By David Malone, VP of Sales, InteractiveTel

Most in sales would agree that leaving dozens of voicemails a day that are never returned is the most frustrating part of automotive phone sales. The average voicemail return rate is 4.8%, and sales reps spend about 15% of their time leaving voicemails. It is hard to blame people for throwing their hands up and skipping voicemail messaging altogether, but when used effectively, it can help you to encourage contact and send a unified branding message to potential customers.

Here are five tips that will get your phone ringing.

1. Keep your messages under 11 seconds.
This is going to seem impossible at first, but it is critical to an effective voicemail strategy. If a customer looks at their phone and sees a 10-second message, they will likely be more inclined to listen to it. Every 10 seconds you add on top of that, chips away at the customer’s likelihood to listen. Keep in mind that the point of leaving this message is to encourage the customer to return your call.

2. Be selective about the information you include.
Shortening your message doesn’t mean speaking faster. Be more selective with the information you include (first name, job title, dealership name, a little bit of intrigue or a question, and confirmation that you will call again will do). Avoid answering questions or confirming vehicle availability when leaving a voicemail. Those tactics work against you and remove any reasoning the customer would have had to return your call. There is no need to repeat yourself; since this is such a short message the customer can quickly replay it if they feel compelled to hunt down a pen and paper to write something down.

3. Skip the main dealership phone number.
It’s ok to skip the dealership’s main phone number within a voicemail. The likelihood of the customer taking the time to write it down is very low, while the likelihood that they will never lay eyes on that piece of paper again is very high. Leaving a phone number can take four to five seconds, that’s nearly half of the entire message. Now, if there is a phone number the customer can dial that you – and only you – answer, that is fine to leave for them as well as an extension number, no need to repeat it, just speak clearly and enunciate.

4. Let people know what to expect.
Instead of “thanking” at the end of a voicemail, let them know you will be calling again later. At the end of the day, that can end up being the true motivator for the customer to return your call now as opposed to waiting for the ominous ‘later’ to occur. Ending all calls (live and voicemail) by telling the customer exactly what you expect to happen next time you speak will relieve some of the inevitable anxiety car shoppers tend to have of talking to salespeople.

5. Put it in writing. 
Once you hang up the phone after leaving a voicemail, fire off a text or email with the same message you left – don’t add or omit anything.

Voicemail is a necessary part of sending a unified branded message. Consumers are shopping multiple dealers online – getting three to four calls and five to seven emails a day from different dealerships, so consistent messaging across all channels (voicemail, email, etc.) is key. Response rates are higher for voicemail than for text, but you have a better chance of setting an appointment with a customer speaking over the phone than you do by text or email. Texting is best used to complement rather than replace phone contact.

Keeping voicemails short increases the likelihood of customers listening. And if they listen to a relevant message and are aware that you will call again later that day, the likelihood of them returning your call will increase. Being more efficient with your voicemail strategy will eliminate extraneous dialing time for you, so you can talk to more customers and ultimately make more sales.