Any sales rep who makes cold calls knows there’s a strong possibility they’re going to reach a voicemail recording, especially if they’re dialing a prospect’s cellphone.
That trend has only gotten worse in recent years. With the rise of robocalls and various phone scams, people are naturally leery about answering calls from unrecognized numbers.
The statistics bear this out. In a December 2020 survey conducted by Hiya, a phone call performance management services provider, 94% of respondents said they let unidentified incoming calls go unanswered. Simply from our experience, businesses likewise use caller ID to screen calls.
In many cases, people don’t even have to make a conscious decision to ignore a phone call. Modern technology can identify calls as potential spam and prevent them from going through (even if they’re sometimes legitimate calls).
For Business Development Representatives whose primary job is to have telephone conversations with potential customers, it can be a difficult challenge to overcome. But there are ways to increase the possibility that prospects will be willing to engage, even if it doesn’t happen on the first call.
VSA prides itself on having as many meaningful conversations with prospects as possible. Here are five of the ways we accomplish this:
1. Creating the right calling list … and knowing how to manage it
Before launching any calling campaign, VSA collaborates closely with our clients to ensure we’re calling the companies and decision-makers most likely to benefit from the offering. Whether we’re developing a list from scratch based on an ideal buyer persona, or enriching a clients’ existing list with more precise contact information, we take multiple steps to solidify the target audience for the program. No list is perfect, but the right list-building resources and best practices can dramatically improve your chances of making a connection.
Of course, the initial list strategy, as with all other aspects of our programs, is not set in stone. VSA is a data-driven organization; we’re always analyzing results and looking for ways to increase conversations with prospects and scheduled appointments for our clients.
Perhaps the data shows that Job Title A is far more likely to answer the phone than Job Title B. Or maybe we find that prospects in a certain industry are more likely to answer the phone in the morning than the afternoon. In those cases, we can revise the target list and/or adjust the calling hours accordingly.
2. Persistence pays off
Just because a prospect doesn’t answer your first call, or even your second or third, it doesn’t mean they won’t answer your call at all. Sure, there are some people who are simply never going to pick up the phone, and we monitor each record closely to ensure we’re not wasting time pursuing them unnecessarily. But we also never want to stop trying prematurely.
Statistics have shown it takes an average of eight cold-call attempts to reach a prospect. Shockingly, though, 48% of sales reps never follow up after an initial cold call.
It’s important to stay persistent without becoming a nuisance. VSA generally waits three business days between calls, and we typically leave no more than one voicemail message a week. (Emails are part of our cadence as well.) We also often try to reach multiple decision-makers at the same company to increase the chances of a conversation.
Even if we don’t make contact, each attempt can potentially raise the prospect’s familiarity with our client. Perhaps they begin to recognize the phone number or the company name (VSA sets up our calling campaigns so our client’s name appears on the caller ID). Whether it’s curiosity, annoyance, or just good timing that finally causes them to pick up, the important thing is arriving at that initial conversation.
3. Give them a reason to call back … even if they likely won’t
Because so many calls go to voicemail, it’s crucial to leave a compelling message. Maybe you sum up the benefits of your offering in a single sentence, or maybe you say just enough to pique a prospect’s curiosity without revealing the reason for the call. Or maybe you leave a sequence of voicemails, with each message building on the content of the previous one.
Odds are, the prospect isn’t going to return your call. According to SalesLeads, the average response rate for B2B voicemails is less than 5%. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t hear your message. Per a 2020 Pew Research poll, 67% of Americans say they typically will not answer a call from an unknown number, but they will listen to the voicemail if one is left. Hearing your message could increase the chances of them picking up the phone the next time you call.
As mentioned above, you don’t necessarily want to leave a voicemail message every time. When you do, be brief (8 to 14 seconds is ideal), be prepared (have a script in front of you), and be natural (don’t sound like you’re reading from your script).
4. Engage with the gatekeeper
VSA uses a calling platform that increases the chances of reaching decision-makers directly, but depending on the industry we’re calling, we often need to speak with a gatekeeper first. Their job, in part, is to protect their supervisor’s time by not transferring unwanted phone calls.
Fortunately, our BDRs are adept at not only navigating past gatekeepers, but also at having professional, friendly, respectful conversations with them. There’s a fine line between telling the gatekeeper why you called and providing too much information—you definitely don’t want to sound salesy. The important thing is that you make a positive impression.
Treating a gatekeeper the right way can make or break their decision to put you through to their boss—if not this time, then the next time. Your first call might get transferred straight to voicemail, but if the gatekeeper remembers you positively, they might be more inclined to suggest the boss pick up when you call back.
5. Be ready for the conversation!
All sales reps have experienced a situation like this while making cold calls: Voicemail, voicemail, voicemail, voicemail, voicemail … live person!
It’s easy to momentarily get caught off guard, especially if it’s been a few calls since your last conversation. When you do get a decision-maker on the phone, it’s critical to not botch the opportunity. Be comfortable enough with your script that you can read from it without sounding robotic or veer from it without sounding flustered. Be prepared for common questions and objections. Be willing to engage with the prospect. If they’re not interested now, find out why and when they might be.
Approach every dial like you’re about to have a meaningful conversation, even if that often won’t be the case.
Conclusion
There are certainly ways to connect with prospects that don’t require them to pick up the phone. Some companies eschew the phone entirely and rely on cold emails, although it’s easy for messages to get lost in overstuffed inboxes. Encouraging inbound correspondence is another possible solution (VSA now offers full-time inbound service for any client that requires it).
Ultimately, though, there’s nothing more direct than a one-on-one phone conversation with the right prospect at the right time.
If your sales reps aren’t having as many conversations with prospects as you’d like, or don’t have the time to make cold calls at all, consider partnering with an outsourced lead-generation and appointment-setting firm like VSA.
Making phone calls is what we do, so we’re certainly not going to be dissuaded by a few voicemails.