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Avoid a voicemail black hole

Be honest with yourself. Really honest. When was the last time you left someone a voicemail? Or even listened in full and with attention to a voicemail left for you? I’m willing to bet it’s been a while.

It might not be surprising to hear that 69% of callers will hang up at the tone of a voicemail greeting rather than spending their time leaving a message.

In a survey of 300 small businesses and an examination of its own call data from 10,000 businesses, Moneypenny also found that a third of the businesses surveyed failed to answer their incoming calls.

Implications of letting calls go unanswered

For a small agency owner, this could have serious implications. The value of those missed calls could have a huge impact on the business’s bottom line. When you think about it, it’s the same as a client walking into your office and not finding you or a receptionist there ready to greet them.

If that happened to you, you’d most likely walk straight back out, and it certainly doesn’t give a professional or caring impression. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a new client or one you’ve worked with for years. Answering the phone, even if it’s to arrange a call-back at a more suitable time, is always preferable than the black hole of voicemail.

High value client calls

Nowadays we use our mobiles much more, and many people will practically run their businesses from them. Whilst this increases the amount we communicate, the value of phone calls with clients is still incredibly high. It’s the best form of communication we have without being right in front of them.

 

Nurturing existing relationships or establishing new ones requires this quality communication that voicemail prevents from occurring. So by making sure each call is answered, either by you or an outsourced receptionist, no opportunities slip through the net.