How to Send Calls Straight to Voicemail

Phone calls are an essential part of a business. They generate leads, book clients, establish relationships, and more. But phone calls also take up a lot of time. For many businesses, time is a precious commodity that needs to be used wisely. In order to maintain the same level of contact without the time sacrifice, businesses are turning to a new solution: ringless voicemail AKA: straight to voicemail!

What is Ringless Voicemail?

Sending a message straight to voicemail is exactly what it sounds like. It is a pre-recorded message that is left on a recipient’s phone. Going straight to voicemail has two main benefits. First, it does not disturb the recipient, which makes them more open to a message that is left. Second, it is the most cost-effective way to reach a large number of people.

In a traditional marketing phone call, timing is everything. If the recipient of that call is caught at a bad or awkward time, the chances that they will turn into a viable lead drop considerably. Direct to voicemail puts the power to respond back in the hands of the recipient. They are able to listen to the voicemail on their own time, which means they are more likely to return the call.

Myths of Sending Messages Straight to Voicemail

Not making actual phone calls to potential clients has its risks—or so it would seem. Before getting into the process, benefits, and uses lets go over some of the myths associated with voicemail messaging. These reasons often prevent companies from considering it as an option for marketing.

Using pre-recorded voice messages makes our business no better than the spammers who already use it. Anyone who has ever gotten a call about a credit card, Google business listing, or any other manner of spam call may think of them when looking at voicemail messaging. But it’s not true. Using voicemail drops is not the same as robocalling because there are no actual calls being made. Most importantly, your business is targeting very specific groups of people.

Pre-recorded voicemail is actually regulated separately compared to other forms of communication such as phone, text or email. It is classified as enhanced information communication because the recipient of the call is never charged for it on their phone bill. The message also never goes over the cell phone network which is why it is compliant with TCPA.

Benefits of Ringless Voicemail Drops

In an age where there are do not call lists and spam folders, getting your business’ message through is a bigger challenge. Any tactic must be compliant with all applicable laws. Direct to Voicemail is compliant with the FCC, TCPA, DNC, and CRTC.

Messages are easy to customize. If a voicemail drop is being sent to a former customer or someone who has shown interest in a product or service, a personalized message increases the likelihood of a callback. Plus it sets the interaction on a positive footing.

Direct to Voicemail allows the business to control the flow of returned calls. Select when to call and how many people you want to reach. Depending on the configuration of the business, return 20 phone calls or 2,000 at any one time.

Words of Caution

As with any marketing tool, there are also some potential downsides to be on the lookout for. The completion rate for calls may be lower than initially expected. People who have unpaid cell phone bills won’t have access to their voicemail after a certain period of time. The same is true for those who let their voicemail box fill up. No messages can be left after a certain point.

With reporting tools, some of these targets can be avoided in order to eliminate waste. But just as with other advertising methods, businesses looking at this option should use it thoughtfully. Voicemail messaging is still unregulated for many different reasons. One of them is low levels of abuse by companies and received spammers. Used the correct way, voicemail messages are a very good marketing tool.

Understanding The Process

The primary benefit of using this service is that the phone will not ring. In reality, your business is not actually calling the customer. This technology provides the ability to leave a message. Since no phone call is actually being made and it won’t actually be transmitted over a cellular network, the FCC classifies the communication differently. It falls under what is known as enhanced information services. Enhanced information services are not as heavily regulated compared to other forms of marketing communication.

Being able to effectively target clients with marketing is very important. It can also be very expensive in more traditional forms of marketing like the web. Not only is call-less voicemail cost-effective but it can also target specific groups of potential clients. This makes advertising and marketing dollars stretch further because less time is spent on marketing to clients who won’t convert. When a voicemail is paired with an automatic text message, the odds of getting a response back increases.

How it Works and What to Look For

Employing voicemail messaging as a marketing technique for your business is fairly straightforward:

1. Record a message
2. Choose a provider
3. Pick a subscription or pricing plan that suits your business
4. Determine your target client base
5. Have the voicemails sent
6. Set your response flow
7. Analyze the effectiveness of the campaign
8. Make adjustments as necessary
9. Repeat steps 4-8

As with any business decision, it’s important to map out criteria to determine which straight to voicemail service is the right one for your business. Those who are looking into voicemail drop for the first time should avoid any sort of commitment. Find a provider that offers the service on an as needed or monthly basis. If the service does not fit your business, the investment will not be very high.

Where are you in the messaging process? At this point, some businesses may only be researching the possibility of using voicemail messages. However, it is still a good idea to have a message drafted and to know if it needs to be recorded or not. Some drop message providers include help with scripts or have voice talent available to record a message. Look at every plan offered to figure out if these features are included or cost extra.

Elements of a Great Pre-Recorded Voice Message

Now that we’ve established how the voicemail messaging process works and how to go about making one, what makes messages effective?

Keep it Short

Messages should be 30 seconds at most. The ideal message length is between 20 and 30 seconds. Anything longer than that increases the likelihood of the message getting deleted. And even if it doesn’t get deleted, the target client will start to lose interest or tune out completely. So craft that message wisely!

Start with Relevant Information

Since voicemail messages like these are customizable, consider opening the message with something related to the potential client or customer. Ask a question or start with a relevant tidbit of information. Starting with a name and company may prompt the recipient to delete the message before it starts. If you do ask a question, make it very specific to the person receiving the message.

Voicemails Matter

Pairing pre-recorded messages with other lead generating tools raises the callback rate. If you decide to pair it with a cold call, be sure to leave the voice message too. As in the last point, the message should be really specific. But if you call several times and leave the same custom message, a potential client will be more likely to call back.

Don’t Sell

People hate being sold-to in an obvious way. The best way to avoid “selling” is to not use a sales-y tone of voice. Speak in a normal tone of voice and personalize it to the recipient. If it sounds like you’re trying to get 50 sales calls per day in and that’s all, your target customer won’t feel the need to respond.

Uses for Voice Message Drops

Businesses choose straight to voicemail for all manner of reasons. Some use it to reach out to new customers just like in a cold call. Others may choose to call past customers or those who are looking for products or services similar to the ones that your business offer. Other reasons include:

• Use them to spread the word about sales or promotions.
• You’re partnering with another company to offer a new service.
• Newly established businesses can use voicemail messaging to spread the news about their grand opening.
• Opening your business up to a new client base or industry.
• No matter what your reason is for wanting to use pre-recorded voicemail, it is a versatile tool that can be used for any occasion.

Not many people like to make sales calls. The time spent doing it can be used doing other equally important business tasks. Pre-recorded voicemails streamline the sales call process. A business owner has more control over who they contact and they create connections with potential clients. This, in turn, leads to increased follow-up calls. Pre-recorded messages are also cost-effective which is at the forefront of any organization’s mind. Take a chance on straight to voicemail messages today!

Sign up for your free 14-day trial of Call Loop to start sending ringless voicemails today!