The key to success with voice mail  is to come to grips with the fact that on some level most of your buyers despise it and either ignore or delete most of their messages. It is wishful or, more likely, delusional thinking to expect your voice mail messages to actually be returned. However, with a few simple adjustments that make your messages easier for your prospects to deal with, you may succeed in getting many more messages returned and at the same time earn the respect of the people you call.

Here are the top three tips:

1. Give Contact Information First: 99% of the time when we leave a voice mail we want the other person to call us back. When you give your contact information first you are far more likely to entice the person you called into writing down your name and number for a call back. Besides, it is just good business. Try something like this: “Hi this is Jeb Blount, from SalesGravy.com. My phone number is 555-222-1212.” This demonstrates your respect for the other person’s time and your professionalism.

2. Keep It Short: Your messages should be thirty seconds or less and deal with only one subject. When you hold yourself to thirty seconds it forces you to be succinct and to focus on the most important information. Always remember to say why you have called. There is nothing more irritating to a buyer than salespeople who are less than honest about their intentions. After you give your personal information just say, “The reason for my call is” or “The purpose of my call is.” Then tell them why you are calling and leave your message.

3. Repeat Your Name and Phone Number: Before you push # always say your name again slowly and clearly and always, always say your number twice. It should sound something like this, “again, this is Jeb Blount with QuickandDirtyTips.com my phone number is 555-222-1212 that’s 555-222-1212.” This will ensure that your name and phone number are registered correctly and that you leave your potential client with a positive impression of you.

 Jeb Blount is the CEO of SalesGravy.com, the world’s largest sales career website. A respected thought leader on sales and sales leadership, he is author of three books, People Buy You: The Real Secret to what Matters Most in Business

Many prospective clients will want to negotiate or hold back from making a decision. It’s a natural response. They won’t want to give in too easily, even though the product or service is right for them. With someone like this, the benefit summary makes what they’re getting seem like so much, they’d look silly if they held out for something more.

Phraseology: “John, I can appreciate any hesitation you may have about going ahead. However, let me reiterate the benefits you’re gaining by joining our fitness center today. With the plan you’ve chosen, you’re getting 18 months of additional membership for an investment of only two years’ service. You’re receiving three private sessions with a personal trainer. All of our equipment is state-of-the-art, and we increase the number of machines in the club as demand increases, sothere should hardly ever be at ime when you can’t get on the machine of your choice when you want it. There’s always a trainer on the floor to assist you with questions. We offer over forty fitness classes per week. With your initial membership, you’ll receive three 10-day passes for friends (etc., etc.). What aspects of a club were you expecting that we may be missing?”

When he or she replies with the obvious, “nothing,” they’ve bought!

Master this and many other proven-effective closes by reading, Sales Closing for Dummies>>

Top professionals in nearly every field of selling understand the value of a good client. Each client’s business not only adds to your personal bottom line, but it can lead to even more business through referrals. However, the best salespeople have learned how to get more business because of an existing client even from a non-referred lead. How do they do this? By getting permission to use the client’s name.        Read the rest of this article »

If I asked a room full of experienced salespeople how many of them qualify their clients, every hand would go up. If I asked that same group to define qualification, the answers would probably vary to the extent that a newcomer in sales would be somewhat confused. If I then asked these experienced salespeople to deliver their qualification sequence to the group, I’d have to guess that many would not be able to do so. Too few salespeople, even veterans, have proven, practiced methods of qualification. And that’s a sad truth. Read the rest of this article »

When people think about making a purchase, they aren’t likely to compare talking with you to going to the doctor, but you should make that comparison when preparing to talk with clients. People trust doctors. They usually accept the diagnosis and prescription for wellness with few questions asked. That’s because they recognize doctors as experts in their fields.

Your goal is to have your clients see you the same way. When they have an ache or pain related to your type of product, they should immediately think of calling you. That’s because they’ll be confident you have the right prescription for their ills. Read the rest of this article »

The best way to avoid failure is to never try.  How many people in the profession of selling are hiding from the possibility of failure?

            Let me give you a personal example of this. The first time I ever stood in front of an audience was in a second grade school play.  I’d been asked to play Prince Charming.  All my friends and relatives were there.  I was very excited to be the star of the play.  I was dressed in my purple pants, a purple cape, and I was ready to perform.

            When my cue line came. I walked out on stage, and I froze.  I could not move. Read the rest of this article »

Advantage #1 – Nearly everyone is a potential client. Unless you plan to specialize, such as working only with the affluent who have $10 million or more in net worth or some other niche, your pool of potential clients expands to nearly every adult on the planet. Think about it. Who doesn’t need knowledge and sound advice on keeping and growing their money? It doesn’t matter if their discretionary funds are only $50 or as much as $50,000 a month, everyone has a need for what you offer. Millions of people are seeking to earn, save, invest, and increase their fortunes. They need life insurance, debt consolidation services, long term care, annuities, 401K plans, full blown investment programs and other financial services. Most will have a continuing need for those services and so will their families as the children grow and are told “just call Bob/Sally. They’ve taken good care of us for a long time. They’ll treat you right.” Your legacy will grow with continual referrals from satisfied clients. Read the rest of this article »

When it comes to building long-term relationships with clients, it’s very similar to building long-term friendships. In kindergarten, children are encouraged to make new friends by talking with others, inviting them to play, and being “nice” to them. They often hear these words: “To have a friend, you have to be a friend.”

In many business situations, clients often become more than clients. They become friends…not necessarily the kind you would invite to non-business gatherings, but people you truly care about and who care about you. Read the rest of this article »

As modern day sales leaders, we should always praise our sales teams in public and give them critical feedback in private. I recently experienced one of the worst cases of a leader abusing the position of manager by calling out one of his sales people in front of the entire team. Yet he did not do this in the way that most people think of when they think of “public criticism.”

A member of the sales team was being asked to account for their activity in their sales territory. Almost to the point of “double secret probation” (Animal House fans will recognize the term) the leader was constantly asking for detail on sales calls, appointments and this person’s general whereabouts. By the end of the week this particular sales person was fed up with the big brother approach and finally decided enough was enough and threw up the white flag and resigned. The leaders’ response was a simple “Good Riddance” as if that was the objective all along. Read the rest of this article »

Have you ever heard this from a potential client: “Okay. Well, thanks for the information. I want to shop around and will get back to you if this is really what I want.” Unless you’ve only been in business a day or two, you have.

In most cases what are they really saying to you? They’re saying, “I want to know if I can get it cheaper somewhere else.” It’s usually a money issue when you hear those words. Occasionally, the client will not really be certain that the product meets their needs and be looking for other colors, options, or services along similar lines to what you have offered. Read the rest of this article »