Recently a 2.2 billion dollar US company conducted a confidential study to to get a handle on their cost of sales. They found that 5 days after being contacted, 50% of their customers couldn't recall whether the contact was made face-to-face, or over the telephone. For them, each on site call was costing them $460. hereas a phone call was only $18 per contact. (Source: Warne, Inc.)

So, how does this affect you and your company? Have you done an analysis to see what it is costing you for a face-to-face call? Please don't get me wrong, we ALL love one-on-one interations with customers. After all, isn't that one reason we went into sales? We love people from the smile to the handshake!

However, will everyone even SEE you? And if cold calling (in person), how do you get beyond secured buldings,  bulldog receptionists, and the barbed wire fences into offices? Even if you could get past these obstacles, the decision makers won't see you. Time is way too valuable.

If you aren't cold calling in person (and many of  you aren't), most prospects will only talk with you over the phone if you either have a referral name or a compelling message. OK, now you are getting started!

I was interviewed by Blaine Singer, author of "Sales Dogs" just the other day on Entrepreneur Radio (www.entrepreneurradio.com) and he asked me just that question. He said, "Renee, how do you get people to call you back?"

First, you need to listen to the customer's voice mail (preferably after hours) and get a sense of their personality style. Is it energetic, enthusiastic, or slow and methodical; to name just two. When you call back the next day to find the person, match their personality type in the call. Either speed it up, slow it down, leave details, or the bottom line. Think about this as you are leaving a voice mail message. The more you are like the customer, the greater your chances of receiving a returned call. (See: "Selling to Anyone Over the Phone", 2006, Amacom Publishing, $14.95).

If your voice mail message is compelling, you are much more likely to receive a returned call. For example, use power words in your message such as: "opportunity", "need", "opinion", etc. A good example may sound like this: "Robin, this is Renee Walkup with SalesPEAK. Frank Davis said we need to get together to discuss an opportunity. Call me at 678 587-9911."

This type of message will most probably get Robin's attention. It has four main components to analyze:

1. A referral name

2. Strong word, "need"

3. Another strong word, "opportunity"

4. A directive to "call back" (no "please" sounding like pleading)

(c)Renee Walkup, SalesPEAK, Inc., www.salespeak.com