RECR's Blog

Having been in sales of some form or another for most of my adult life, one thing I know about is the advantage (or disadvantage, if you will) of someone having voicemail.  It is no shock at all to me that so many sales people whine and moan about not getting their voicemail messages they leave returned.......They are lousy at it!

With that said, I sat down the other day to discuss with my team the things that they were doing that were sinking their ability to get a callback and came up with the following "TOP 5" voicemail goofs that will sink a sale.

#5 -- Poor delivery of your message -- Some sales reps compound the other problems listed below with a generous string of what I like to call 'speech static'.  This is a common problem that affects everyone at some point...from leaving a voicemail to public address speeches, you will usually hear some of this in just about any conversation that occurs around you.  'Speech Static' would include a big generous string of random vocal sounds like "ummmmmms......ahhhhhhs.......errrrrrrrs......", etc.  No wonder no one wants to call you back...you sound like an idiot.  (You can include monotone deliveries in this also)  If you dont know what it is you want to say, write it down!  Make a script for leaving a message and read through it so it makes sense BEFORE you call.  Read through it a few times so that it will sound natural and THEN dial the phone.  That way, you dont waste the 5-10 seconds it takes someone to decide if the message is even worth listening to...

#4 -- Info-mercial messages -- One of the greatest tragedies in leaving a voicemail is providing so much information that you leave your intended client dazed and confused.  Nothing is going to sink a sale faster than pitching someone on their answering machine!  Has this ever worked for you???  No?????  Then stop doing it!!!  Think about this for a moment...your hard working client comes home form a long day at the office...and has 12 messages.  One of which is you going on a 4 and 1/2 minute diatribe about your product and how you can help her recover what is left of her spiraling life...I doubt she will even listen to you after your third sentence.  I know I wouldnt.

#3 -- Understanding the impact of CallerID -- Sometimes the real problem isnt the sales rep at all...its CallerID!  You call your client on their cell phone....your name and number comes up on the display...and they silence the ringer and say to themselves, "oh, he can leave a message."  (And dont pretend that you have not done it yourself...I know I have.)  Often times clients are either too busy or just not interested in speaking with you at the time you call.  Remember, just because it is a good time for you doesnt mean its a good time for your client. 

#2 -- Lack of persistance -- One of the biggest blunders (and most annoying to me) is a systematic lack of persistance on the sales rep's behalf.  They simply give up.  And by give up, I mean that literally.  Statisticaly 87% of sales reps give one half-hearted attempt at leaving a message (probably using one or more of the TOP 5 goofs in it somewhere) and then just quit calling.  95% give up after only leaving 2 messages.  Personally, I rarely if ever listen to voicemails from vendors or "salesmen".  I figure if it is important, they will call back.  They rarely do.  Im sure you have had the same experience.  So, dont fall into that group!  Be persistant.  Be diligent.  Show your prospect that you care enough to want to speak with them to take the time to call them more than once. 

#1 -- Stalking -- Of course, the flip-side to having a lack of persistance is to stalk someone.  This is HIGHLY detrimental to your ability to get a sale.  Not only is it obsessive, it is sinister in nature and potentially frightening, if not illegal.  This occurs when a rep leaves multiple messages for someone multiple times a day for days on end.  I had a rep (HAD being the key word) that bragged while making this list that he had called the same agent 38 times in the span of about 8 days.  OH MY GOD!  Why we didnt have a lawyer calling us I have no idea!!!  Anyway, thats beside the point...My point is this...Be persistant.  But, dont go over the edge.  Not only will you not get a sale, your will have burned a bridge with this client for anyone in your office to get that sale in the future as well.  Treat this one like the opposite of Nike --- JUST DONT DO IT!

So, there you have it...my Top 5 voicemail mistakes and ways to avoid making them.  I have noticed that our sales have increased by avoiding these simple yet powerful blunders...And Im confident you will find the same thing as you get more and more callbacks.  Good phone etiquette will always reward you in the end!

If you would like more information about Real Estate Client Referrals and how we can help you make more money, please call Clint at 800-977-7058.