Leaving Messages

[joshril]

Leaving messages is typically pretty dumb, but you have to do the math.

For example, let's say it takes you 20 seconds to leave a message (you have to listen to their recording, remember):

Let's say I get 60 answering machines per day, 4 days per week (all realistic numbers for agents that are actually working)

So, that is:

1200 seconds per day (20 minutes)
4800 seconds per week (80 mintues or 1 hour, 20 minutes)
20,800 seconds per month (347 minutes or right at 6 hours)
249,600 seconds per year (4160 minutes or 69 hours and 20 minutes)

If someone will call back to some BS message you've left, they are just as likely to call back to the number on the caller id-In my opinion, more likely to call back a number on a caller id.

If I have someone on the phone, I can sell myself a lot better than some stupid 10 second message.

BTW, these numbers are super conservative. After listening to their recording and leaving your message, 30-45 seconds is a much more realistic number. If you are making more dials than this or actually working 5 days per week, these numbers get larger also; but we know that no agents on this forum are working 5 days per week...

I'll take my 69 hours per year and play some golf...

PS-I am referring to cold calling. Expat looks like he is talking about warm leads which is a different topic (said he sends them a web link-internet leads?) The original post looks to be a question regarding cold calling, not working internet leads. I agree that if you are crazy enough to work internet leads, you should leave a message.

Also, Expat claims a 10% call-back... Clearly, he must be a message-leaving genius, as this is an incredibly high call-back percentage.

 

[Alston]

My son and I always leave messages. I feel that the individual that is in the market for our product will call back. The people who are turned off by a professional sounding message are probably not going to buy.

Sometimes we get immediate calls back from people we just called. This usually means that they are responding to their caller ID and not to our message. In these cases, we answer the phone "may I help you?" instead of "1 800 Insurance" this reduces the hang ups and gives us a chance to sell.

We sell individual health insurance primarily to people who have already visited our website. If I were selling to people who haven't self-identified as prospects, I might not leave a message.

 

[Expat]

Leaving messages is typically pretty dumb, but you have to do the math.

If someone will call back to some BS message you've left, they are just as likely to call back to the number on the caller id-In my opinion, more likely to call back a number on a caller id.

PS-I am referring to cold calling. Expat looks like he is talking about warm leads which is a different topic (said he sends them a web link-internet leads?) The original post looks to be a question regarding cold calling, not working internet leads. I agree that if you are crazy enough to work internet leads, you should leave a message.

Also, Expat claims a 10% call-back... Clearly, he must be a message-leaving genius, as this is an incredibly high call-back percentage.

Very true. I'm modest as well.

 

[Expat]

I should add that the 10% includes responses to my emails as well. Also it may well be 3 or 4 months before someone will respond. It is amazing what information people will hang on to. And yes I do keep very good records of all of my leads. (Internet or otherwise)

In 17 years I have yet to make my first cold call.

 

[joshril]

I should add that the 10% includes responses to my emails as well. Also it may well be 3 or 4 months before someone will respond. It is amazing what information people will hang on to. And yes I do keep very good records of all of my leads. (Internet or otherwise)

In 17 years I have yet to make my first cold call.

I agree with you 100% Expat-On warm leads, I ALWAYS leave a message.

I'm certain you and the other "hard hitters" on the forum will agree with me that leaving messages to COLD prospects that have never expressed interest in any form or fashion is a waste of time...

 

[Alston]

I agree with you 100% Expat-On warm leads, I ALWAYS leave a message.

I'm certain you and the other "hard hitters" on the forum will agree with me that leaving messages to COLD prospects that have never expressed interest in any form or fashion is a waste of time...

I agree. A concise post that gives a complete answer to the question at hand.

We currently work warm leads exclusively, so we leave messages and we get good results. Our prospects have visited our website, been referred to us or left us a voice mail.

When I made cold calls, I never left messages.

 

[Charpress]

This is a GOOD idea if...
-You enjoy lawsuits
-You hate the insurance business and don't want to keep your license
-You like to mislead old people because you get some type of strange pleasure from it

A little over the top, I think. Adjust the message to "I would like to discuss Medicare supplement plans that we provide" --whatever an individual feels comfortable with. The point is, make it as short as possible so there is an incentive to call back for more information. This is assuming that the person feels leaving a message is worthwhile in the first place.

My own opinion on that is once you let it get to the "wait for the beep" stage, then it is a bit rude to hang up without a message. If someone is into cold calling, then go the extra few seconds.

 

[joshril]

A little over the top, I think. Adjust the message to "I would like to discuss Medicare supplement plans that we provide" --whatever an individual feels comfortable with. The point is, make it as short as possible so there is an incentive to call back for more information. This is assuming that the person feels leaving a message is worthwhile in the first place.

My own opinion on that is once you let it get to the "wait for the beep" stage, then it is a bit rude to hang up without a message. If someone is into cold calling, then go the extra few seconds.

Not over the top! CMS takes this very seriously!!

 

[GIRLINBIZ]

So are you saying on cold call lists I should not have my telemarketer leaving a voicemail message.

I am sure seeing my number pop up a 1/2 dozen times would piss them off more than if the telemarketer left a message.

 

[joshril]

So are you saying on cold call lists I should not have my telemarketer leaving a voicemail message.

I am sure seeing my number pop up a 1/2 dozen times would piss them off more than if the telemarketer left a message.

To each his own, but the question is not whether leaving or not leaving a message will piss off your prospects.

It boils down to what's effective and what wastes time. On totally cold lists, leaving messages wastes a lot of time.

If someone is going to get "pissed" that you called and didn't leave a message, I highly doubt they are going to buy anything anyway. Once again, the odds of cold leads calling back once you tell them what you do are pretty low.

Leave a detailed message about who you are on your voice mail recording. That is just as effective as leaving a message on their voice mail. When they call back to see who called them (more call-backs this way than with leaving a message due to curiousity), if you answer, you have an opportunity to sell yourself to a person instead of a recording. The first thing I do when I realize a message is from a solicitor is delete it....

But, if you want to waste 70-150 hours per year leaving messages, be my guest.