Business people are busy. So with the need to balance Social Media, emails, and endless online brand messages, it’s amazing to still get telephone messages that just leave a name. I get these not just on voice mail, but even when my assistant takes a message for me and the person refuses to leave a number. “He has my number.” So I have a name to go on and that’s it. And maybe only a first name. Not even a reason for the call. I may remember the time we spoke. I may not. I may have even lost their phone number. The effect of this is to increase the chance that I won’t return the call.
Why not make it easy?
Consider the low chance for a return phone call being like someone getting to your website and then immediately going to the next search result. We measure that for our clients. It’s called “bounce rate” and you want it to be as low as you can get it. Here is where leaving a brief message on voice mail that provides all necessary information and is to the point is what you also need to achieve on your website.
1. Introduce Yourself.
State your name. Almost everyone gets this (but you’d be surprised). Also clearly state the company you’re calling from. Provide your phone number at the start of the message. Also provide it at the end. Include the area code and say it slowly so they don’t have to play the voice mail repeatedly to get the number right.
Website: Your company should have a clean two or maximum three color logo that should be prominent on your website. Make finding the phone number easy. Put it in large, easy to read font on the top right section of your website. Contact information should also be on the footer of your website. This still means you should have a contact page. Sites that don’t have a contact page or give any address information tend to be looked at as illegitimate businesses.
2. Tell Me What You Do.
Especially for your first call, you should let me know what you do. “We’re the investment experts.” “We keep your IT systems secure.” Then give me a quick elaboration of exactly what that entails.
Website: Your web presence, and other print materials for that matter, will have a tag line or short description of what you do. This is your value proposition and needs to be clear and concise. On your website you want to provide quick and specific examples of your services and what the benefits are. If you don’t explain to web visitors what you do quickly, they will go to the next Google search result.
3. How Can You Help Me?
Let me know what you can do to solve a specific problem. “I want to show you how we can improve your efficiency by giving your workforce mobile devices in the field.” Will I call you back? Maybe. But you just had to leave a message anyway so you have nothing to lose by giving me information that may interest me.
Website: This is like the call to action button or link on a website. It should be clear, easy to find near the top of your website, and fit well with who you are and why I should be interested. Your call to action has to attract attention while concisely telling users what to do and what they will learn or get if they take action. You also want to use words to encourage website visitors to take that action. Having a “Submit Now” button really isn’t enough.
4. Don’t Let Me Forget Who You Are.
Maybe you have a free offer or were referred by one of my business colleagues or personal friends. Let me know that you will call back to follow up on your call. Maybe I will take the call next time because I am interested. At least I know you are interested and believe you can help. I could very well follow up with who referred you and find out if you did a good job for them.
Website: Do you have a blog or downloadable pdf white papers? Giving information to website visitors is a good way to increase the chances they will remember you. How about a newsletter sign-up or special offer? You need to have the primary Social Media Marketing buttons on your site – Facebook page, LinkedIn company page, and Twitter profile. Friends refer friends and Social Media is becoming increasingly important for referrals and continued prospect interaction. Remember, having a low bounce rate is good but having your prospective customer come back is even better.
As a society we’re so wired now that we have less time to analyze more messages coming at us from more directions. It’s the same busy business people listening to your voice mail that may also be drawn in to your website. Keep these tips in mind to succeed in capturing their attention long enough to deliver your message..