Using Voicemail to Sell Your Cleaning Services
How many times do you cold call a prospective customer, only to
be connected to their voicemail? Do you leave a message? Many
people will not leave messages because they never receive a call
back. That's because they usually do one of two things: 1) they
simply leave their name, company name and phone number, or 2)
they leave a more detailed message that sounds like a sales
pitch. In both cases, they're never going to receive a call
back. That's because there's no WIIFM (what's in it for me?) for
the recipient of the call.
With a little planning, you can not only use voicemail to get a
return phone call, but you can use it to leave a memorable
impression that will eventually lead to a meeting with the
prospective client.
So what's the trick for getting them to call back? A good rule
of thumb for leaving voicemail messages that get return calls is
to 1) start with your 30-second elevator speech (or the first
part of it), and 2) make a compelling statement that gets them
thinking! Use words that describe how they feel: frustrated,
disappointed, irritated, annoyed, concerned, overwhelmed,
unhappy, skeptical. Here is an example:
Hi, this is John Smith with All-American Cleaning Company. We
work with companies who are frustrated with their current
cleaning service, or disappointed in the value they're receiving
for the money they're spending. If this sounds familiar, please
give me a call because I may have some solutions for you. My
number is 555-123-1234. I look forward to talking with you.
Even if this doesn't compel the prospect to return your call,
don't give up. Remember, it takes several "touches" before
people make a purchase, so continue to follow up with them. Does
that mean leaving six more voicemail messages? No, you might get
blacklisted if you repeatedly do that. But after a week, try
another voicemail follow up that is similar to the first message
you left, but with a little more urgency:
Hi, this is John Smith with All-American Cleaning Company
again. If you are frustrated with your current cleaning company
or find you're spending too much time managing tenant
complaints, I can be a valuable resource for you. Please give me
a call at 555-123-1234.
Challenge yourself to create a list of problems that your
customers want solved. Then use this list to create variations
of the voicemails listed above. Track which voicemails get the
best response and start using these as your first and second
voicemail messages. The goal here is to get the prospect to pick
up the phone and ask, "How can you do that?"
Another way to continue the contact with this prospect is to
make a follow up call after mailing a sales letter, flyer or
brochure. In this case, leave a message something like this:
Hi, this is John Smith with All-American Cleaning Company. I'm
calling about the information I sent about the benefits of using
green cleaning methods for the health and safety of your tenants
and employees. I just need about 10 minutes of your time. Are
you available next Tuesday at 9 a.m. or next Wednesday at 11
a.m.? Please give me a call at 555-123-1234. I look forward to
meeting with you.
By now your prospect has had four "touches" from you - the
first two voice mails, the mailing, and the follow-up to the
mailing. What if you had given up after the first call? The
prospect would have forgotten about you a long time ago. But now
they've heard from you four times, so with a little more
persistence you should be able to connect with the prospect.
They'll remember who you are and you'll have a much better
chance of getting that meeting in person.