Technology is making it way too easy to scale completely impersonal and irrelevant marketing. This post is focusing on voicemails. What used to be a trusted channel has now followed in the footsteps of spam email.
Now I'm not saying all voicemails aren't effective so let's not run to the other side of the boat here. Pre-recorded voicemails could be an effective way to follow up with a lead that you’ve previously reached out to or one that at least knows who you are and as part of an overall marketing cadence. Not as a single channel, single touch marketing effort.
Note: if you use pre-recorded voicemails don’t think you’re actually fooling anyone by adding a cough, a chuckle or a stumble. You’re not that good of an actor.
Learn how hyper-personalized direct mail converts offline prospects to online customers:
Download your copy of Human to Human Personalization At Scale
Let's Listen to the Voicemail
Ok back to the example, you can listen to it here. Sorry for the wasted 38 seconds but you need to hear it before we break it down.
An Upfront Apology
In this example, the sales rep literally starts with “Sorry to bother you again…” so he already knows he’s interrupting my day. As if apologizing for it in advance somehow will get me my 38 seconds back.
Not a Fit
Then he continues on to offer me a place in the Amazon Alexa Network stating examples of other companies like plumbers or mechanic shops. If he even glanced at our website he would have realized that we are not in consumer services and not a qualified lead. He’d rather just blast this to everyone and make me spend the time to weed myself out. By the way, there’s not even a way to opt out...so I’m expecting more of these voicemails. This is lazy marketing.
Bad Timing
He mentions “please call me if you still have a need…” which would be fine if I had filled out a form on his website, suggesting that I had some kind of interest. I guarantee you, I’ve never heard of this guy and certainly didn’t ask for a call.
This form of automated marketing at scale is completely disingenuous and needs to stop. So what can we, as marketers do? If you have any of these generic, automated voicemails in your arsenal just stop. Put some effort into your marketing automation strategy. Invest in a marketing automation platform so you can deliver the right content at the right time through the right channel.
Good job marketers for killing voicemail just like you did email. If only there was another marketing channel that was more trusted. Oh yes, there is. It’s called print :)
Curious what your cost per lead would be with direct mail? Check out our interactive calculator to find out!
