In the old days, voicemail was the only way for the party receiving the call to know who it came from. These days, an unanswered call gets followed by a text message, asking for a call back.
Many salespeople reason that because they don’t personally respond to voicemails, they are not effective, and some sales organizations have eliminated leaving voicemails altogether.
In fact, the reason for a voicemail isn’t to get a call back from the prospect. Of course it’s nice if they do, and there are ways to increase your chances of a return call, but it’s very shortsighted to stop leaving voicemails because there is no immediate payoff. Besides, it’s not the prospect’s “turn” to call you back. It’s always your job to call them back, and leaving the right voicemail will greatly improve the likelihood of them answering the second call.
Remember, the prospect’s internet inquiry and how you respond, is likely their first interaction with your store. Do you want their first impression of you to be someone that hung up on them?
Leaving a good voicemail is a way to show your professionalism and integrity. It allows the prospect to know a little bit about you. When you call them back, they will feel less vulnerable and on a more level playing field with you.
