Professional Voicemail for Contractors: the Lead Gathering Tool You're Not Using
I can not stress how important a professional voicemail is to gathering leads which turn into jobs!
When potential customers call your business, they expect you to answer your phone and to hear confirmation that they have reached the correct establishment. Without that reassurance they are left having to ask themselves if they made a mistake or called a wrong number. Either way it is not a good feeling and you do not want to leave a bad first impression with someone you are trying to win business from. Every potential customer who hangs up is money out of your pockets.
There are 3 simple ways to make a good impression on potential customers:
1. Record a Professional Greeting
Whether you have a receptionist who answers your phones or you answer your own phone on the road, a professional greeting should include a salutation, your name, the name of the company, and how may I help you.
"Hello, Thank you for calling Footbridge Media. This is Wanda speaking – How may I assist you today?"
2. Have an Informative Voicemail Message
People want to make sure they've hit the voicemail of contractor or business. If your voicemail does not include the name of your company and when the person can expect a returned phone call, many potential customers will not leave a message and those are leads you will miss out on. Generic phone number voicemails are bad. Even if you don't like hearing the sound of your own voice, it is worth while for you to create an informative voicemail greeting.
"Hello, You have reached Footbridge Media, We are away from the desk or on the other line at this time. Leave us a detailed voicemail and we will return your phone call as soon as possible. Thank you and have a wonderful day."
Do not start your voicemail with "Your call is important to us". This phrase has been associated with telemarketing and is often over used and has a negative impact on customers. Keep your voicemail simple! An optimal length for a recording would be 25 seconds.
3. Or Hire an Answering Service
Several contractors do not have the cash flow to hire a receptionist for phone calls so they opt for an answering service. These companies offer flexible hours and flexible pricing. The best thing about this service is that they are trained to collect the proper information from your potential lead. Voice nation is a good example of this type of service.
Bonus Tip: Don't Forget to Delete Old Voicemails
When a customer calls you and is unable to leave a voicemail because the voicemail box is full, they will not wait and call back again later. They will simply move to the next contractor on the list that has an available voicemail. This again leads to money out of your pockets. To prevent this set yourself up a reminder to clear out voicemails once a week.
Time is Money – Spend it Wisely
Your time is valuable and you don't always have the time to answer the phone when you are on a job. This is where your voicemail becomes extremely important for gathering lead information. I see many contractors who do not place importance on voicemail systems or having a receptionist but those contractors are missing out on countless leads. Don't be one of those contractors. Call Footbridge Media today and let our marketing consultants help you set up a professional voicemail greeting as well as discuss all your marketing needs.
About Footbridge Media
Since 2004, Footbridge Media has worked exclusively with contractors just like you to help them achieve their goals. Your success is our business.
