Voice
Mail Hell?
Earlier in this issue,
we discussed how to leave a message and how to make certain yours is
the one that gets the attention. So, if you've done your job and left
a message that gets returned, is your job completed? No! You must be
certain that the professionalism continues.
What happens when the
prospect calls you back? How is the caller greeted at your place of
business? What better way to find out than to call your business and
ask to speak with yourself? Call between 8:00 and 5:00, and again
after business hours. Call a number of times, when you know the
phones will be operated by different employees. (If your staff will
recognize your voice, have a friend call.)
When you call during
business hours, assess the following:
- How many times did
the phone ring?
- Were you asked for a
complete message (name, company, phone number, reason for
call)?
- Did the receptionist
ask if he or she could be of assistance?
- Did the receptionist
offer to transfer you to someone else who could
help?
- Were you given an
estimate of when you would receive a return call?
When you call after
business hours, you can still assess your company's service. Pay
close attention to the voice mail labyrinth:
- Are the choices
clear?
- Is there an easy way
to exit?
- Is it clear how to
back up or have an instruction repeated?
- Is there a general
mail box, in case the caller cannot locate the correct
extension?
Since you don't call
yourself or leave messages for yourself, it can be pretty easy to
overlook your telephone messaging system, but it's extremely
important. A recent survey by LeadFlow, a marketing research firm,
found that 78% of callers prefer to leave a recorded message rather
than one with a receptionist or assistant. So remember, many times
your message system is a contact's first impression of your business;
just don't let it be the last.
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