Did you know that 80% of sales calls go to voicemail? Sales reps with a strategy for that 80% get a lot more out of their cold calls than reps who consider voicemail an afterthought. To increase your “cold call batting average,” use these Voicemail Strategies that Generate More Calbacks.

2. Voicemail Strategies
to Generate More Callbacks

3. To uncover new, good
local prospects…
...you need to make a
lot of cold calls.

4. Your objective:
Secure as many
connections as possible
from the calls you make.

5. What strategies do you use
to maximize your “cold call
batting average”? Do you...

6. ...call the right prospects?

7. ...research common priorities and
challenges for those prospects?

8. ...prepare yourself to get
past a “gatekeeper”?

9. ...arm yourself with scripts
and strategies?

10. But what happens…
...if no one answers?

11. FACT: 80% of all cold
calls go to voicemail.

12. To make the most of all
your calls, use these
voicemail strategies for
generating more callbacks...

13. 1. Don’t Underestimate
the Power of Voicemail

14. Leaving a voicemail seems
like a small thing.

15. But consider these facts:
● 80% of all calls go to voicemail
● Less than 10% of voicemails are returned
● Most sales reps give up after the 5th call...
● ...but 78% of successful connections require
more than 6 touches

16. What does that mean?
● Sales reps with a voicemail strategy are poised to take
advantage of a much larger set of calls
● Callbacks make a big difference to your overall “cold call
batting average”
● Increasing your callback percentage gives you a huge edge
over other sales reps
● Sales reps who give up when they go to voicemail miss out
on potential sales

17. Before you call, develop a
voicemail strategy. You’ll get
more out of your cold calls and
an edge on the competition.
Wise Guys Tip

18. 2. Tap Into Your Prospect’s
“Crocodile Brain”

19. How do you decide whether
or not to call someone back?
How do you think your
prospect decides?

20. Does your prospect thoughtfully
consider each message?
Does he conduct a cost-benefit
calculation of whether a callback is
worthwhile?

21. Of course not. He runs
through his voicemails quickly,
making snap decisions…
...and deleting as many as possible.

22. “The crocodile brain wants
things fast, condensed, and
high-contrast. Wire your
pitch accordingly.”
Oren Klaff
Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for
Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal

23. “We are not thinking
machines that feel, we are
feeling machines that think.”
Professor Antonio Damasio
Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the Brain
and Creativity Institute at the University of
Southern California

24. How Your Prospect Thinks:
● Your prospect has a “thinking” brain and a “reactive” (or
“crocodile”) brain
● The crocodile brain acts as a filter, making snap decisions
based on limited information about what’s important and
what isn’t
● With voicemail, your prospect’s crocodile brain decides
whether to reply or delete in just a few seconds
● To generate a callback, your voicemail must appeal to your
prospect’s crocodile brain

25. What appeals to your
prospect’s crocodile brain?

26. Things that are fast, clear,
and condensed.

27. Things that stand out.

28. Things that appear urgent
and/or threatening.

29. Develop a voicemail script that’s
brief and direct, and that
conveys a sense of urgency to
your prospect.
Wise Guys Tip

30. 3. Use a “Boomerang”
Message

31. Boomerang Message:
A message designed specifically
to get your prospect to “come
back” to you.

32. Boomerang Message:
“Hi [prospect’s first name]. This is [your
name]. I’m calling regarding [competitor
company who is your client]. Once again, this
is [your name]. My phone number is [phone
number]. Again, that’s [phone number]. I look
forward to speaking with you.”

33. A Boomerang Message:
● is concise, clear, and direct
● conveys a sense of urgency (“If it involves my
competitor, I better call back.”)
● conveys a threat (“What does my competitor
know that I don’t?”)
● contains no unnecessary information

34. Common Questions
Can I say I’m calling about a competitor even if they’re not a
client? No. Misleading your prospects might generate
callbacks, but it won’t establish trust.
What if I have no clients in my prospects’ industry? Work on
getting a referral or pick another market segment.
What do I say if/when my prospect calls back? “We’ve been
working with [competitor] to advance their priorities and I
thought you might be interested in hearing about it... and
about how we might be able to help you in the same way.”

35. Develop a voicemail script with the singular
goal of generating a callback. Leave
information about yourself, your business, and
your product for another time when you have
your prospect’s undivided attention.
Wise Guys Tip

36. 4. Leave a Positive Impression

37. Because your prospect’s crocodile
brain is emotional and reactive…
...words can only take you so far.

38. With voicemail, what you say is
important…
...but how you say it is even more
important.

39. Making an impression on
the phone is 17% words…

40. ...and 83% tone.

41. Avoid meaningless phrases that leave a
negative impression because they make you
sound frustrated, wishy-washy, or overly
deferential:
“I’ve been trying to reach you…”
“I just...”
“I wanted…”
“Sorry…”

42. Practice reading your voicemail script.
Voicemail is a one-way conversation with a
machine; there’s nothing to take you by
surprise or catch you off-guard. Craft it,
practice it, and nail it every time.
Wise Guys Tip

43. Question:
How can you make the absolute
most out of your cold calls when
80% go to voicemail?

44. Hang up and try again later?

45. Leave a message off the
top of your head?

46. Include a ton of
information about who you
are and what you sell…

47. ...and pray your prospect
listens to the whole message?

48. Instead, maximize your “cold call
batting average” with tactics that:
● Treat voicemail as a powerful tool in your cold
calling arsenal
● Appeal to your prospect’s reactive crocodile
brain
● Clearly and directly convey a sense of urgency
● Leave a positive impression on your prospect

49. Voicemail Strategies
to Generate More Callbacks

51. © Business Wise Inc. 2015
Flickr Creative Commons images courtesy of:
Battle Creek CVB, Machine Project, Paul Williams, Ervins
Strauhmanis, Niccolò Caranti, Moni Sertel, Flazingo Photos,
Dineshraj Goomany, c0t0s0d0
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