12 Powerful Voicemail Strategies That Will Help You Sell More

Leaving voicemails can be one of the most powerful sales channels. I often get over 100 sales emails in my inbox a day. But I get very few voicemails from salespeople. A great voicemail can be an excellent way to cut through the noise and reach your prospect. And remember, that voicemails should only be part of a multi-channel approach to engagement. A killer voicemail can radically increase your chances of getting prospects to respond to emails and social connections you’ve extended.

Looking to improve your voicemail game? Here are some sales voicemail tips that can help you receive far more responses.

1. Always Provide Context

Providing context makes certain that no cold call is truly cold. Your prospects receive voicemails everyday from sales reps and companies. But how can you stand out from the rest of the pack? The answer is context. As Howard pointed out, “we no longer live in a world where content is king. Context is king and context equals relevance.” For example, prospects will be much more likely to respond if you mention adding them on LinkedIn or the name of an eBook they recently downloaded from your company’s website.

2. Offer Clear Value

Always deliver a clear value prop that enables prospects to see an idealized version of themselves.  For example, at Revenue.io, our reps are consistently coached on how to include value props in their voicemails such as, “by using Revenue.io, you’ll double the number of daily sales conversations you have which should also double your sales conversion rates.”

3. Cowboy Up (Ask for What You Want)

Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want, and, like a cowboy, keep it simple, clear, and uncomplicated. As an example, you might say, “I want to schedule ten minutes of your time.” Get to the point and ride on.

4. Give Your Contact Information Twice

You’ve given them a reason to call you back, now make it easy for them to write down your information without having to rewind the message. Say the critical information twice. That includes name, company and phone number.

5. Project Energy and Enthusiasm

Conveying true excitement and a belief that you’re working with the best company is going to also separate you from other sales reps. People want to talk to winners and therefore, you need to sound like a winner. Howard mentioned that if he isn’t in the zone, he likes to listen to one of his favorite songs on Spotify to get himself pumped up.

6. Keep it Short!

Your prospects don’t have time to listen to a verbose voicemail message. Keeping your voicemail short and to the point will show your prospect that you respect their time as well as your own. Your company’s entire value proposition is almost certainly not going to be conveyed in a 30-second voicemail. Instead, focus on introducing yourself, providing context, stating a key value prop, and ask for what you want before moving on.

7. Automate

Salespeople are under the gun and expected to not only deliver results, but to be efficient, consistent and work extremely fast. Voicemail Drop solutions can help assure that your reps can, with a single click, leave a perfectly recorded voicemail message. Then they can move on to the next call with minimal interruption.

8. Be Persistent

It’s vital to be persistent and not just give up after a single voicemail attempt. According to data from RingLead:

• 11% of calls get a response on a first attempt
• 22% get a response on a second attempt
• 33% get a response on a third attempt

9. Never Refer to Previous Outreach Attempts

Every outreach attempt should be a stand-alone attempt. Referenceing previous failed voicemail attempts puts prospects on the defensive and makes them less likely to return your calls.

10. Mention Something Relevant You Observed

It helps to ground voicemails in a relevant observation. A good script to follow is: “I noticed that you , which led me to think I might be able to help with .” As an example, “I noticed that you downloaded our eBook on marketing automation, which led me to believe you might be in the market for solutions that can help you improve marketing productivity.”

11. Record Voicemails

Recording voicemail attempts enables rep and managers to listen back and assess what is and isn’t working in a voicemail pitch. At Revenue.io, we sometimes have sessions where sales reps and managers come together and review each others’ voicemail attempts. The goal is to always be on the lookout for ways to sell better.

12. Sell the Dream Not the Features

Your goal should always be to pique curiosity with a touch of mystery. “I can show you how we helped achieve .”Your prospects should hear a clear value prop, and wonder, “how”?

For more tips on how to leave voicemails that get responses, check out our free eBook How to Maximize Response Rates from Sales Voicemails.