Getting your voicemails returned

One of the favorite techniques from our channel sales enablement workshops is getting your voicemails returned. How often are you getting your voicemails returned when prospecting? 10% of the time? 5%? 0? That’s not because getting voicemails returned is impossible, it’s because there’s a right way and a wrong way. Here’s the right way!

Keys to an effective sales voicemail script

There are several components to leaving an effective voicemail. First, you need a hook—something that motivates the prospect to return your call. Next, you want to establish credibility and, finally, create curiosity. When all three work together, you will create genuine interest in your prospect–they’ll recognize your previous work or brand, they’ll be curious why you called, and they’ll be motivated to return your call to find out more.

It’s important to have a script prepared for your voicemail message. There are three basic scripts to entice your prospects to call you back. 

1. Voicemail script with a customer reference

The first is the current customer reference. Namedrop one of your current customers in the same industry as your prospect. For example, if you’re calling a hospital and already have a client from ACME hospital, you could say: 

“Hi Mr. Prospect, this is Joe from XYZ company calling about ACME hospital. Could you please return my call? Thanks!” 

Do not elaborate. Keep it as simple as that. Remember you are trying to hook your prospect while simultaneously creating curiosity and credibility.

2. Voicemail script that namedrops a referral

The second is the referral voicemail. Instead of name dropping a current client, namedrop whoever referred you to the prospect. This would sound something like: 

“Hi Mr. Prospect, this is Joe from XYZ company, George Smith asked me to give you a call. Could you call me back? Thanks.” 

Again, just drop the name and hang up. This creates curiosity and it’ll get your call returned. (By the way, if you’re struggling to get referrals, try asking for or offering your own referrals with your current customers!)

3. Voicemail script that leverages the vendor

Third is the vendor voicemail. Drop the vendor name, and leave it at that. Dropping names creates credibility, and the lack of details adds curiosity, resulting in a returned call. Even when you don’t have a lot to work with, you can still succeed by leveraging the vendor brand.

Strategy for the return call

Once you’ve mastered these techniques, you’ll start to get return calls, so it’s important to be able to handle them when the phone rings. One thing you should always do is explain why you dropped the name that you did. This assures the prospect that you didn’t trick them into calling you back. It also sets you up for the next task–highlighting what you’ve done for similar customers. Telling the prospect about how you’ve helped similar companies will pique their interest and ideally start a conversation.

Use these tips to get noticeably more of your voicemails returned!

Further practice to get your voicemails returned

If you, your organization, or your partners engage in sales prospecting, a great way to practice and apply effective voicemail strategies is through a structured BlitzMasters sales enablement workshop. BlitzMasters empowers, trains, and facilitates sales reps through call blitzes that gain immediate appointments. Our analytics tracking tool allows both the channel marketer and the channel partner to see performance in real-time, along with detailed reports to show ROI. Contact BlitzMasters today to learn more!