text you back. Voicemail and email should be sent as close together as possible. If they are hours apart, your chance of engagement decreases.
3) TEXT: Depending on the lead type, you might wait a little later in the day and send a quick text letting the customer know who you are, that you reached out, and that they can text you back if that is more convenient. I know some Online Sales Specialists who wait until the next day to text, with success.
Here is an example of a “Mighty Trio” voicemail that could work when you are reaching out to a new prospect:
“Hi Jen, this is Mike with Best Builders. Thanks for reaching out! I look forward to answeringyour questions about our homes/community (or address specific question). Jen, I’m going toshoot you an email as well right after this with my contact info. Call, email or text me back atthisnumber. I’ll follow up with a quick text a little later if that is more convenient for you. Talksoon!”
The customer feels appreciated and knows that a real person is at the other end of the phone, making them more likely to reach back out to you.
Voicemail isn’t dead yet. The good news is that a lot of your competitors think it is, so they’re not using it. Leverage all the tools at your disposal to cut through the clutter, stand out from the crowd, and get the response you’re looking for.
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