5 Cold Calling Voicemail Scripts That Will Earn You a Call Back

Find out five tips to improve your cold calling voicemail scripts and boost your callback rate.

Voicemails get a bad rap. When so much communication takes place via text messages and emails, phone calls can seem outdated at times. When it comes to the insurance industry, nothing beats person-to-person connections in person or over the phone. The major obstacle is that people don’t answer their phones anymore, especially if they don’t recognize the phone number. Using solid cold calling voicemail scripts is your best strategy for making an initial connection with a prospect and getting them to return your call.

Why scripted?

Have you ever left a voicemail for someone and within about five seconds start to ramble? You forget if you mentioned a critical piece of information, so repeat it and then end up trailing off with a “so, yeah… call me back when you get a chance.” As soon as you hang up the phone you hang your head knowing it wasn’t your best performance. Leaving voicemails can make folks feel self-conscious because you don’t have someone responding back to you to gauge their response. Scripts can help! Having a script will keep you on track and prevent additional rambling and filler words. So how do you get someone to return your call? Here are five tips for cold calling voicemail scripts that will earn you a call back.

1. Use the caller’s first name

This one may seem silly, but you’re more likely to get a call back if you use the prospect’s first name in your cold calling voicemail scripts. It may seem too personal to use a first name, especially if this is the first contact. But a voicemail that sounds too formal, addressing someone by Mr. or Mrs., can be a red flag to a prospect that you are nothing but a telemarketer. Instead, build a little bit of familiarity by addressing your prospect by their first name. If you happen to know their preferred nickname, use that! Nothing makes a Jim more suspicious than being called James.

2. Keep it under 20 seconds

Long voicemails are the death of any cold call. The goal of a voicemail is to get a call back. That’s it. There’s no need to share your life story or provide every last piece of information. You aren’t reading an insurance-buying FAQ out loud. You just need to share your name and contact information and a brief message. Don’t rush through your contact information, either. Spend time making sure your phone number is crystal clear. Record yourself as a voice memo to test out your script and make sure it’s concise.

3. Don’t try to sell anything

Again, the goal of a voicemail is to get a call back. When putting together your cold calling voicemail scripts, avoid the urge to sell. It may seem like a good idea to use a voicemail opportunity as a mini sales pitch. But you won’t get a call back if your voicemail sounds too much like a sales call. It can come off as desperate. When in doubt, keep the message simple.

4. Amp up the urgency

You can add urgency to your cold calling voicemail scripts without sounding like a sleazy salesperson. Give your prospect a deadline to call back. Phrases like, “I’m trying to reach you by the end of day,” and “I wanted to get you this offer before it expires” can boost your call back rate. No need to fake it. Sharing a brief statement about an upcoming insurance sales promotion brings your prospect behind the scenes and indicates you want to share your insider information. Avoid overused phrases like “limited time only” and “act now, before it’s too late.”

5. Keep the mystery alive

Just like urgency, adding a bit of mystery to your cold calling voicemail scripts improves your chances of getting a call back. Try out a short message like, “Hey Jim, it’s (name) from (company). Have a quick question for you about your latest insurance bill. Call me at (number). The key with these kinds of messages is to pique the prospect’s interest and make them curious enough to call you back.

Why is this important?

Improving your cold calling voicemail scripts is not just going to increase your call back rate. These scripts are the first contact point with your future customers.  Set the tone with simple, clear, and effective communication right out the gate. Build trust with your future customer by using authentic and honest voicemail scripts.

After establishing successful cold calling voicemail scripts, you may be looking for even more ways to add to your sales pipeline. It’s a numbers game, after all. This is where HBW Leads comes in. Let the technology and insurance experts at HBW Leads work to earn you exclusive, double-verified leads to help your business grow.