MEMBERSHIP SELLING AND
SALES MANAGEMENT INSIGHTS

Don’t Hang Up Without Leaving A Voicemail

We get asked a lot about voicemail. Especially whether membership pros should even bother leaving messages in the first place. We get it. Prospects generally don’t return our calls – so why waste time leaving a message?

This may seem counter-intuitive, but we believe that hanging up is the real waste of time. Why? Because not leaving a message is the equivalent of your call never happening in the first place. Your effort doesn’t count for anything – and you have to start all over when you try to call again.

Still not convinced? Here are a few more reasons to embrace recruiting voicemails.

Well-crafted voicemail messages build momentum. It takes a minimum of 5 to 7 points of contact to stand out and finally make an impression. Sorry, but hanging up when you get voicemail doesn’t count as a touchpoint. Alternatively, every voicemail you leave is a critical opportunity to catch your prospects’ attention and help build the momentum needed for them to act. Even when your calls go unreturned, your efforts can build enough momentum for your prospect to decide to answer your call the next time they see your number pop up on their Caller ID.

Speaking of Caller ID... How do you feel when you repeatedly see the same number and the caller never leaves a message? It screams telemarketing call, right? You likely make a mental note to never pick up a call from that number. Maybe you even block the caller. Here’s the point, your prospects have the same negative feelings about hang-ups.  It doesn’t matter if your prospect is screening calls or away from the phone when you call, your number will pop up as a missed call. Hanging up without leaving a message makes a negative impression and derails any chance your prospects will ever answer your calls.

Top-Of-Mind Awareness. Each well-crafted voicemail defines you as someone worthy of a callback or a pick-up the next time you call. With every message, you reposition yourself at the top of your prospect’s mind and demonstrate your belief that what you have to offer is important. When you remain top-of-mind, your prospects will prioritize reaching you when they are ready.

Persistence and Patience. When you have a plan, voicemails can add value, even when your prospects don’t call right back. Your messages could make an impression that causes a prospect to refer you to a co-worker or colleague. Or pay-off down the line when a prospect remembers you and reaches out months later when a need arises. The more consistent and patient you are, the more likely your voicemails will pay off in some way.

Look at it this way. We can’t say for sure how many callbacks you’ll get from your voicemails, but it beats the alternative. Because we can absolutely guarantee you won’t get any callbacks if you don’t leave voicemails. It’s that simple.

With 75 percent or more of all recruiting calls going to voicemail, the question needs to shift from, “Do I leave a voicemail?”  Membership pros should instead ask, “How do I engage more prospects via voicemail?”

If you would like to learn more about how you can make your voicemail strategy more effective, don’t miss our upcoming chamber membership sales webinar - Member Recruiting Voicemails: Your Ultimate Step-By-Step Guide.