Leaving insurance sales voicemails can be awkward. Learn 7 strategies to improve your voicemail callback rate.
Let’s just say it: leaving voicemails can feel awkward. You’re talking to no one with a hope that they listen to the whole thing, and return the call. It’s like a stand up comic recording their set in an empty room and sending it out to people hoping for a laugh that they will never hear. Statistics say at least 80% of insurance sales calls go to voicemail and of those voicemails, only about 5% call back. This may not seem like a lot, but when you consider the number of calls you make in a month, that 5% adds up. Even still, there are ways to improve your cold call voicemail scripts to increase that call back rate.
The first thing to do is set a goal. Why are you calling this prospect? And what do you want from them? These seem like obvious questions, but if you drill down into them, the reality is that you’re not looking to make a sale from that first call. You’re looking to make a connection. When a prospect doesn’t answer the phone, you still have a great opportunity to make a connection. With these simple adjustments to your cold call voicemail scripts you can improve your callback rate.
Don’t Hard Sell When Leaving a Voicemail
Leaving a message with “hard sell” language like “buy now before time runs out” and “limited time only,” signals to the prospect that you are a salesperson. Starting off with this language can sound a little desperate. It makes the call feel like an attempt at winning business instead of an opportunity for two people to build a connection (that can later lead to a sale).
Keep It Under 30 Seconds (under 20 is even better!)
Cold call voicemail scripts should be 20-30 seconds max. That’s about 70 written words or less. That’s not a lot of real estate to ad lib. Having a script will keep you on pace and prevent rambling. Practice makes perfect. Record yourself on a voice memos app and play it back to review timing and pace. Have a colleague listen and offer their feedback, too.
Get Personal
Use your prospect’s first name in your cold call voicemail scripts greetings and try to weave in at least one more time. Another personal touch is to share how you found your prospect or a specific detail you know about them. This works especially well if you have a common connection, or business association.
Build a Sense of Deadline or Urgency
Here’s where you can tip-toe with some selling language. Give the prospect a reason they need to call you back. Do you have insider info about insurance rates? Do you know of an end of the month promotion that is expiring? Include this information toward the middle or end of your message so it doesn’t come off as pushy.
Use Your Personality
An easy way to create a positive tone in your voice is to imagine you’re leaving a message for someone who makes you happy. A friendly neighbor, or a favorite teacher. You don’t want to sound too informal, but shifting your tone to be more friendly and positive will help earn the trust of your prospect and will improve your odds at getting a call back!
State your Information Clearly and Share Your Availability
Just like it’s key not to ramble through your message, it’s especially important to speak clearly when leaving your phone number. There’s a tendency to rush through a phone number when it’s memorized or when you say it multiple times a day, but it’s worth slowing down if it means a better chance for a returned call. Another great tactic is to share your availability at the end of your message. What times can you be reached? Are evening calls okay, or are you only taking calls during business hours? By sharing your availability, you’re removing a prospect’s excuse of “well, I don’t know if they’re at the office now,” or “I don’t want to bother them since it’s the evening.”
One Action Item Only!
If your goal is a call back, then just give your prospect your phone number. Don’t offer additional information like email or website, especially since these can be harder to spell out. Not to mention, leaving additional information like email and website will add text to your script making it longer than necessary and potentially dilute your message.
Looking for ways to save time and add double-verified leads to your sales funnel? Let HBW Leads take care of your lead-generation needs and help grow your sales today!