It's every salesperson's duty to make a call, but it's equally frustrating when the phone rings and no one picks up. Sales people can be on the phone from hour to hour, leaving messages and waiting for calls to come back and calling them later. Other essential sales tasks can be put on the back burner in the meanwhile.
If a call is not answered, it doesn't necessarily mean the lead is uninterested. Individuals are working, attending meetings, traveling, and taking care of their families, and the rest of their duties. Even a prospect who is interested in a product might not be there when the salesperson calls.
This raises an important question – how can businesses continue to follow up without spending a lot of the day trying to get someone on the phone?
What makes it so that leads ignore business calls?
There are numerous reasons as to why a lead may not be responsive. Some are timing dependent and some are preferences for communication.
A lead may be:
Working or attending a meeting
Driving or traveling
Being too busy to another client
In the absence of their phone
Does not know the incoming number.Not familiar with the incoming number.
Not prepared to talk
To plan the response for a more convenient time
Thus, when a sales call is not responded to, sales teams need to not take it as a rejection.
Rather, companies should look for other means of communication to stay connected without the prospect having to pay repeated visits.
The Cost of Repeated Follow-Ups
Suppose there is a sales person who has 100 leads for calling. The representative now has 20 people to call, and then 40, and then 60, and so on.
This can easily become repetitive:
Call for the first time!
Wait for an answer.
Leave a message if necessary.
Try again later.
Record the follow-up.
Repeat the process.
This can mean several hours can pass and very few valuable conversations are had when this occurs over a large lead list.
That time can be spent on talking to qualified prospects, preparing proposals, answering questions, product demonstration and cultivating customer relationships.
What other way might there be to do it?
Voice messaging can be an alternative communication method if your leads cannot speak to you.
Rather than asking the prospect to take the time to respond to a written message, a business can send a short voice message that the recipient can listen to at their pleasure.
This can facilitate the communication process more flexibly. Sales rep does not have to call around again and again just to give a simple update, reminder or follow-up.
Ringless voicemail software can assist businesses in organizing this kind of voice outreach by simplifying the preparation and management of voice messages for various contacts and campaigns.
It's not about phoning it out of the picture. Finally, a prospect who wants to discuss a product, ask detailed questions or negotiate a purchase is still a good call.
The concept is to complement face-to-face communication with voice messages.
Ensure that messages are short and concise.
A voice message should not be a lengthy sales presentation. People are more likely to listen to a message that is simple and relevant to them.
A helpful message should contain:
The representative's name
The business name
That is the reason for contacting the lead.
The information that is relevant.
A clear next step
For instance, if a prospect had previously asked for more information about a service, remind them of that fact and let them know how they can proceed with the conversation.
Focusing the message on the reason for the contact helps the prospect in understanding.
Personalization Makes Outreach Better
An automated communication method should not be used for sending the same message to each and every lead.
People dealing with various prospects may be at various stages of the buying process. A new lead might need to be introduced or a follow-up/reminder for someone who has already met with a representative.
Contacts can be organised by:
Previous conversations
Product interests
Customer status
Lead source
Why would you be contacting them?
Place salespeople in the sales process
Often the personal touch makes a message more relevant and less like a generic outreach message.
Advantages of voice messaging:The advantages of voice messaging are:
When used correctly, voice messaging can be beneficial in a number of ways.
Saves Time
Sales representatives can have less repetitive calling, and spend more time on personal conversation.
Supports Consistent Follow-Ups
Having a structured process can make it easier for sales teams to keep in mind vital contacts and use a consistent method to communicate with them.
Provides Leads with greater flexibility.
A prospect has the option of hearing a message at his leisure rather than at an immediate response.
Works with other channels
Voice messages can be used in addition to phone calls, e-mail, text messaging and other forms of communication.
Cons to Consider
Voice messaging has its drawbacks, too.
It is not a substitute for face-to-face conversations.
A few prospects require more in-depth information or may prefer to communicate with a representative.
Poor Messages Can Be Ignored
Longer, less relevant or vague messages may fall on deaf ears.
Personalization Takes Preparation
The businesses need to write the messages suitable for different audiences and not one message is enough for all.
Compliance Is Important
Before automated or prerecorded voice communications are used, businesses should be aware of the telecommunications, privacy and marketing requirements that may apply. There are different rules for different types of outreach, audience and location.
Allow more control over the Leads.
Flexibility is one of the most significant benefits to using an alternative to repeated calls.
A prospect might be interested in a business, but not be able to talk when contacted. A voice message provides that person with some time to listen later and determine if they want to respond.
This can make for a more comfortable experience and still leave businesses visible.
This flexibility can be particularly helpful for businesses that collaborate with prospects in other regions with varying time zones.
Use it as a component of a bigger plan.
A combination of various communication methods can yield the best results, rather than single communication.
A business can, for instance, send a voice message for the initial follow-up, and then have a sales representative follow up with prospects who have expressed interest.
Ringless voicemail software can help with this type of structured outreach, while freeing up more time for sales representatives to engage in human interaction.
The target should always be useful communication and not more messages.
Final Thoughts
Calling leads who never answer can consume valuable time and make sales follow-ups unnecessarily difficult. However, an unanswered call does not automatically mean the lead is lost.
Businesses can use voice messaging as another way to stay connected, provide useful information, and give prospects more flexibility.
The key is to keep messages short, relevant, personalized, and clear. When voice messaging is combined with live calls and other communication channels, sales teams can reduce repetitive calling while spending more time with prospects who are ready to have a conversation.
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