How To Leave A Compelling Voice Message

London, UK

Have you noticed that there are days when it feels you only ever get through to voicemails? And no-one ever wants to leave a message on voicemail do they? I mean, it isn’t like they will want to call you back, is it? Who would dream about calling back a sales-person or an aspiring tv presenter or public-speaker? Well actually, they might depending on the message you leave. You need to word your message carefully to spike the prospect’s interest.

“I saw an advertisement for your company in such-and-such place, or I saw a listing for your company online, and wondered what you actually do? Could you call me back with more information please?”

When they call you back, it is then your job to build rapport, ask them about their company, what they do, how they do it. Explain what you do only when they ask, and at this point you should have built enough of a relationship with the prospect to be able to pitch an appointment or to make a sale. You could even ask if they know of anyone else you could contact who might be interested in your business. At the very least you have created a warm lead to call back in the future. Nothing gets you by the gate-keeper quicker than “I am returning Mr. Smith’s call.”

Make sure to put your personality in your call, make it as much fun as possible, and be interesting and positive. Remember to speak as if you were talking to a friend. After all, they have called YOU, you are in charge of the conversation and you want them to desire to continue talking to you, don’t you?

Always make sure to keep a note of voicemails you have made, so that when the call is returned, you know exactly what was said, and you are not left unsure of what you are doing or saying.

It is also a good idea to keep a note of interesting facts you have seen on their website, so when they are telling you about what they do, you can interject and ask relevant questions or make interesting points.

Be fearless in your cold-calling, and you will find success beckons you.

Telemarketing Tips

London, UK

Some self-promotion here. To find out more about my workshops, go to this Twitter feed or JeremyJacobs.Com

How To Become A Recession Pioneer

London, UK

Author Jonathan Gabay in his recent blog post shows the way forward in a recession. One of his tips is to continue to train your staff; he writes

Don’t cut marketing – re-engineer how you market.
If you stop marketing people may conclude that you are next in line to become a recession victim. Competitors will increase their presence – simply by you not investing in yours. Shake up your traditional marketing mix by becoming savvy to new ways of reaching niche markets – even extending to radical approaches such as guerrilla marketing. Spend your money wisely and allocate your budget shrewdly. Stop separating PR, marketing, sales promotions, the web and so on. Test new media in stages. Include your end-market through Web 2.0 initiatives such as blogs and marketing through social networking sites. Stop pushing people away. The ‘us’ and ‘them’ culture is dead. Be inclusive. Make the most important people in your chain–customers and clients feel valued by being part of a bigger brand experience. Like you, they want to be heard and acknowledged. Everything is possible – providing it doesn’t compromise your brand’s sense of integrity.

Ed. Gabay's "us and them" quote really drives home the need for inclusivity and customer engagement

TV Presenter Bloopers

London, UK

A classic from the late great BBC tv presenter Robin Day:

Tips on Rebranding

London,UK

Brand guru and author Jonathan Gabay, author of Soultraders, explains how re-branding works in an interview with BBC Radio Ulster. Click on the BBC link here.

How To Motivate Your Team In A Recession

London, UK

I guess many business leaders will be wondering what to do at the present time. Geoff Burch, who has featured here and at our sister blog, may just have some answers for you. The virtual seminar advertised below is aimed at business leaders in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. To register simply go to the Learning Works website here http://www.learning-works.co.uk

How Politicians Manipulate The Media

London, UK

Jonathan Gabay, author of Soul Traders, outlines how politicians manipulate the media.

How To Be A Great Public Speaker

London, UK

Easy. Just emulate Geoff Burch.

Just how effective are you?

London, UK

You may find this article of interest if you want to be a little more effective with your time.

Ed. Some years ago when I ran a sales team, I would occasionally explain the difference between motion and progress!