1. Speak excitedly, but slowly. The prospect won’t be eager if you aren’t.
2. State your name, company and phone number clearly at the beginning and end. It is bad for business if the person has to play the message several times over to get the name and number when they’re interested in your product.
3. Let them know you wish to “help”. It’s a convincing word.

Getting Possible Customers to Return Your Call

Brooks Dreyfus Consulting has a document out on how to get returns on your calls. The next points are made:

"Effective voicemails must meet certain criteria. The following is a list of points for leaving great voicemails. After you understand the criteria, create specific messages that are in-line with these points.
“Effective voicemails must meet certain criteria. The following is a list of points for leaving great voicemails. After you understand the criteria, create specific messages that are in-line with these points.

Criteria for effective voicemails:

1. To the point – voicemails should not last more than 20 seconds. The shorter, the better. It’s more useful to leave prospects interested in who you are and what you called for than it is for them to delete a lengthy message.

2. Stir up interest – this is the best advice here. The only objective in leaving voicemails for cold prospects is so they will call you back. If you tell them everything, you don’t leave them wanting more information. Generate curiosity by having them figure out who you are. If you are indistinct, you may build the prospects’ interest. They will call you back if they are curious.

3. Be original – think of all the voicemail messages you get. Do they make you want to return the call? If they don’t, the message you leave should be the total opposite of those. Being different will get a hold of a prospect’s attention and will be more apt to make them want to return your call.

4. How will it benefit them? – If you choose to leave extra information on your call, make sure that information shows how the customer will benefit. What benefits of your products or your services will most likely make them want to call you back enough?

5. Use what you know – Do you know anyone at the company? Do you know what position they have? Do you know their opponents? You can use any information about the company in a voicemail so that you sound like you know more about the prospect’s company.

6. Be self-assured – tell them, don’t ask them, to call you back. You need to trust that you are doing them a good deed by getting in touch with them, not the other way around. Profitable sales calls guarantee equality between you and the prospect. Unsuccessful sales calls are where you are inferior to the prospect.

7. Be original – think of different and new methods each day. Even voicemail messages that seem unusual at the beginning may be the one that works the most with getting callbacks.

8. Be organized – when you do get called back; make sure you can move into your sales call quickly and efficiently. Muddling things up, asking for their name numerous times, telling them to hang on while you bring their info up in the computer, or trying to find questions that you want to ask, will destroy your reliability with the customer. You need to be able to easily and successfully go into a sales presentation with just a pen and blank piece of paper.”