Yes. Don’t be lame. And don’t be a stalker.
“Nobody returns voicemails,” you say. Well, that’s not entirely true. No one returns voicemails when there is no purpose or clear reason to call back. And is your objective even to get a callback?
Ok so let’s say you are calling a potential customer for an appointment. It might be someone you know or it might be a referral. You say no one calls you back so there is no point in leaving messages. I disagree but I think your intention is wrong. Let’s break down what is happening for the CUSTOMER when you call, do or do not leave a message, and why they might not be calling you back.
I would assert that the biggest reason customers don’t call back is because they are busy. I have messages on my phone I fully intend on calling back but just don’t get around to it, or it slips my mind. When I am making calls for my business, or even personal calls, I don’t leave a message to get a callback. I leave a message so they are expecting my callback.
So let’s say you call and it’s a random number not in their phone. Of course they aren’t going to pick up. They don’t know who you are. You don’t leave a message. Then you call again later. They will recognize the number and will likely let it ring through again. If you call again, now they are annoyed. Think about what they are thinking, “this person is so annoying. They keep calling and don’t leave a message.”
It’s important to note that we should not be making decisions based on the people we think aren’t open to hearing about our products. Our strategies should be focused on reaching the ones that are, but we just haven’t connected yet.
When you call, leave a professional message. Your objective is to prime your potential customer to be receptive and pick up your second call. Here is an example.
“Hi, this is Tasha. You don’t know me but I know your friend Oliver Queen. He asked me to call you regarding training to be a vigilante. My number is blah blah blah. I know stopping crime in your neighborhood is very important to you, so if I don’t hear back from you by Friday, I’ll give you a quick call back. So keep an eye out for this number. Have a great day and I’ll talk to you soon!”
Messages are not so that we can sell something. Messages are so we can serve them. Most people are just busy. And calling them with this message and calling back again, on time is super helpful to them! And good news, when you are serving them, people order.
The next question is always, “how often do I call them without being pushy?” Well first, don’t ever be pushy. You aren’t pushing anything. You are calling to chat with them and see if an appointment is a good fit. I recommend 2-3 calls the first week.
Call 1: “Hi, this is Tasha. You don’t know me but I know your friend Oliver Queen. He asked me to call you regarding training to be a vigilante. My number is blah blah blah. I know stopping crime in your neighborhood is very important to you, so if I don’t hear back from you by Friday, I’ll give you a quick call back. So keep an eye out for this number. Have a great day and I’ll talk to you soon!”
Call 2: “Hi this is Tasha. I called the other day, I know Oliver and it’s about the vigilante training. My number is blah blah blah. I’m bummed I missed you again. Our call won’t take long, like 5 minutes and then we can see if you want to chat further. So let me know either way. I’m guessing you are usually on the go, so I’ll try again on Monday.”
Call 3: “Hi it’s Tasha, Oliver’s friend. I know he said that fighting crime is important to you but I don’t want to keep bugging you if that’s not the case. Call me back or text back either way. we can set up a time to further connect or not. My number is blah blah. I hope to hear back from you soon.”
And yes, send a text with the same message each time.
Be a professional. Professionals don’t call and call without leaving a message. And they don’t call just once and don’t leave a message and freak out about ever calling again because they might be bugging the person. Call to serve them without being attached to the outcome and you will be in good shape.