I look at a lot of real estate websites and blogs on a daily basis. Some agents don’t have their number displayed at all. Others use Google Voice. My guess is they do this to take advantage of the transcription service which as you all know, isn’t all that great (I mean it works, but it’s messy and rarely accurate). Then there’s sites with the big fat CALL ME NOW! pop-up. The funny thing is, when you call, nobody answers. It always goes to voicemail.
This is what you’re saying every time you let a phone call go to voicemail.
Do you think people are going to wait around for you to decide to open up your store or have they already gone to the shop down the street?
PHOTO CREDIT: xxxNikkixxx
Hey try calling Pasadena Views… we're open!
I know you are! You always answer your calls 🙂
“This is what you’re saying every time you let a phone call go to voicemail.” I agree. I am in sales and I always try to answer the phone without it going to voicemail. I had someone tell me once: “You answer your phone when I call” – sometimes it's the little things in sales that make a difference (but really answering the phone isn't a little thing).
Re: “I had someone tell me once: “You answer your phone when I call””
The say that because the growing expectation is that people won't answer the phone because everyone else they called doesn't. So it really is a pleasure when you take the time to answer. It's a simple thing and yet people don't do it (I've been there). But yes, little things like this go a LONG way.
I get it, some people don't answer in an attempt to screen the call. What they fail to realize however is that a lot of prospects won't leave a voicemail. Why? Because they can just as easily call the next guy and eventually, he's gonna pick up.
Ricardo – I must admit, this is something that I have been more than guilty of at times. Every time I miss a call I kick myself. It's interesting to me that leaving a voicemail was once common, but these days, even my friends don't leave voicemail if I miss their call. I think with the emergence of texting voicemail seems so tedious to some people that it has fallen out of favor.
What I REALLY don't like though are vendors who don't leave voicemails or leave vague messages that don't really let me know what they were calling about. Leave me a voicemail and if your product is as good as you say it is, trust me, I'll call you back. (Just thought about it…that's not directed at you at all…just a general statement.)
PS I'm still trying to figure out everything, I'm not leaving you hanging.
That's ok Matt, me too 🙂
But do you see how it's a missed opportunity? If I'm a prospective client, and you don't answer the phone, I'm not going to leave a voicemail. At least that's how I operate and I'm sure many others do too. Even when I call somebody I know, if they don't answer, I call the next person and get what I'm looking for from them.
In regards to vendors on the other hand, I have to admit that I dislike that marketing tactic very much. And truth-be-told, that's all it is, a marketing tactic. They act like it's someone you know, and they legitimately want something, then when you call them back, they have no idea who you are and then they jump right into the pitch. That's also happened to me on plenty of occasions.
The lesson here is to reflect on the message that your giving people and to capitalize on every opportunity to connect with a new prospect and turn them into a client.
Good article, Ricardo. I think the expectation today really is that you won't ever get to speak to a “real human.” By picking up the phone, you really show that you care and could easily win over a customer for life if you make the right impression with their precious time!
Yep! It says “I value you and your time.” It says “thank you for thinking of me enough to call.” Actually answering the phone says “you made the right decision.”
Thank you for the comment Tom! Pleasure to connect 🙂