“Nobody Can Take Your Call Right Now…”
By Don Cooper


I hate voice-mail.  You hate voice-mail.  But let’s face it, it’s a fact of modern business life.  And whether you are using the phone to follow-up with leads, prospect for new customers, or close a sale, you are going to run into it.  So to be effective marketers, we need to be able to make the most of it.  Here are some easy-to-use strategies that will help insure your message gets returned.

Slow Down and Speak Up
Most people speak too quickly when leaving a message.  The result for the listener is often garbled names and unintelligible phone numbers.  I have received messages that I could not return because I could not understand what the caller was saying.  Make sure people hear what you want them to hear.  Speak slowly and distinctly, enunciating each word (and especially numbers) carefully.  Speak with enough volume so that your recipient won’t have to strain to hear you. 

KISS over the Phone
Voice-mail is not the place to let your inner Dostoevsky free.  Do you like to listen to long, rambling messages that take up half your machine?  Neither does anyone else.  Keep It Short and Simple.  If you don’t know exactly what you’re going to say when you hear the voice mail prompt, hang up, compose your thoughts, and call back.  If you are prospecting over the phone, never leave your sales pitch on someone’s voice mail.  Instead, tantalize them with a benefit or mention the name of the person who referred you.  You should be able to do either or both in a matter of seconds.

Get Specific
Don’t just say, “Call me back.”  People are more likely to return your call when they know the reason for it.  Tell the person what you are calling about and what you need from them.  This will also give them a chance to come up with the information, action, or decision before they get back to you, saving both of you time and aggravation. 

Make It Easy for Them
Even if the person you are calling already has your number, giving it to them in the message saves them the trouble of looking it up.  Be sure to leave your complete phone number, including area code and extension.  And to prevent playing phone tag, let the person know when you will be reachable at that number.  You may want to leave additional numbers they can reach you at, depending on when you want them to call back.  (But don’t overwhelm someone with four or five numbers unless it’s an emergency.)

Be Happy
Of course you’re disappointed that you didn’t reach the person you wanted.  But don’t let that come through in your voice.  People will be more likely to respond if you sound enthusiastic and upbeat.  Smile as you record your message and let the person know that you’re looking forward to hearing from them.

Make Your Voice-mail Valuable
How does your own voice-mail greeting sound?  If it resembles the standard “Hi-I’m-not-here- right-now-so-leave-a-message-and-I’ll-call-you-back,” it’s time for a change.  Integrate your voice-mail into your marketing efforts by making it informative and/or entertaining for people who reach it.  You can do this by including product or service information, mentioning current promotions, or adding an inspirational or humorous quotation.  And set a good example by returning calls immediately!

Like it or not, voice-mail is here to stay.  And as people get increasingly harder to reach in person, it becomes ever-more important to be able to leave effective messages that get your call returned.  Use these strategies when confronted with a recording and before you know it, you’ll be talking to a real, live human being.

* 2004 Don Cooper.  All rights reserved.  This article may be reprinted, intact, as long as the full byline is included.  To request a photo to print with the byline, please call 303-885-1182 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it