Personally, I like voice mail. If the message is crafted correctly and left at a high level, it can be moved around a company electronically and generate a return call (See the comments below about What would it be worth...).
There are no right or wrong answers. Three advantages for leaving voice mails include compelling messages can be moved around the company electronically. Compelling messages can be re-directed to the person who is responsible for evaluating the products or services you offer. Compelling messages that are referred by a superior to a subordinate usually result in a return call.
Here are what I consider the nine key elements of a compelling voice mail message:
• Greeting and referral from above
• Company specialty
• At least one key benefit (faster, better, easier or less expensive) and its result (an increase or decrease, more or less)
• The reason or purpose for the call
• Request for action
• Repeat your phone number twice in a row, SLOWLY
• Repeat your name & company name and the referral from above
• Spell out the name of your company web site
• Say thanks.
Although I'm not advocating leaving voice mail after voice mail as a means of avoiding speaking with people over the phone, I'd rather leave a well thought out voice mail than waste the time it took to make the call.
