Should you leave a message when you get the answering machine while phoning a potential lead?

Research shows that the vast majority of people do not phone back when someone has left a message on their machine about a lead prospect. This means that you are much better off either not leaving a message or leaving a message that does not require the recipient to take action.

If you get the answering machine more than once, try phoning 3-4 times (not all on the same day!) before leaving a message. Try both during the day and during the early evening. If your call goes unanswered, then leave a message.

In the days of call display, you might also be concerned about someone seeing your name on caller ID multiple times. In this case, you can leave a non-action message instead of hanging up.

A non-action message is something like this. "Hi Suze, I got your name from Jessica McAdams and she thought you might be interested in hosting an Avon party. You can give me a call back at ____ otherwise I will try you again in a day or two." This gives the recipient the option to phone back, but doesn't REQUIRE them to, since you have said you will phone back. This also helps because many people do not answer phone calls when they do not recognize what is on the caller ID, and wait until the machine picks up.

However, the flip side is that this person could then AVOID your phone calls, not giving you the chance to take action on a reluctant lead, and turn a no or maybe into a yes.

How you ultimately decide to handle this is up to you.

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