Technology has made it easy to avoid unsolicited phone calls. Simply glance at the incoming number and determine whether to take a call or send it straight to voicemail. This makes life easier when you’re on the receiving end of such calls. But how do you convince someone to return your calls?

First: Be sure you’re calling the right person. In these hectic times you can’t rely on someone forwarding a seemingly random voicemail to the correct recipient.

Second: Write a script for the message you leave. Research the prospect’s situation so you’re addressing something he or she needs, then create a hook that entices without telling the entire story. Strive to keep your pitch under 75 words—or about 30 seconds long.

Third: Follow up with alternative media. Some prospects are phone people while others may be email people. You can also supplement your outreach with direct mail to encourage a response. If you follow up an email with a voice message, or a voice message with an email, never start with, “Did you get my …”

The Po!nt: If you give prospects a convincing what's-in-it-for-me? reason to call you back, they probably will.

For more helpful hints on getting prospects to return your calls, read  this recent MarketingProfs article.  

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