The phone message I received today blew me away. Not in the good sense, unfortunately, but along the lines of “is this how a printer in 2009 thinks he can impress a prospect?”
Not only did he mumble, making me strain to understand the company name as well as his own, but then he did something so lame that I almost felt sorry for the guy.
He rattled off his shop's equipment — by size and by manufacturer.
In the words of my friend Barbara, "Are ya kiddin me???"
Imagine getting a voice mail message from a local deli trying to sell you catering services.
“…And, uh, we got your Genoa salami and domestic as well as imported provolone. We make two kinds of cole slaw — three if you count our organic. This week we’re featuring Country Club hot dogs and smoked turkey (shaved or sliced). You can get roast beef plain or our special Italian style, as well as pastrami roast beef. We carry tuna salad every day and sometimes seafood salad. I hope to hear from you soon.”
On what planet is a print buyer blown away by a voice mail from an unknown printer, in which he rattles off the name, rank and serial number of his equipment?
I don’t know if he’d been to my Website or not to check me out (rule #1), or Googled me (if rule #1 fails), but let’s say he hadn’t. How would a laundry list of presses motivate me to call him back?
What his message should have said is:
“Hi, Margie, I'm (your name) with (your company). We’re a full-service printing firm in (your location). I don’t know if you're familiar with our company or not. What you might not know is that we specialize in (fill in your niche here and it better be fact not hype). I know you probably get a lot of calls from printers, so I will send you (relevant samples, etc.) in the mail. Our Website is (yourname.com). I’ll call you in a few weeks, after you've received my packet. Again, this is (your name) with (your firm). Thanks a lot."
Short and sweet, with a hint of why your company’s different. Speak clearly. Keep it short. For Pete’s sake, nix the equipment list. It has no place - NO place - on a voice mail message when you cold call.
- Categories:
- Business Management - Marketing/Sales
Long regarded as a print buyer expert and trade writer, Margie Dana launched a new business as a marketing communications strategist with a specialty in printing and print buying. She is as comfortable working in social media as she is in traditional media, and now she’s on a mission to help clients build customer communities through carefully crafted content. Dana was the producer of the annual Print & Media Conference.
Although she has exited the event business, Dana is still publishing her Print Tips newsletter each week. For more details and to sign up for her newsletter and marketing blog, visit www.margiedana.com