August 2008

One challenge of conducting business in the summer is catching people in their office. Vacations, golf outings and long weekends can mean reaching the decision maker is like a long game of phone tag and you’re “it.”Leaving a concise and upbeat voicemail message with a defined follow up plan is key to getting your calls returned.

Here are a few tips to help you stand out from the crowd:

Don’t Ask for Callbacks - Unsolicited calls are seldom returned, and follow-up calls are often tabled while prospects address other issues. So why bother asking them to do so? Instead of concluding a voicemail message with some variant of “Please call me back,” schedule yourself action steps such as “There’s a way we can help your company. I’ll call you Tuesday afternoon to discuss the possibilities.” Then, and most importantly, keep the appointment. Before long, you will differentiate yourself as a sales rep that makes and keeps promises.

Keep Messages Short -The only thing worse than ten voicemails to wade through is ten voicemails that ramble and don’t seem to end. Keeping messages brief and to the point is key—twenty seconds is a good rule-of-thumb. It may sound silly, but drafting a message beforehand and rehearsing it a few times can prepare you for either a strong conversation or voicemail.

Leave ’Em Wanting More - Prospects need more than a rushed rehashing of your sales pitch and a reminder that you both like fishing to be convinced your call is worth the time and effort to return. The similarities between sales and entertainment have been well documented, and recording a voicemail is the best place to use the oldest entertainer’s trick in the book: leave ’em wanting more. For example, “I can save you 10% of your printing budget next year and get you press coverage. Interested? Please pick up the phone when I call you tomorrow at 10am.”

What Grow Sales, Inc. Can Do for You
Grow Sales, Inc. has been advising graphic arts companies on everything from sales strategies to intelligent team building since 1996. In addition to our industry-focused advising services, we provide outbound marketing, sales support, web design and public relations expertise. To learn more about how we can help you grow your business profitably, call us at (301) 294-9900 or email info@growsales.com.

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