We've all rejected cold calls at some point, but who deletes a voicemail without at least checking what it's about? That is precisely why you should always leave a message after the beep.

Every single touchpoint is an opportunity teams must leverage to deliver a positive brand experience and build trust. No matter how motivated and hardworking your team is, over 90% of calls will go to voicemail, so optimizing your sales structure means making the best use of your team's time and efforts. Mastering the art of scripting voicemail messages proves invaluable as it increases the likelihood of getting called back. If paired with constant testing and an easy-to-use UI, your team will become unstoppable. 

It's no surprise scripting will require your teams to step up their game and strive to segment strategically, but results will speak for themselves if you have the conviction to work it till you make it. 

‍Chances are you'll witness an average 10% callback increase!

Taking the time to craft a message for a specific audience will show your clients you care and help your agents sound confident, focused, and professional even after a long day. 

• Voicemail Drop is an excellent feature to:
• Gain brand recognition
• Humanize relations
• Forge long-lasting relationships
• Standardize pitches across teams
• A/B test best-performing messages
• Avoid uncomfortable rambling 
  

In this article, we'll give you 20 templates to keep up your sleeve. They are designed for strategically segmented campaigns that will allow your team to send bulk yet personalized messages, making it easier for them to reach a broader audience and get more callbacks. Using Salesforce for segmenting based on demographics, attendance to specific events, purchase behavior, or job function, for example, will allow you to focus your message and boost conversion rates. 

• So, what makes the perfect message? Remember: You shouldn't try selling over a voicemail, so focus on getting your prospect's attention with a polished and personalized message. 
• Greeting & your name
• Hook & Reason for calling
• Urgency or Benefit for calling back.
• Contact, how they can reach you
  

No matter the template you select, keep your voicemail messages around 25 seconds. Voicemails should be brief and to the point. Also, a little intrigue never hurt anyone, but this doesn't mean tricking prospects into calling you back just for the sake of it. You should try and advance the conversation towards your goal. Keeping that mindset will help you avoid getting fruitless callbacks from misled prospects and causing a bad impression. 

Below are examples on how to leave a helpful, quick, and actionable sales voicemail. While the words in each section should serve your purpose, we encourage you to alter the copy to reflect your delivery and your business better. 

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First Cold Outreach

Cold calling can be frustrating, but segmenting correctly can help you be more effective as it will allow you to tailor your messages and send them at a larger scale. Target companies that have achieved specific milestones or are facing similar challenges to get better results.

1. “Hi, this is [Elena] from [PhoneIQ]. I noticed you recently [name milestone/issue], so I thought I'd reach out and share some ideas that may help with [potential issues they may face and your company could solve]. 

Let me know if you'd like to connect. You can reach me at [phone number]. Again, this is Elena from PhoneIQ calling, at [phone number]." 

Follow up with: 

2. “Hi, [Elena] here from [PhoneIQ] again.

I was wondering if you had received my previous message. I'd love to talk to you about [benefits of calling back]. I'll also follow up with an email tomorrow, but you can reach me at [phone number].

Have a great day, cheers."  

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After a Cold Email

Another reason to take voicemail dropping seriously is that it improves the open email rate. Most people won't bother calling back but could be encouraged to check out your email after hearing your message.

3. "Hi, it's [Elena] here calling from [PhoneIQ]. I was wondering if you'd had the chance to see the email I sent you on Tuesday. I'm just one ring away for any questions; my phone number is [phone number]. Again, [Elena] from [PhoneIQ], [phone number].” 

4. "Hi! This is [Elena] from the [PhoneIQ] team. I emailed you last week and was wondering if now was a good time for us to connect and talk about [benefits of calling back]. Give me a call or text me at [phone number]. Thanks a lot!"

Benefits of calling back will vary a lot depending on what the call's about and the role of the agent of course. You might be calling to help them optimize the use of their credit, to catch up on the latest market insights or give them information about something they've requested.

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Upon Referral 

This voicemail template may come in handy if you're a good networker or if your company has a referral or affiliate program. Naming who you were referred by will make your prospect feel at ease and more open to hearing you out. Bringing up a specific issue to the conversation will make it easier for your prospect to link you to a specific product/service category. 

5. "Hi [Prospect's name], My name is [Elena], and [Person who referred you] suggested that I call regarding [issue you'd be helping with]. We'd love to help you tackle this. Please give me a call if you're interested in discussing further. You can call me at [phone number]."

6. “Hi, I’m [Elena] from [PhoneIQ]. [Person who referred you]  and I have worked together with various clients facing issues with [insert prospect's pain point] and she/he feels I should offer you some advice on how to solve this. Feel free to text or call me with any questions at [phone number]. Have a nice day!"

If you got a referral while doing partner outreach, you could go with something like this:

7. “Hi [Potential partner’s name], My name is [Elena] from [PhoneIQ]. [Referee] suggested our services are complimentary, and it could be good for us to partner up. We'd be happy to discuss potential collaboration. You can give me a call at [phone number]. Thanks!"

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Returning a call

The first rule at Sales camp is you should always reply ASAP. When customers call in and leave you a voicemail, you might have little to no information on what the call's regarding. In that case, recording a voicemail template will come in handy. 

8. “Hi, [Elena] from [PhoneIQ] here. I'm returning your earlier call. Would you mind letting me know when it would be a good time to talk? You can call or text me at [phone number]. Thanks, have a nice day."

9. "Good morning, this is [Elena] from [PhoneIQ]. I missed your call, so I was hoping we could catch up. Drop me a line at [phone number], and we can schedule a call. Looking forward to it!"

If your client has made clear what the call is about, you should constantly personalize your reply to show you care. I don't mean to be redundant, but if you can segment the types of interactions you usually have with your customers, you'll be able to keep your customers happy while optimizing efforts.

The aim is to help clients achieve whatever they need demanding the least effort from their side. Different companies will have different types of issues to solve; a bank will likely have clients calling about lost cards, an eCommerce may have order or delivery issues, and a university might have students calling to extend a book loan. 

10. “Good [afternoon] [Client’s Name]. This is [Elena] from [PhoneIQ]. I heard your previous message and would like to connect so we can [achieve what the client needs]. Feel free to reach me on the phone at [phone number]. Thanks!"

In case you've already had the opportunity to go through the subject matter, you can give a more proactive impression with a message like the following. 

11. "Hi [Client's Name], this is [Elena] following up on your recent voicemail. I had a chance to look into what you mentioned, and would like to set up a quick call so we can [achieve what the client needs]. You can touch base with me at [phone number], and I'll email you my calendar link if you prefer to book a call right away. Thanks a lot!"

Lastly, it's always great to personally let clients know when their requirements have been successfully managed and their problems solved; basically that you're there for them.

12. “[Client’s name], [Elena] from [PhoneIQ] here. I took a look at your [account/order/issue] and was calling to let you know that we've fixed that for you. Let me know if there's anything else we can help you with. Cheers"

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Event invitation or follow up 

Though all events took a significant hit throughout the pandemic, they remain very much relevant in the online space. They're a great way to connect with prospects, potential partners, and network, so you should always add the following up to your to-do list. But let’s start by the invitation, which is a great opportunity to make your clients feel special. 

13. “Good morning! [Elena] here  from [PhoneIQ]. We’re organizing a [subject of the event] conference/webinar/business lunch, and we’d love for you to be our guest. I dropped you an email with further details, but you can confirm to my phone if that works best for you. [Phone Number], I hope to see you there! Cheers”

Now, after the event and were lucky enough to meet a potential client, that's a great excuse to give them a ring and keep that lead warm. 

14. “Hi [Prospect’s Name]. This is [Elena] from [PhoneIQ]. We spoke at [Name of event] about your [Company's issue] and wanted to follow up.

I've come up with some ideas on how we can tackle that together. Ring me up so we can discuss further. My phone is [Phone Number]. Have a good day. Bye."

Sometimes people are just busy and honestly need you to call them back and pick up where you left off. If that's the case, don't hesitate to reach out once or twice!

15. “Hi [Lead Name], it's [Elena] from [PhoneIQ]. After talking with the team, we gave it some thought, and we might have a solution for you. Feel free to reach me at [Phone Number], when you are free. Thanks, again, this was [Elena] from [PhoneIQ]".

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After Demo or trial Request

Asking for a demo or free trial is an excellent trigger for you to personally reach out to the lead and create a better connection. After this step, you can schedule a cadence to try and push your lead down the funnel. 

16. “Hi [Prospect’s Name], this is [Elena] calling from [PhoneIQ]. I was calling because I noticed you [asked for a free trial/requested a demo] on our site and I'd love to have a chat and cover any doubts you may have. You can reach me at [Phone Number], I'd love to talk. Have a great day!"

17. “Hi [Prospect’s Name], [Elena] from [PhoneIQ]. I'm calling to schedule the demo you requested; we'd love to see how we can collaborate. Drop me a line at [Phone Number] or call me and we'll arrange it to your convenience.

Looking forward to it! Again, this is [Elena] - [Phone Number] “

Some clients may request a demo but not actually get back to schedule it. Or they can even set the date and not follow through. Here are some templates for you to follow up on no-shows:

18. "Hi! This is [Elena] from [PhoneIQ]. I hope everything's fine. As you [couldn't make it to our call/haven't responded on availability] , I was wondering if you'd like to reschedule. Give me a call at [Phone Number], and we can set that up. Have a great day!

Some say, "Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." And you should repeat it to yourself as a mantra. If you haven't received a callback in two days, you can give it another shot.

19. "Hi! [Elena] from [PhoneIQ] here. I'd be happy to schedule a call and talk about how we can help you troubleshoot your [area you'd be helping with] to achieve [Actionable Insight]. Would you please let me know whether you'd find it helpful or if you'd prefer me to stop reaching out? I don't mean to bother. [Elena] [Phone Number]"

After sending a Quotation or Proposal

When you’ve been able to capture your client’s attention throughout a demo, have heard their issues thoroughly and have analyzed the project in detail; it will come down to our favourite moment: closing the sale. When your prospect is hot enough, there’s no time to waste and you should try and leverage the hype asap. 

20. “Hi [Prospect’s name], how are you today? It’s [Elena] calling to ask you if you had the chance to go through the quotation/proposal I sent you yesterday. I know how emails can get through the cracks sometimes. I’ll be looking forward to your comments on it! I’m always only one call away! [Phone Number] Thanks!”

As days go by, you can start getting suspicious when a client stops answering your contacts,but you never know what may be going on on their end. You never want to be rude but being straightforward is always a good strategy.

Bonus: “Good evening [Prospect’s name], it’s [Elena] here. I’m calling to hear your thoughts on the quotation/proposal I sent you yesterday. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns, I’m happy to help you go through it. You can reach me at [Phone Number] ”

Prospecting is an ongoing activity, and recruiting prospects for your funnel will always be a dynamic challenge that requires both practice and consistency. But we can guarantee that if you pair voicemail drop with careful follow-up calls and emails, you'll notice a remarkable sales impact.