This is frustrating.
The client is already doing business with you. You feel you have a good relationship . . .
. . . yet your voicemail messages go unanswered. You do not get return calls.
Is that rude – or just the way business has changed in this fast-moving technological landscape?
My clients tell me they often get an email in response to their voice mail message.
But why not a return call?
Could be one of four reasons:
1.) The client is crazy busy with numerous projects.
2.) They are afraid a phone call will take up too much of their precious time.
3.) Your voice mail message is not giving the client an important enough reason to return your call.
4.) They feel email is more convenient that returning a phone call.
Three tips I share with clients:
• Know what you want as a result of your voicemail message, in addition to a return phone call.
• Organize your message so that you state the most important and attention-getting information first, since you may be cut off at any time.
• Don’t leave a message lasting more than 30 seconds because most of us have very short attention spans.
A recent survey by ExactTarget.com was revealing.
From MarketingLand.com: “ExactTarget asked almost 1,500 US online consumers (age 15 and up) about how they prefer to get permission-based marketing messages and a whopping 77 percent said email — a number that dwarfs all other options in the survey. Direct mail was second at nine percent and text messaging was third at five percent.”
You may not consider your voicemail messages to be marketing messages, yet this survey is still relevant as it applies to communicating with clients using a method they prefer.
But don’t stop using the telephone! A telephone call and a good voicemail message still work and in my opinion have great value, even though you may not always get a call back.
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This is a guest post by Ann Barr, a Telesales Coach who believes that you can successfully connect with future loyal clients without being rejected. You can connect with Ann at www.annbarr.com .