Seriously, This Is How You Leave a Voicemail?

Actual voicemails I’ve been receiving lately:

“Hi Mike, this is Megan. Can you call me back at (phone number)? Thanks!”

And what do I do with these voicemails?

Delete.

This is one of the oldest poor sales techniques in the world, and it just SCREAMS: I’m cold calling and trying to trick you into calling me back!

Doesn’t work.

Here’s what’s better:

First, you have to let the caller know what company you’re calling from and the reason for the call. We’re all too busy to call people back for no reason, and too many of us have called back just to be pitched (poorly, too) by an unprepared sales people.

Use this sample as a template and adjust to your product or service:

“Hi, this is _______ _________ with XYZ company. I’m calling about how you handle your (product/service/process) and have some options to save you (time/money/etc.). When you get a second, give me a quick call back, and I promise I’ll be brief. If we can help you, great, if not, I won’t waste your time. My call back number is (leave number SLOWLY AND REPEAT). Once again, this is (repeat your name), and I look forward to hearing back from you. Thanks!”

Obviously, if you have their email address, you should also email as part of your prospecting cadence. A great subject line would be: “{first name}, just left you a VM.”

Change the above voicemail and adapt it anyway you want; just make sure and script it out and say it confidently & sincerely. You’ll get more call backs this way than by trying to trick people!


Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?


ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated

How to Establish Rapport In 15 Seconds

Establishing rapport with a prospect in the very beginning is perhaps the most important first step to earning the right to have a conversation that might eventually lead to a sale. Get it wrong, and that could mean the end of your call—and your chance to make a sale.

Given how important this step is, it’s sad to hear so many sales people get it wrong: They either rush into their pitch; talk over prospects; or use other ineffective techniques.

Here’s what not to do:

  1. DON’T open your conversation with, “How are you?”—if you haven’t even introduced yourself! This is a common (and annoying error).
  2. If your prospect asks you how you are (after you ask them), DON’T just say, “fine” or “good” and then launch into your pitch.
  3. In fact, DON’T launch into your pitch at all! Instead, see below what to do . . .

What you should do:

  1. Introduce yourself, “Hi, {prospect’s first name}, this is _____ ______ with  ________, how are you doing today?” THEN: Wait for them to respond! If they ask you how you’re doing, respond with, “I’m doing well today, thanks for asking.”
  2. If, after you ask how they’re doing, you hear annoyance in their voice, then always start what you’re going to say next with, “Briefly . . .” You MUST let them know that YOU know they are in a hurry or not happy to receive a sales call. Then…
  3. BE BRIEF! Let them know why you’re calling (in a sentence or two—MAX), and get to a question and let them interact: “Question for you: How do you (or your company) get involved in that?” (Customize this to what you’re selling, i.e., “Use that,” etc.)

If you follow this simple formula, you’ll earn the right to have a conversation, because you won’t sound like all the other salesy people calling and annoying your prospect.  

Try it and see for yourself!


Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?


ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated

The Simplest Way to Qualify

Problem: Salespeople talk too much when they finally get a prospect on the phone.

They pitch features and benefits instead of asking questions and qualifying.

They talk over their prospects and generally learn very little about what it takes to close a sale.

Result? They may get some leads out and set up some “demos or presentations,” but because they didn’t discover whether a prospect was truly a buyer and in the market at that time, their close rate is a disappointing 2 sales out of 10 full presentations….

Compare that with your own close rate or your team’s closing percentages.

Solution: Ask questions and listen more.

This may sound easy, but if you’ve listened to any of your rep’s calls (or your own), then you know how hard it is.

Here is the simplest way to do it. Adopt the word “Oh?” into your qualifying pitch and find your MUTE button.

It goes like this: Ask a qualifying question, then hit MUTE and listen.

If you get an answer that doesn’t really tell you anything, or if you feel a prospect is trying to hide the real answer, simply unmute yourself and say, “Oh?” with your voice lifting up at the end of the word. Like you’re really curious.

Then hit MUTE again and listen as your prospect reveals more. Much more.

Don’t be fooled by this. It may seem simple, but it’s hard to do. However, when you do it, you’ll move into the rarefied air of top closers. You’ll discover hidden buying motives—and you’ll discover real objections.

In short, you’ll begin to tell the buyers from the non-buyers, and that is the start of closing more sales and making more money.

Try it today.


Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?


ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated

Second Quick Fix to Get Your VMs Returned

To follow up on the blog post from two weeks ago (about the one quick fix to get your VMs returned), here is the second quick fix:

Stop trying to trick your prospect!

Everyone knows that a partial message like:

“Hey _______, this is Mike. Call me back as soon as you can…” just reeks of a tricky salesperson calling.

I ALWAYS delete these messages the moment I hear them. So do your prospects.

The proven formula is simple:

Leave your name, company name, and a brief reason you’re calling (especially one that includes a benefit for your prospect), and then leave your phone number SLOWLY and twice.

There are other proven techniques, too, like requesting some help—and promising you’ll be quick and won’t waste their time—but I’ve already written about those. (Search my blog if you missed them.)

Bottom line: Stop trying to be tricky, and stop sounding like a desperate sales rep. Your prospects can see through you and your message will be deleted quickly. Believe me.


Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?


ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated

Improve Your VM Callbacks with This One Simple Fix

It happened just this second. . .

I checked my voicemail and found two messages.

One was from a business owner who wanted to speak to me about training for his sales team.

The other was a vague message from someone named, “Ty” who just said, “Hey Mike this is Ty; call me back when you can. . . “

Now here’s the problem: They both left their phone numbers so quickly that I had to listen back to the message four times—all the way to the end, by the way—before I was able to write down their whole number.

Guess which one I did all that work for and which one I deleted?

Yep—the business prospect, of course.

But even then I didn’t want to. I mean, why should I have to listen to a message four times, just to write their phone number down?

If you’re leaving voice messages and not getting call backs, consider whether you’re making it hard for your prospects to write your number down.

If you’ve identified yourself as a sales rep (like in the second example above. . . where do I start?!), then there’s no way someone is going to go through the hassle of replaying your message to figure out your number.

So here is the quick fix: Leave your phone number SLOWLY and twice so your prospect doesn’t have to replay your message a bunch of times.

It’s the simplest way to give yourself the best chance of being called back!


Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?


ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated

Stop Jumping Through Hoops to Get a Sale

So many sales reps are anxious when they speak with a prospect. It seems they are afraid and think things like:

“Will they like my product or service?”

“Am I speaking with the right person?”

“Do they have the budget or is my solution too much for them?” And on and on…

As such, many reps don’t ask the “tough” questions, like:

“What kind of budget do you have set aside for this?”

“If you like what you see, what is your timeline for moving ahead with this?”

And, if they are an influencer collecting information, then:

“What is the timeline of the (decision maker) to put something like this to work for them?”

“What are they hoping to find in a solution like ours?”

And, to qualify the influencer:

“How do you get involved in the decision process?”

“Does the (decision maker) take your suggestions/advice?”

“When would YOU like to see this solution put in effect?”

The questions above are the questions that all top closers ask. They know that unless they get these “tough” questions answered, there is no way to move the sale forward. Plus, they know that most of the “prospects” they speak with don’t turn into a deal anyway, so, why not learn who is a real prospect right from the get go?

By getting the answers to these questions, you can stop spending time with non-qualified prospects, and spend more of your valuable time with real buyers.

And isn’t that what you want to do?


Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?


ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated

Three Quick Tips to Increase Your Voicemail Callbacks

Tired of leaving tons of voicemails and not hearing back from anyone?

Incorporate these proven techniques and give yourself the best chance of hearing back from prospects:

#1: Use the “I need a little help, please…” technique. Everyone wants to be helpful, and by leading with this statement, you’ll at least peak someone’s interest, and get them to listen a little bit longer.

#2: Next, make sure and let them know you’ll be brief when they call you back. Most prospects don’t call you back because they don’t want to get caught in a lengthy “pitch,” and they certainly don’t have time to waste. By stating, in advance, that you’ll be brief, you’ll give yourself the best chance of having someone call you back.

#3: Finally, make it easy for your prospect to call you back. In other words, leave your phone number slowly, deliberately, and twice. Also, tell them your name again at the end as well.

Here’s a template voicemail that you can fit your product or service into:

“Hi {first name} (or if you don’t know the person you’re trying to reach, then just skip this and say):

“Hi, I need a little bit of help, please. My name is _______ ________ and my company is _________. Briefly, we provide XYZ. Could you take just a minute to return my call and point me in the right direction? I promise I won’t pitch you or try to sell you something; I just need to know the right person or department I should contact.

“My return phone number is—I’ll start with the area code—(919) 267-4202. (Say this SLOWLY). Once again, my number is (repeat number here), and my name is ________. Thank you in advance, and I’ll look forward to spending just a minute with you.”

Now, is this the guaranteed recipe for getting 100% of your voicemails returned? No! There isn’t one. BUT, by being transparent, polite, and promising not to waste someone’s time, you’ll be giving yourself the best opportunity to get those who might call you back, to go ahead and dial your number.

And I’ll bet that’s better than what’s happening now…


Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?


ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated

Some Will, Some Won’t, Who’s Next?

It took me years to believe this. At first, it seemed almost rude to utter it…

But let me ask you: out of ten prospects you pitch to, how many end up actually buying?

My guess? Two.

Yep, two out of ten prospects you speak with turn into buyers.

And this means that you spend hours each day pitching to people who are never going to buy!

That’s why most people get burned out in sales. That’s why most salespeople find sales discouraging. That’s why many sales teams don’t make their quotas.

The answer, of course, is simple: Only pitch and spend with those prospects who are actually going to turn into sales—yep, those two people

I know you still have to prospect and spend time with the other eight, but how about reducing that time? How about disqualifying them early and revealing that they are never going to buy from you?

How do you do that? You do it by qualifying and asking the tough questions and being honest about what they are telling you and being willing to walk away.

Never skip the important qualifying questions at the beginning of your pitch like:

“What is your timeline for making this decision?”

“What kind of budget do you have set aside for this?”

“Besides yourself, who else is involved in making this decision?”

“And from what we’ve just gone over, do you think they would like this?”

There are many other qualifying questions, of course, and I’ve written about them in detail and given you word for word scripts and questions to make it easy on you, but the above questions will always reveal who the two out of ten buyers are.

And it will also reveal who the other eight are.

Now that you’ve got the questions to help you decide who to spend time with, will you use them?

Remember, “Some will, some won’t. Who’s next?”


Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?


ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated

Say This to Get Better—Right Now!

Want some quick (and easy!) tips that will make you better Right Away?

You’ll find them below, and I guarantee that if you use them, you’ll not only identify buyers faster, but you’ll feel more confident, you’ll close more sales, and your income will grow—starting today.

Here are quick/easy things you can say to make yourself—or your sales team—better:

Instead of saying, “I don’t know if you have any budget for this…”

Say: “And what type of budget do you have set aside for this?”

Instead of saying, “Why don’t we set up another meeting to talk about this…”

Say: “From what you’ve seen today, is this something you feel would work for you?”

Instead of saying, “The sooner you start with this, the sooner you’ll see the results…”

Say: “What is your timeline for getting started with something like this?”

BETTER: “Based on what you’ve seen today, does this sound like something you’d like to put to work for you?”

Instead of saying, “Who else needs to look at this?”

Say: “Is this something that you would recommend to (this other person)?”

And if YES, then: “And do they generally take your recommendations?”

OR: “I’m sure you work with (the other person) pretty closely, so from what you know about what they’re looking for, do you think they would go with this?”

As you can see, the point is to be more assumptive, instead of beating around the bush and not asking.

Remember, YOU are the closer, and YOU need to be leading the sale. And you can. And by adopting the questions above, you will!

And if you’d like more scripts like this, then download my Complete Book of Scripts by clicking here.


Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?


ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated

2 Great New Year’s Questions for Your Clients

Welcome back to the office, how do you feel? Overwhelmed? Under pressure already? 

If so, then you’re not alone. Most companies are under immediate pressure already to begin accomplishing their new goals and sales targets. In fact, this is also felt in the accounting department, the marketing department, and everywhere else. You can probably feel it in your company, too.

As you speak with your clients and prospects this week, realize that they are all feeling the same stress as well. While this may seem like a bad thing, it actually presents a great opening for you. 

Here’s how I handle the companies and contacts I speak with this month: after talking briefly about the holidays and new year’s celebration, I always start with question number one –

“So ________, what are the top 3 initiatives for your department this year?” Then I hit mute and take notes. 

If they need a little help here, I use layering questions like:

“And what was your revenue like last year?”  Or

“What percentage increase are you asked to produce this year?”  Or

“What are you doing differently to accomplish this?”

“What do you think is most needed for you to succeed at that?”

After I’ve listened and asked layering questions and taken notes on the three initiatives, I ask the second question –

“And how can I help you accomplish that?”

Once again, I hit the mute button and take notes. If I get an, “Ah, I don’t know,” then I once again use layering questions like:

“Have you heard of my new On Demand Inside Selling Skills Training?” Or I ask a good assumptive question like:

“How much of a budget do you have per quarter for sales training?” And,

“How big of a role do you think increased sales training is going to play?” Or,

“If you could wave a magic wand and get three resources to help you accomplish your goals, what would they be?”

Now I’m sure you can come up with your own questions here, but you get the idea. 

The point is to ask questions and LISTEN to your prospect’s needs. Remember, your clients and prospects have all the information you need to make a sale, and they will almost always tell you IF YOU ASK QUESTIONS AND LISTEN TO THEIR RESPONSES.

So, write up your questions, call your prospects, and listen to how best to serve and sell them!


Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?


ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated