Did you ever call someone with today’s technology and simply hang up if they did not answer?
If so, consider whether or not it is a wise move on your part – especially in a business setting. Here’s why!
Regardless if you left a message or not, with Caller ID, they know you’ve called!
If calling your spouse, friend, relative or someone you know very well, the act of hanging up can merely act as a silent code between the two of you that says “Hey, it’s me. Call me back”.
If calling a prospect, customer or someone you don’t know well at all, hanging up is simply too risky. For one thing, they have not established that silent code with you. Secondly, people hang up thinking “if I don’t leave a message, they will never know I called.” Hello! Is anyone home in your mind? Of course they know you called!
In fact, because the relationship is not all that strong, you have now given that person carte blanche to come up with their own reason as to why you did not leave a message and create their own message. Messages that often lead to false assumptions, emotions and actions based on those false assumptions.
People find it irritating me when others call and don’t leave a message. If you didn’t feel your call was worth a message, why would they want to waste any effort in calling you back? Or, ask yourself this question. How many business contacts are calling you back after you simply hung up without leaving a message?
If you are going to call a business contact, you need to act as if you really wanted to speak to that person! In other words, be prepared to talk.
Sometimes people don’t leave messages simply because they feel they have already called too many times and don’t want to bother the other person. If you don’t want to bother the other person, then don’t call them. Forcing them to think who belongs to your telephone number and making them create the message you were going to leave is more of a bother than simply leaving a boring message.
If you think you have called too many times and can’t understand why you didn’t get a return call, then maybe you need to re-evaluate the boring messages you are leaving. Change your message if it’s not working. Your market is sending you a message. It’s time you finally heard it.
Here’s the problem with most voice mail messages and why they don’t generate call backs. They are self focused vs. customer focused. Every time you hear a message, you make the mental decision as to whether or not that caller deserves more of an investment of your time. Leaving messages that record your name, company name and the request to call you back simply does not motivate many people to call you, especially if you are someone they don’t know. Leaving messages with the above and talking about a product or service will not get a call back either.
So how do you get call backs? Simply change your message from being self focused to being customer focused by putting an outcome in the message. A result the person will get from calling you back that will benefit them.
A client of mine was selling x-ray technology that converted paper x-rays into digital form. Getting frustrated that the radiologists were not calling her back, she changed to message to: Please call me if you want to put an end to the irate calls you are getting from the Docs because of lost films. She claims to have gotten 70% of her calls returned. Would you appreciate 70% of your voice mails being returned?
Bottom line, if you want your voice mail messages returned, then give the receiver a good enough reason to do so.
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