Leaving a voice mail message may seem useless to some salespeople because they think they will not get a response. Not having messages returned can be frustrating, but it is still worth leaving these messages. Your chances for success will increase. If you leave a message and there is no response, you should find out what is going on. Sales.about.com described five reasons why a customer does not respond and how to deal with these situations.
1) The prospect does not want to buy, but he does not know how to say it
What to do in this situation depends on how far you have got in the sales process. If you have only spoken once on the phone, there is still a possibility that you will get the sale. You have to encourage the customer's interest in your offer. However, if you have got further in the sales process and were just waiting for confirmation of the purchase, there probably will not be a deal. You can try your offer a few months later.
2) The prospect is interested, but he wants to learn more
Most buyers like to compare offers before they buy. The worst thing you can do is to push your client. Give him time, but stay in touch. For example, you can send a link to an article that provides useful information. It is better if it is not an article from your company, but a third-party source.
3) The message you left did not interest the client
If you left a message and have not spoken to the client, it is probable that you did not capture the customer's interest. Keep trying, and change the content of your message a bit. You should inspire a customer to do business with you. No one will call you back if there is not a good reason to do so.
4) The prospect decided to buy from someone else
Some people will announce that they decided for someone else, but a large percentage of people do not. You probably cannot change their decision, but you can try to contact them again in the future.
5) The customer is busy
You customer may be dealing with a sudden important situation or just be extremely busy. You can get him moving by creating a sense of urgency. It will not guarantee you a sale, but can it move the process along.
-ka-