Voice Mail Can Be Your Buddy

Voice Mail is a classy name for "answer Machine".Problem is, people at home had answer machineslong before most businesses. When the answermachine industry finally figured how work to theirmachines into business systems with more than oneextension, they called it "Voice Mail"

This article focuses on what you say TO the voicemail, not the welcome greeting you might put onyour voice mail. You can leave two types of voicemail messages. A message to a person you alreadyhave a business relationship with, and a messageto a person you hope to establish a businessrelationship with (a cold call).

Most people don't answer machines or voice mail.If you have an answer machine at home you havelistened to that recorded silence while the non-speaking person breathes, then hangs up, havingdecided not to leave a message. Most answermachine message begin with a pause because theperson on the other end was not prepared to leavea message and does not think on their feet likeyou and me. In business, the pause can kill you.Voice mail can be your buddy. Be prepared to meetit head on without a moment's hesitation. Justlike you worked out your one sentence uniqueselling proposition and practiced the quick drawof your business cards for networking, you can beready with several canned voice mail message andnot miss a second when the thing beeps at you.Time is money. You took the time to make the call,so you should make every effort to make it pay foroff for you. What you say is what makes thedifference.

There is some research that says the averageexecutive gets over 300 messages (mail, eMail faxand more) each day, not to mention the bombardmentof advertising messages from billboards, TV,radio, cable and newspapers. That's a lot ofclutter to penetrate. And if your message is hohum, or starts with a pause... fahgettaboutit!Your message must attract attention right off oryou go down with the delete button. Leavingmessages for friends and family is a snap, aspontaneous act. Not so at work. You need toprepare your message.Be ready before you dial.

What do you say? You have to plan this in advance.Scripting is not a bad idea. I am not saying youshould read from a script, but if you write andorganize what you are going to say and read thescript out loud enough times, it will sound like anatural when you recite it to the machine. Justlike you rehearsed your Unique Selling Proposition(USP) so you don't have to remember, it just comesout naturally when someone asks "What do you do?"

I know of one eager saleslady who recorded hervoice mail response on a little cassette machinehooked to her phone with a Radio Shack interface.When she gets the tone, she pushes the play buttonand sends it down the line. Another sales type,(let's call him "Bif") had a guy at the radiostation do up a fancy 30 second commercialcomplete with production effects and music. Thereis a line you cross and Bif may have crossed it.Goals Your message should be targeted at buildingcredibility, so when you call again and the partyis in the office, you can get through.

How can you build credibility with a voice mailmessage? For starts, you don't leave a lot ofahhs, gulps, and uuhs. When you begin withouthesitation, in a clear, concise, upbeat manner youare telegraphing a positive image of knowledge andconfidence, even when you get the "unexpected"voice mail prompt.

As you deliver your rehearsed script over andover, take care not to speed though with little orno emotion in your voice. Remember how you feelwhen the place you call is answered by a bored,unhappy receptionist who speeds through the spielwith the "I don't care if you can't comprehendwhat I am saying" attitude. Your Voice mail pitchmust be warm, and slow enough to sound as if it iscoming from your heart, not your recorder on highspeed.

Here are BIG Mike's Tips for leaving effectiveVoice Mail

DON'T BE PREDICTABLE

Everyone leaves the same tired message.You gettuned out the minutes it starts, Example of sameol same ol: "Hi this is Bif, we haven't met but Ithought I'd call to see if you would be interestedin hearing about my new..." UGH! Make yourmessages so compelling folks have to call youback. And don't drone on and on, make 'em shortenough to entice, but long enough to incite.

IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU

This phrase pops up in every aspect of marketing,from advertising all the way down to answermachine and voice mail messages, Its Not AboutYou.

Take a poll. No one cares about you. No one caresthat your mug shot is 15 feet high on a billboardacross town. No one cares if you are doing yourown radio commercials and sound worse than thehigh school announcer. No one cares if yourdealership has sold more cars than all the dealersin Central Montana. And NO ONE CARES when youleave a message about you, or your company. Itsnot about you. WIIFM.

WIIFM is not a radio station, is the acronym toremind you they don't care about you, instead theyask "What's In It For Me?" WIIFM??

SELL THE BENEFITS

The key ingredient for successful sales andmarketing works for effective voice mail as well.What can you say that will lead the listener toknow and believe that you have something of valuefor them? Prospects return calls if you convincethem you may have something they want...and, soon.

ASK FOR THE ORDER

Voice mails have been asking callers to "Leave amessage" for years, yet fully three quarters ofthose who do respond to the beep only leave nameand phone number.

Your voice mail message gives you a perfectopportunity to call for action on the part of yourlistener (Remember you are competing with 300+messages and the horrid reputation of telephonesales pitches (telemarketers).

Go for the close with a call for action. Ask themto do something. To Call You, To be on the lookoutfor a package from FedEx. To check records to seeif you are not right on target. Ask and you'llget.

Voice mail response can be an effective salestool. Voice mail is one of many tools theprofessional uses to get the job done, right

©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights ReservedMike@BIGIdeasGroup.comBIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and SmallBusiness Consultant with over 30 years experience,http://BIGIdeasGroup.com

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