Sales Showdown: Email vs. Voice mail

One of the biggest challenges businesses face these days is directly engaging prospective customers. Time is people’s most precious asset. Prospects screen calls, they delete or ignore emails, and it’s getting harder to get through.

One way to find out how best to connect with a prospect is to call and ask the admin for guidance (warning: be prepared in case the boss himself decides to pick up the phone).

Another way is to use both methods and see which works better. I’ll typically leave a voice mail and immediately send an email referencing the message I just left.

The voice mail that gets action

First, know that actually leaving a voice mail message should only be used as a last resort. Call multiple times before leaving one (try using *67 to block the transmission of your phone number, so there’s no Caller I.D record of how often you’ve tried).

Try calling at different times of the day. But if you must leave a message, try these tips to increase your odds of getting a call back:

Offer a compelling reason for the recipient to respond. You should have an “elevator pitch” stating who you are, what you do, and a benefit for the customer, something that addresses a need he or she has.

Use tone to add nuance and make an impression. Your first message should be businesslike. However, after three or four tries, I’ll sometimes leave a somewhat flippant message (“Geez, Bob, we’re singlehandedly keeping the phone company in business trying to connect!”) to try to dislodge the prospect from his inertia.

Call back every three business days. That’s what I do. I feel that’s frequently enough so they know they’re a serious target for me, and not some name on a list of 500, but not so frequent that I’m perceived as a pest. After the third unsuccessful call, I’ll reduce my frequency to once a week.

Vary your message. For every five or six people who view you as an irritant, there’ll be one who respects your persistence— and that’s the one who’ll call back. Never forget: The squeaky wheel gets the grease. But don’t squeak the same message over and over again. In each message, provide a different benefit, or a different take on the same benefit.

Email motivators

Too many emails are dull, wordy, and easy to ignore. Here’s how to make sure yours aren’t:

Keep them short and direct. Create just enough content to whet their appetite. Your goal is not to explain; it is to entice, and motivate to action—a reply email, a visit to your website, or a phone call. Be sure to include a link or two to the relevant page(s) on your website.

Have a compelling subject line. Simply "Checking in" won't get too many prospects excited. "What are your competitors are up to?" would surely get me to open one up, because it's intriguing.
Offer value. Include something that educates your prospect, such as, "Download our free whitepaper to learn about..." or “Click here for 3 tips on…”

Do your homework. Craft an email that centers on an issue your research indicates is near and dear to the recipient; one that will help him or her take advantage of an opportunity, or avoid headaches. Subtly suggest that you have interesting information that pertains to that issue.

Lastly, don’t forget to try “old-school” means of reaching prospects (mail a letter, send a fax). Prospects get a lot fewer letters and faxes than they do voice mails and emails—so the ones you send will stand out. Plus, they never get screened, and are more likely to make it to the desk of the person you’re trying to reach.