5. Use voicemail on a computer. Download messages to a computer. If you're the Primary Account Holder, you can save your messages from your My-T-Mobile account.
Landlines continue to have a place in business and are in fact more prevalent than cell phones as primary telephone numbers -- at least for now.
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When we call our friends and family, we often call and hang up without leaving a voicemail -assuming the missed call will be notification enough that we want this person to call us back. Even though this is acceptable to do in our personal lives, phone call etiquette in the corporate world plays by different rules.
1. Call your number. It's that simple. Use any landline or cell phone to dial your mobile or landline number. Dial the full number. Make sure someone doesn't actually answer the phone you are calling when it rings, though. Make sure you dial the area code with the number.
Professional development educator Dr. Ray Lauk sent us this great piece of advice, which he credits to veteran sales trainer Stan Piskorski:
This is a tactic we picked up from Jeff Hoffman and it works because it makes you more memorable and makes your messages seem genuine and less rehearsed. Give it a try and see if it will work for you too!
The key to leaving voicemail messages that get returned is keeping in mind who you are calling in the first place. Whether you are making sales calls, speaking with current borrowers, or trying to gain mortgage clients, you must adapt to your audience.
Remember, you are not trying to cram your entire conversation into the voicemail, but rather, get the person to call you back to have that conversation. Your voicemail should answer the following questions: Who are you? / Where are you from? Why are you calling? How can they get in touch with you?
Knowing how to leave a voicemail that is equal parts succinct, professional and courteous can be hard for those not accustomed to doing so. Below are tips on proper voicemail etiquette to help you craft and leave the perfect voicemail:
Generally, voicemail is not the medium to discuss deal logistics. Keep messages short and to the point, and steer clear of deal specifics. Ask relevant questions and you're likelier to get a response.
As a bonus, here is an example of our own holiday voicemail greeting here at OpenPhone:
The best text-to-speech voices don't sound robotic at all. Do a "text to speech" search in Google to explore your options. Type in your script and presto! You'll get an instant greeting with a natural sounding voice. You can select from a broad spectrum of male & female voices with any local or foreign accent you choose. LinkedPhone offers text-to-speech built right into our software. It's super popular and our users love it!
555-555-2345Hello, thank you for calling the office of Dr. Harold Tweed. I can’t come to the phone right now; please leave your name, number, and message at the tone. If this is an emergency, please contact either my personal assistant at 555-555-2345 or myself at 555-555-3234 and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you for your call.
When opening your voicemail, start with a professional or generic greeting like, “Hello” or “Good Morning”. Be sure to clearly state your name, who you are/where you’re from, and (where applicable) how you got their contact information.
It seems like it’s something really simple, but it’s critical to your business to get the most out of your prospecting time…. So what’s the right way leave a voicemail???
That’s why it’s never been more important for salespeople to be good at leaving messages. Not only that, but voicemail can—and should—be measured, coached, and improved.
Voicemails can add value, whether or not a prospect calls you back right away. Even if a voicemail triggers an email response or call back six months down the line, it's valuable. The better your voicemails, the more likely you'll get a response.