Introduction
Make your own calls
Don't insult your prospect
Be prepared and speak clearly
Know your customer
It's a two-way conversation
I'm a busy person and so are most marketers. I don't have the time or patience to listen to a long, rambling, drawn-out cold call voice mail message. When it comes to voice mail, be prepared. Most of your calls are going to end up there, so practice what you're going to say. A good rule of thumb is to keep your message to 45 seconds or less. A four minute rambling message will land itself in the trash bin before your prospect even listens to the whole message.
What's even worse than a rambler is the salesperson who doesn't speak clearly. At least once per day, I receive a voice mail from someone who has left a good, concise elevator pitch and has my interest. The problem is that the salesperson mumbled and rushed through their name, company name and phone number so badly that I had no way to return the call. Slow down and speak clearly so that your prospect has an opportunity to write down your name, company name and phone number without having to rewind the message three times.
Next: Know your customer
