VOICE MAIL SYSTEM “Enthusiasm is contagious,” says Hasbrouck.
“If you don’t feel like leaving a message, just hang up. You need to be in the right frame of mind. If you don’t sound like someone they want to talk to, they won’t ever respond.”
INTRODUCTION:
Voice mail was introduced in the late 1970s. Gordon Mathews founded a company called VMX in 1979. VMX stood for "voice mail express," and Mathews received a U.S. patent for his digital invention in 1982. VMX was the first voice mail provider service, its first client being 3M. The system recorded and managed messages using the digital technology available during the late 1970s and 1980s. Some companies still use their VMX systems.
DEFINITION:
“An electronic communication system in which spoken messages are recorded or digitized for later playback to the intended recipient; also : such a message”
OR
“A system in which caller can leave a recorded messages for you over the telephone”

FEATURES OF VOICE MAIL:

Some features of the voice mail system include:
Out-of-Office Greeting * You now have the ability to set TWO out-of-office greetings. Your second greeting plays in place of your standard greeting when enabled. Your standard greeting is unaffected (not deleted) and resumes playing when your Out-of-Office Greeting is turned off.
Reply or Call Back * While you are listening to a voice mail message, you can now reply to the sender and go directly to their voice mailbox without talking directly to the person, or you can call the person back without having to hang up and dial the number.
Message Identifier * At the beginning of each voice mail message, you will hear the date and time the call came in and the phone number of each call, even outside calls.
Bookmark
* You can "mark" a position in a message by pressing a number on the keypad, go to the next message and then return to the original message by pressing that number.
Retrieve a Deleted Message * You can restore a deleted message DURING the session. For example, if you are listening to a voice mail message and you hit delete by mistake, you can now retrieve it as long as you don't hang up.
Messages from Outside Callers * You can choose to hear only messages sent by outside callers first. Then, others messages will be presented. * When an outside caller leaves you a message, the system will provide you the caller ID of that incoming call.
Urgent Message Retrieval * You can listen to your messages in the order you want them — oldest, newest, or urgent messages first

TYPES OF VOICE MAIL:
There are several types of voice mail systems available. Such systems are designed to function differently based on who's using them and where, what equipment and software is used, and who's providing the phone message services.
In general, two major systems include ones based on PC technology and proprietary systems using equipment specially designed and supplied by a voice-mail provider.
PC-based systems can be run using standard computers and servers. Such equipment can be modified to include voice board circuitry and additional plug-ins for phone lines or other equipment. These systems also include specialized software that integrates incoming and outgoing phone messages.
Service-provided voice mail systems use hardware that's specially built by the company. Such proprietary systems can be customized from the ground up for the type of business it will serve. They can be more expensive than PC-based systems because of their custom nature.
Other types of voice mail systems are available. While they each share some commonalities, there are important differences between them.
Residential voice mail, for instance, refers to voice-mail systems for the home. Generally these serve landlines and may include one or more "mailboxes" in which incoming callers can leave messages. In such systems, one mailbox typically acts as the main one, from which users can enter commands. Such systems can be based off-site with a service company or on-site with the resident's home computer. Users generally record a greeting and dial a special number and enter a password to retrieve messages. Cell phone voice mail works much the same way, except that it's based on wireless technology exclusively.
Business voice mail and office voice mail can be based on- or off-site, using PC or proprietary equipment. Such systems operate multiple mailboxes and generally have an automated attendant that guides both internal and outside users through commands to leaving and retrieving messages.

WORKING OF VOICE MAIL:
Voice mails are essentially digital recordings of outgoing and incoming voice messages that are managed either by an on-site or off-site system. Some users purchase systems that are operated and managed either by its own employees or on a contract basis with another company. Home-based users, such as home telephone and cell phone users, often use an off-site service, such as their phone service provider, for voice mail accounts. Others, however, purchase software that allows their PC to become an electronic message system.
Voice mail systems make phone systems more powerful and flexible by allowing conversations and information to pass between parties, even when both aren't present. In a work setting, customers and business people rely upon voice mail, both for leaving and sending messages. Outgoing messages, for instance, are the messages people use to greet those who call their line. The outgoing message can tell a caller whose line they've reached, when that person might return and to leave a message. The caller, armed with this information, can leave a detailed message that's most appropriate for his or her needs.
Voice mail typically is integrated with the on-site phone system, allowing both inside and outside users to utilize many features. Such features include off-site access to messages, paging and urgent message delivery, among many others.
As in the phone systems of old, many voice mail systems today come with an "operator." The difference is these operators aren't human, they're auto-attendants. Auto attendants guide users, both those from the inside and the outside, through the many options a voice-mail system has to offer. It instructs users how to enter commands through the phone's keypads, such as how to retrieve a message.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENT IN VOICE MAIL SYSTEM:
The future voice mail technical advances are already in development.
Voice mail systems already are getting involved in politics, giving people the option of placing a campaign commercial on their voice mail greeting so whenever callers go to voice mail they're solicited to vote for a candidate. The greeting can be set to play for select friends or anyone from the receiver's address book who calls.
Many voice message service providers are focused on unifying the various electronic communications systems into integrated systems. Voice mail -- office voice mail, cell phone voice mail and residential voice mail -- will undoubtedly play a big role in that future.
Other technologies are focused on recognizing emotions in the voices of those who leave messages on their voice mail systems. One system, called Emotive Alert, has been under development at the University of Massachusetts Institute of Technology for several years.
The system allows users to decide which messages are the most urgent, helping them cut through the glut of electronic communications and be more efficient. It could learn to recognize basic moods, such as urgent, happy, formal or excited by chewing on variables such as speech rate and volume comparing it with a database and spitting out an opinion.
As communication systems become more integrated, it's a sure thing voice mail will remain part of the mix. After all, it deals in that most primal type of human communication -- speech, digitizes it and feeds it into the electronic world we live and work in today. Voice mail, one of the first high-tech messaging systems, is here to stay.

How to Structure a Voice Mail:

John Hasbrouck recommends the following path for your voice message, to garner maximum attention and response:

* PAIN. Start with their problem. Don’t start with yourself. *
HOPE. State you’re offering: “We solve that problem.” *
REFERENCES. Name a few customers who will be familiar and credible *
FEATURES. If you can squeeze in one or two supporting features, do so. But keep the total to 30 seconds. *
RESPONSE. Tell them what to do and how. “If you want to know more, please give me a call.”

OBJECTIVES DRIVE STRATEGY:

The place to begin, naturally, is with your objective in making the call. A sales rep cranking through a series of cold phone calls will have a different strategy from a marketer using phone follow-up to direct mail, for example. Are you looking to gain awareness? Is the message intended to motivate a call-back? Is the message part of a series of touches, or does it need to pay off on its own? The answer to these questions will help identify the right approach to voice mail.When asked for his recommendation on voice mail,

Mike Chaplo, VP of Revenue at LinkExperts, says firmly, “Don’t leave one. Hang up. Call back again, and keep trying. If after 5 or 6 attempts you still can’t get through, then send an email, asking when is the best time to call. Your objective in business is to have a conversation, not to leave an annoying message.”

But voice mail does have its applications, in both sales and marketing. Let’s look at what’s working and what the experts recommend.

Strategic Options in Voice Mail Marketing:

Depending on the strategy, the use of voice mail will differ widely. Experienced users recommend it as particularly useful for: * Event invitations or reminders * A follow-up to direct mail or email * Lead qualification and nurturing * A pre-campaign touch prior to direct mail or email * Announcements, such as regulatory compliance * Pricing or promotion updates

Enhancing tools for Voice Mail Marketing: Voice mail has been around for a few decades, and while it’s not a hotbed of marketing innovation, a few enhancements have emerged.

* GUIDED VOICEMAL: BoxPilot pioneered the idea of pre-recording a message, and then using live operators to network around the target company and “guide” the message to the right person’s voice mail box. Kytell’s team has done a variety of tests to prove the concept’s effectiveness. One client using guided voice mail as follow up to a direct mail piece, for example, lifted response 145%, from 3.1% to 7.8%., doubling campaign ROI. James Pennington, VP of strategic marketing at The Kern Organization, the B-to-B direct marketing agency, has used BoxPilot successfully for its clients. “It’s more expensive per touch than direct mail, but cheaper than outbound telemarketing,” he notes. “BoxPilot turns the disadvantage of business people’s hiding behind their voice mail into an advantage. What we find is that what’s most important is sending a message that’s not stupid or pointless, but one that’s relevant.”

* AUTOMATED VOICEMAIL: Used primarily in consumer marketing, automated delivery of pre-recorded messages via auto-dialing is making some contribution in B-to-B. GroupCast Messaging in St. Louis, for example, is producing results for financial services, like credit card processing offers to small businesses, or advising insurance brokers and financial planners on new products. GroupCast sets up unique toll-free numbers on each campaign, so responses come into their call center, backed up by automated voice response, which allows them to track results and do tests. Barry Chiliast, director of sales, says that GroupCast regularly tests the effectiveness of such variables as male versus female voices, and sets up split tests of direct mail with voice-mail follow-up versus direct mail alone.

EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS OF VOICE MAILING SYSTEM: The fantastic strategic insights for maximizing the success of your voicemails. here are 12 clear strategic

1.Always Provide Context

Providing context makes certain that no cold call is truly cold. Your prospects receive voicemails everyday from sales reps and companies. But how can you stand out from the rest of the pack? The answer is context. As Howard pointed out, “we no longer live in a world where content is king. Context is king and context equals relevance.”
For example, prospects will be much more likely to respond if you mention adding them on LinkedIn or the name of an eBook they recently downloaded from your company’s website.
2. Offer Clear Value
Always deliver a clear value prop that enables prospects to see an idealized version of them. If you’ll double the number of daily sales conversations you have which should also double your sales conversion rates.”
3. Cowboy Up (Ask for What You Want)
Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want, and, like a cowboy, keep it simple, clear, and uncomplicated. As an example, you might say, “I want to schedule ten minutes of your time.” Get to the point and ride on.

4. Give Your Contact Information Twice
You’ve given them a reason to call you back, now make it easy for them to write down your information without having to rewind the message. Say the critical information twice. That includes name, company and phone number.

5. Project Energy and Enthusiasm
Conveying true excitement and a belief that you’re working with the best company is going to also separate you from other sales reps. People want to talk to winners and therefore, you need to sound like a winner. Howard mentioned that if he isn’t in the zone, he likes to listen to one of his favorite songs on to get himself pumped up.

6. Keep it Short!
Your prospects don’t have time to listen to a verbose voicemail message. Keeping your voicemail short and to the point will show your prospect that you respect their time as well as your own. Your company’s entire value proposition is almost certainly not going to be conveyed in a 30-second voicemail. Instead, focus on introducing yourself, providing context, stating a key value prop, and ask for what you want before moving on.
7. Automate
Salespeople are under the gun and expected to not only deliver results, but to be efficient, consistent and work extremely fast VOICEMAIL AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS can help assure that your reps can, with a single click, leave a perfectly recorded voicemail message. Then they can move on to the next call with minimal interruption.

8. Be Persistent some very interesting research that proves how important it is for reps to be persistent. * 11% of calls get a response on a first attempt * 22% get a response on a second attempt * 33% get a response on a third attempt

9. Never Refer to Previous Outreach Attempts
Every outreach attempt should be a stand-alone attempt. Referring previous failed voicemail attempts puts prospects on the defensive and makes them less likely to return your calls.
10. Always Use a Voicemail Script
Going off-book opens the door for sales reps to make errors. The less you leave to chance, the better off you’ll be.
11. Record Voicemails Recording voicemail attempts enables rep and managers to listen back and assess what is and isn’t working in a voicemail pitch. The goal is to always be on the lookout for ways to sell better.

IMPACTS OF VOICE MAILING SYSTEM:

Voicemail and its use have matured as a technology and tool for business. It is still a very important business tool, but it can also hinder productivity. It is both powerful and a scourge!
The power of voicemail lies in its ability to communicate a message even in your absence. An effective voicemail message can ensure your clients, prospects and colleagues understand and know your situation exactly. You can clearly state when you will be reviewing messages or give the names of alternate people who can be contacted. You can also give further contact information such as email addresses and mobile phone numbers. The critical point here is that you need to think about your message. Take time in constructing the message to save you time by not having to deal with unnecessary calls.
On the downside, people hide behind voicemail by avoiding effective communication by screening all calls and not returning messages. In many instances, it is simply impossible to actually speak with someone without first scheduling the call.
In the recruitment industry, much of a consultant’s time is spent on the phone, which amplifies the benefits and downsides of voicemail. To get the most out of voicemail
ROLE OF VOICE MAIL SYSTEM IN SALES AND MARKETING COMPAIGN: Good voicemail messages are a critical part of an effective sales and marketing campaign: they develop awareness and rapport before a conversation begin

The following 7 messages are a good outline to follow to achieve these objectives.

Message 1: Answer the question - Who are you? Do not leave your telephone number; tell them you will call them back.
Message 2: Answer the question - Who have you worked with (current/past clients)? Again, do not leave your telephone number. Why? They won't call you back, and why should they?
Message 3: Answer the question - Why are you calling? You must be able to state your reason in a way that makes sense from their perspective! It's now appropriate to leave your phone number and say when you'll call back, but don't expect them to call you. Start revealing your personality, sense of humor, etc
Message 4: Answer the question - Why are you relevant? This needs to be a clear and succinct statement of why they should care who you are and what you do. What can you do for them?
Message 5: Answer the question (again) - Why should they care? Objective - give them more "meat" about your agency.
Message 6: Answer the question - What recent work is important to them? Your prospect should hear your message and respond with, "Wow, those are impressive results - they know what's important to me (industry, competition, revenue, market share, etc.)."
Message 7: Answer the question - Why am I not going away? Be you - for example with humor or sincerity - and let your prospect know that you really want to work with them, and that you aren't going away. You might now let them know that you'd like to speak with them about one of their current challenges. Or, offer an insight into a challenge they may be experiencing, perhaps based on research you've done. MARKETING ADVANTAGES OF VOICE MAIL: * Cross Selling and Up Selling
Increase your customer share, not just your market share. Target your company’s leading customer base and consistently provide that customer niche with information regarding product & service upgrades, value-added tips, and other offers specific to their needs. This leads to customer loyalty and cuts down on the number of contacts required to profit. * P2P media specifically for Pre-Call and Post-Call
Increase your direct marketing response rates over night. As you know Information overload is causing lower response rates and declining the return on investment for direct marketing campaigns. You can significantly increase your response rate and improve your ROI by using this new Person-to-Person media. Statistics prove that pre-calling a direct mail piece can raise response rates up to 20%. Eliminate costly telemarketing efforts by broadcasting a friendly message to your customers before (create anticipation) and/or after (highlight a special offer) your direct mail piece is sent. Even a Pre-Call VMB can be sent, before a VMB message itself. This strategy can work with e-mail campaigns as well. Improve customer loyalty and retention with a “personal” message. It has been said that it costs less to keep an existing customer than to acquire a new one. Now you can consistently and cost effectively maintain a close, personal relationship with your customers in the technological world we operate in.
Give your company a “friendly voice” when offering information, highlighting discounts, or promoting a contest to increase loyalty to your brand. * Increasing Web Traffic
Offline media to drive customers Online. Attracting customers to your web site is expensive, especially with the inflated cost of banner ads and Internet marketing. Now you have a UNIQUE but cost-effective offline media to drive customers online. Broadcast a friendly message for your customers asking them to visit your site. Offer incentives for them to fill out profiling information while online. VMB is also the fastest method of asking for your customer’s e-mail address offline. * Manage Time Sensitive Information and Profit
Timing is everything – alerting your customers to special promotions and time sensitive opportunities can be very profitable. Now you can come up with an idea on Monday and leave a message on Wednesday. While email or SMS offers this capability, it lacks the person-to-person impact of Voice Broadcasting. You can combine both or the three mediums and increase your results by a very good percentage. * Event Promotion
A tested and most effective personalized approach to marketing events. Visitation and/or attendance can be enhanced effectively by using VMB.
Reminders may be broadcasted to invited/registered guests and guidelines may be conveyed precisely. * Enhance Marketing Results
Multiply your results with 1+1=4 synergies. Every marketer’s goal is to find different mediums that complement and multiply the results of one another. Now you can add an additional layer of communication to your current marketing strategy. Voice Broadcasting has a proven track record of increasing the response rates and results of other media. For example, when sending an e-mail or direct mail piece (Visual Based), and either pre-calling or post-calling with a personal message (Auditory Based), you will see response rates increase. * Branding & Top of Mind Awareness
VMB is a revolutionary Person-to-Person branding tool. Branding is the cornerstone of every great company and product. Historically it has taken years to create household names. In today’s Internet age, brands are popping up faster and faster every day. Now you have a new branding tool to create top of mind awareness. By using “Auditory Triggers”, you can build top of mind awareness with your customer niches faster and more cost effectively. * One-to-One Marketing Strategies
Person-to-Person (P2P) is the next level of the One-to-One formula. Enhance virtually every marketing campaign with critical Person-to-Person marketing. Regardless of the marketing medium your company is currently using, by delivering a targeted and friendly message that focuses on the specific needs of your customers, you reinforce their loyalty to your products and services. Voice Broadcasting – a NEW LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION to help build critical one-to-one relationships.

SUMMARY:
“ If your voicemail messages are professional and intersting,and if you have postioned your agency so you are relevent to your prospect,you will start experiencing greater new business success.” Your prospects will develop a positive feeling for you and your firm. And, that's the best way to begin a potential business relationship.