When customers call your office, it‘s usually to get answers to questions, book appointments, follow up on sales leads, or pass on important information. When your customers don‘t answer, much of the conversation is lost. A prospective customer might be interested in your business but simply unavailable when you‘re calling.
Missed calls can form a barrier to communication and inhibit continued contact for the business. Rather than constantly calling and hoping for a pickup, the business can look into communication options where the customer can receive a message without having to answer.
Missed Calls Can Lead to Missed Opportunities
So what can I do if a customer doesn‘t pick up? They could be working, on the move, in a meeting, at the shop, or may not even recognize the caller ID. Not that that means anything.
This can be a nightmare for the sales team. Reps are dialing for dollars with a process of calling, leaving messages, and calling back later. Some prospects will eventually get back to them, but some may have completely forgotten the call.
That‘s where it‘s important to have an easy follow-up plan. The way it is with follow-up strategies, sometimes repeated calls can be perceived as harassment.
Why Traditional Follow-Ups May Not Always Work
Traditional telephone calls mean that both the customer and the business need to be there at the same time. If the customer is not there for a call, they need to either call again or leave a voicemail.
Repeated calling can lead to annoyance for the business and the customer. Also, the sales people have limited time, and engaging in too many calls with unavailable prospects can result in unproductiveness.
Nevertheless, if a number of messages need to be left repeatedly by phone, voicemail may not be sufficient, as it is not easy to leave each message on a one-to-one basis. For companies with a large number of customers/contacts (hundreds or thousands), a more systematic solution may be required to follow up with customers without losing the message continuity.
A Different Approach to Customer Communication
Ringless Voicemail Service
A ringless voicemail service enables a company to leave a recorded or personalized voicemail message on a customer‘s voicemail box without an inbound call to the customer.
The above could be used when the aim would be to provide information that doesn‘t require an instant response. Customers are able to hear the message when it is convenient for them and then take the next appropriate step.
For example, a business could use voicemail messaging to:
Follow up on an issue, which can vary according to the stated field of inquiry.
Give customers a reminder of an appointment.
Provide information about a service.
Re-engage with unresponsive contacts.
Give improvements or announcements.
Maintain support for existing customer communication.
Flexibility is the greatest benefit. The customer is free to hear the message at his/her own leisure rather than stopping what he/she is doing to answer the phone.
Personalization Still Matters
Automation does not suggest that all messages are “blander”. The organization has the possibility to generate messages addressed to certain target groups or target customers.
For instance, it may be appropriate for a real estate agent to follow up with recent people who have contacted them regarding a property; a service provider to send reminders to customers with future appointments; or a sales team to send a brief message to a prospect that has previously contacted a sales agent but didn‘t respond to the follow-up call.
Aim for short, simple, relevant messages. The more relevant your communication is to the customer, the more they will hear you.
Saving Time for Sales Teams
Another advantage worth mentioning is that it saves time. Salespersons are not kept busy calling contacts all day that do not pick up the phone.
Ultimately, the sales team can organize its contact lists, craft suitable messages, and provide automated assistance in order to advance the process, freeing up more time for sales reps to converse with the forward-looking receptive.
It can further facilitate the follow-up procedures. Instead of failing to resume a dialogue with a lead after one contact, companies are able to build systematic interaction procedures.
Using Voicemail Alongside Other Channels
Voicemail should not totally replace every other mode of communication. It is good to pass on as a communication tool with email, text messaging, normal calling, etc. Consider the various other modes of customer communication one can use alongside the introduction of a new communication tool.
Various customers like different communication channels. Some react promptly to e-mail, while others prefer messages on the phone. Offering several suitable options for contacting the company will lead to better communication with the customers.
Finally, companies should ensure that any of their outreach practices are compliant with telecommunications, privacy, and consent laws. Engaging in such communication can, and should, be done responsibly.
Turning Missed Calls Into Another Opportunity
Not being able to reach the customer does not need to mean the end of the talk. The proper follow-up procedure will turn a missed call into another point for sharing valuable information.
A message left on voicemail that provides information to a customer can be used without the need for a two-way conversation. If the message is appropriate and considerate, it can help to keep the business current in the mind of the customer.
Final Thoughts
When people fail to answer your calls, you don‘t always lose the opportunity. Customers may be busy, preoccupied, or simply not available at the right time. A business can call repeatedly, but it can also use other methods of communication.
A ringless voicemail service offers another method for message delivery in the future while allowing the consumer to listen at their convenience. As part of a well-designed customer consultation program, a series of callbacks coupled with targeted personalization and charitable outreach can make voicemail one more tool in your customer consultation arsenal.
The best way to do this is to keep it simple: Give them the appropriate information, be considerate of their time, and reduce ease for them when they are willing to respond.
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