VOICEMAIL:qualify your customers.

Your voice mail is a customer qualification tool.

It’s also a tool to allow you to communicate with your prospects much more clearly.

You want to communicate to people CLEARLY. Many homeowners mention their desires for contractors to perform “clear communication”.

Perfect. You start Jane Homeowner, communicate into this voice mail line first and tell me what you want.

The voicemail prevents us from picking up every phone call from every solicitor on the internet. It allows us to be at work rather than answering phone calls.

The advice today is to set up a separate phone line, whether that is Google voice (free) or a service like Grasshopper; have all NEW PROSPECTS go to that line. Have a pleasant voice mail message set up and it will be a REQUIREMENT as part of your qualification process that they leave a message.

You’ll return the call when it’s quiet and at a time comfortable for YOU. A time when you can be at your best, when you’re thinking clearly and you have that time dedicated EXCLUSIVELY to talking to a new prospect.

What is a “pleasant” voicemail message?

I recommend having your wife, girlfriend or mother (a woman) record a voice mail message. It makes the public think the company their dealing with is professional because you’re giving the appearance of having a secretary!

It’s a nice TOUCH.

“Hello and thanks for calling XYZ Carpentry. The Northern region’s PREMIERE carpenters. We are currently in the field building stairs, repairing porches and installing custom trim. BUT we value your call. If you could please leave a message with your name, your phone number and a brief message about how we can help you, we promise to call you back within 24 hours. Thanks so much and have a nice day.”

You may be thinking, “People won’t leave a message!”

REALLY? Have you tried it? My company has been doing this method for years now and we’re never out of work and many, many people have left messages for us.

WHY?!

Because they WANT US to work for them. I call this method a “qualifying tool” because if someone cares about having YOU work for them, they’ll leave a message. This voice mail is a small HOOP for new prospects to jump through if, and only if, they are SERIOUS about using your services.

If someone won’t do a simple thing like leave a voicemail. THAT’S NOT THE TYPE OF PERSON YOU WANT TO WORK FOR ANYWAY.

Let them use someone else’s time. They are a LOW VALUE lead.

Remember, when you’re serious about doing business, YOU are interviewing the prospect. Not the other way around. Having the prospect leave a message is part of your company’s interviewing process.

I know many coaches will want you to PICK UP THE PHONE NO MATTER WHAT. I recommend the opposite. We don’t need to book every call. We want to book the right ones. People that have researched you online…they’ve seen your content and they want you based on what they’ve seen. They care more, they pay more.

This system works well for the owner/operator. The guy working in the field, charging his worth.

Instituting this method will allow you to focus on THE JOB AT HAND and your CURRENT customer will appreciate that you’re not using time you should be focusing on THEIR project to take phone calls from complete strangers from the internet.

STRANGERS FROM THE INTERNET…If you’re listed on Google. If you have your lead funnel dialed in…YOU CANNOT leave your personal cell phone open. You CANNOT allow anyone who sees you online to call you.

You’ll never be able to focus.

So, again, set up an alternative phone line. Have a pleasant voice mail and filter all calls from the internet through that. Check the voice mails periodically throughout the day and address them in order of attractiveness.

If someone won’t leave a message---They’re a bad lead.

Have many leads coming in.

Be working on great projects.

Institute a system like this.

Let the chips fall where they may.

YOU are interviewing the PROSPECT. NOT the other way around.

Stick with it, you’re a businessman now!