Press For Success

"Businesspeople get a lot of voice-mail messages, and if yours is blah, you're going to get zapped." That's a warning from Nancy Friedman, president of Telephone "Doctor" Customer Service Training in St. Louis and author of Telephone Skills From A to Z (Crisp Publications, $10.95, 650-323-6100).

Used correctly, voice mail can be a strong ally in your sales effort. With a little practice, you can become skilled at leaving messages that get prospects' and customers' attention.

Consider an encounter with voice mail as a 30-second selling opportunity to leave what Friedman calls "an electronic business card." The content of your message is important. Friedman advises you to write down exactly what you're going to say; then throw away your script. Your message should sound spontaneous, unrehearsed and upbeat.

"Tell them who you are and why you're calling--including a benefit--and leave your phone number twice . . . slowly," Friedman says.

If your call is based on a referral, be sure to mention the name of the person who referred you at the outset. This helps ensure your message gets listened to.

We should all expect to encounter voice mail. "Only 30 percent of all calls are completed on the first try," says Friedman. So if you need a little time to master the art of leaving perfect voice-mail messages, don't worry; you're bound to get plenty of practice.

Contact Source

Telephone "Doctor" Customer Service Training, (314) 291-1012, http://www.telephonedoctor.com