Jolt Your Sales With Better Voice and Email Communications
By Brian Sullivan

So, what is the first thing you do (OK, second thing you do) when you get up
in the morning? If you said, "Check voicemail and e-mail," then you are like
the more than 34 million other salespeople and sales managers in the U.S.
who have made e-mail and voicemail the principle way to communicate with
colleagues and customers. Now just because we are all using the same form of
communication, doesn't mean that our communication has to look, act, sound,
and smell exactly the same. In fact, you need to try harder than ever to
differentiate yourself from the competition.
For example, does your voicemail greeting sound something like this?
 
"Hi, you've reached the voicemail of _______, I can't take your call right
now but if you would like to leave your name, number and a brief message, I
will be sure to return your call as soon as I can. Have a great day."

Perhaps your greeting sounds EXACTLY like that. Guess what? You can
guarantee that your competition's greeting sounds almost the same. An
unoriginal voicemail greeting is only one example of how alike we have all
become. So why is it that we expect different or even better results than
our competition while we look, act and sound exactly like them? If you are
to stand out in your marketplace, you have to be original in nearly every
aspect of your business. To do this, study your competition, understand what
they are doing and make an effort to NOT be like them.

Start with Voicemail

To create a voicemail greeting that gets a reaction from the person that is calling you, there are two ways to do this:

1. Create curiosity. For example, if you sell a product that is fast and
saves your customers a ton of time, you might say: "Hi, sorry I can't take your call right now. I am probably with a client right now showing how our latest product can save him 60 minutes each day. When I call you back shortly, let me know if you would like to see if we could do the same for you."
I assure you, if you get ten voicemails from potential customers that day,
at least two will ask you about your voicemail and that time-saving product.
And by doing so, they have invited you to give them more information about
your solution. That means opportunity.

2. Create happiness, a chuckle or even laughter. Let's face it, we can all
use a little jolt during the day. So give your callers a little emotional
caffeine in your greeting. One way to do this is by sharing a ridiculous
trivia fact like: "Did you know that every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie? Check back next week for more fun trivia."
Now might that be a little goofy? Sure, but so what! It's original and you
will get noticed. And those that get noticed most in business are the ones
who get more business!

Next Electronic Tool to Originality is E-Mail

If you want people to take notice of the message in your e-mail, it needs to grab their attention quickly. This means the same rules that apply to voicemail also apply to e-mail. To do this:

1. Create curiosity and credibility. One of the best ways is with a headline
or a testimonial quote. For instance, if your product or company just
received publicity stating how great you are, create a headline that makes
customers want to read the rest of your email. Think about it. Which articles do
we read when we pick up the paper? Exactly… the ones with the interesting
headlines! If you don't have any PR to use but do have happy customers, ask
them to tell you why they do business with you and exactly what tangible
benefits have they found? After they give you a quote, ask their permission
to use that in your marketing materials. Then use that quote to begin the
body of your email. For instance, it might look like this: "Since switching to ABC Supply, we have increased our efficiency by 14%, decreased our expenses by 12% and received the support that will make us customers for life." -Joe H. (Happy) Customer
Now, if a potential prospect opens your e-mail and first sees a testimonial
with specific tangible benefits like that, do you think they will read the
rest of your email? Of course!

2. Create a positive emotion with e-mail images. When meeting prospects,
look for something you have in common, and in your next follow-up email cut
and paste an electronic image that will stir in them some emotion. For
instance, one salesperson recently wanted his customer to know just how
super he thought the account was. He went to an online stock photo company
(like Dreamstime.com), typed in Super Bowl, found a picture of two Super
Bowl tickets, downloaded it, then cut and paste it in the body of his e-mail
with a note saying: "Dear John, I just want to drop you a note to tell you what a SUPER customer you have been. I DON'T have Super Bowl tickets, but if I did, you and I would be sitting at the 50 yard line!"

Try this in your next e-mail. It will take a three minute investment in time
and perhaps a one dollar investment in the image. But be assured, when your
images create a smile, a chuckle or maybe just some raised eyebrows, you
have created an emotional connection. And as timeless sales adage goes,
"People make buying decisions emotionally and defend them logically." So,
add some emotion to the e-mails, and then try to contain your emotions when
the sales start pouring in!

So let's wrap it up with the good news. Most people, even after reading this article, will still choose not to create original voicemail greetings or
creative image e-mails because it feels a little awkward. But don't let that
stop you. Because that strange feeling you get while being original is
called adrenaline. And adrenaline is a gift from God to your body to remind
it that it is still alive. And once your body becomes comfortable in a
career defined by originality, you better prepare yourself to become
comfortable in success. See you at the TOP! HBM

Sales Coach and Business Consultant Brian Sullivan, CSP is the author of the
book, 20 Days to the TOP- How the PRECISE Selling Formula Will Make You Your Company's Top Sales Performer in 20 Days or Less. President of Kansas City-based PRECISE Selling, he delivers seminars and Internet training programs on sales, customer service, leadership, and presentation skills to companies of all sizes. He also hosts the radio talk show "Entrepreneurial
Moments," a show dedicated to personal and business development. To find out
more, visit www.preciseselling.com or email Brian at bsullivan@preciseselling.com.
 
Previously published on page 28 in the August 2009 issue of HOME BUSINESS® Magazine, an international publication for the growing and dynamic home-based market. Available on newsstands, in bookstores and chain stores, and via subscriptions ($15.00 for 1 year, six issues). Visit www.homebusinessmag.com

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