Outbound calls are a frequent activity at any dealership, but your teams are often met with a voicemail greeting rather than a customer. This can happen for many reasons and during any part of the sales cycle, but leaving a confusing or enthusiastic message is a surefire way to lose business. Like they would with other phone interactions, your sales team needs to come prepared using tight scripts that tell them what to say and how to say it.
We want to help your associates tackle tricky voicemail scenarios, so we’re sharing 3 of the best voicemails to leave for sales success. You can tailor these templates to suit your unique branding and style, using them to inspire your messages.
Before we dive in, let’s talk about what these voicemails have in common. These traits are essential for ensuring any script is built to sell, but they’re especially crucial to consider in a voicemail.
5 Elements Every Sales Voicemail Should Have
Countless variables affect the quality of your team’s phone communication—their cadence, tone, and sense of urgency—but these aren’t the stars of your voicemail. The following five factors separate “meh” messages from those that get quick callbacks:
- Concision: When leaving a voicemail, sales agents should respect the listener’s time. They should also be mindful that customers are more likely to hang up on a recording than a human—unless the message grabs their attention right away. Your team should know what they will say before they say it. Rule of thumb: the best messages can be consistently delivered in just a few breaths.
- Urgency: This doesn’t mean sounding like you’re running up a flight of stairs. It’s demonstrating time-bound value that requires the prospect to take action. “Please call me back” is a polite and useful closer, but a CTA like “Lock in your price now” before your signoff drives action.
- Relevance: Your team is not calling for their own benefit. The customer showed interest or made an inquiry, and you’re here to help them simplify their experience. As sales guides, they are reaching out to respond to a customer’s needs. This makes the customer feel like they’re valued rather than being pressured into a sale.
- Details: Sales agents should communicate who they are, who they work for, why they’re calling, and what they want the customer to do next. Every voicemail should contain this information. If you leave out any of these details, you’re giving the prospect reasons not to continue because they didn’t write your number down or are unsure of the next step.
- Confidence: Confidence isn’t just how you sound on the phone, although a steady, relaxed voice doesn’t hurt. Showing your confidence through word choice is equally important, which is why scripts can help eliminate inconsistencies in vocal presentation.
These traits are shared by all the voicemails we’ll be reviewing, so look for them in the following section. The first voicemail we’ll examine should be a familiar one: The Introduction Voicemail.
The Introduction Voicemail
No matter what your product or service is, the first touch with a new customer is crucial. You’re setting the stage for every interaction you’ll have. In this scenario, we’re responding to an inbound lead, but we might not have all the customer details. Focus on what you know, like the customer’s action to initiate your call, and stay consistent even when you don’t. Here’s a simple yet strong introduction voicemail that exudes professionalism and helpfulness:
Hello, [Customer Name], this is [Your First Name] from ABC Motors. I’m calling in response to your [contact form/phone call that expressed interest in a product], and I would love to schedule a convenient time for a visit so I can hear more about what you’re looking for. Please [Call/Text] me back at [Phone Number].
This is a tight voicemail that achieves three specific goals. First, we acknowledge the customer’s interest or connection with the brand: “I’m calling in response…” tells someone that you’re not just “calling for the fun of it.” Next, we immediately bring up scheduling an appointment. We keep it simple here; all we want to do is learn about the customer’s preferences, so it’s not a commitment to buy. Finally, we remind the customer of our contact information and let them know we’re here when they’re ready.
The Limited-Time Offer Voicemail
The best voicemails to leave for sales often specialize in one of our five principles. This one aims to create a sense of urgency that goes beyond responding to a customer’s previous interest. It’s honest but time-bound, and it shows a genuine desire to help the customer out:
Hello, [Customer Name], this is [Your First Name] at ABC Motors. I have some exciting news about [the product the customer was interested in]. There’s currently a promotional discount, but it’s only available until [the end date of the offer]. I would love to schedule a visit to provide more details and lock in this offer before it’s gone. Please call me back at [Phone Number].
Just like the last voicemail, we’re tackling three key objectives: we say why we’re calling, why they should move fast, and what to do next. You don’t need to spill all the offer details; that might overwhelm them (and make for a long voicemail). Instead, you keep things vague so they’re curious about what’s in it for them.
The Check-In Voicemail
The Check-In is your team’s chance to re-engage with customers who have interacted with your dealership in the past, whether they made a purchase or not. These could even be customers who shopped for parts at your business but didn’t purchase a vehicle. Here’s a simple yet super-effective check-in voicemail script:
Hello, [Customer Name], this is [Your First Name] from ABC Motors. I’m reaching out to hear how the [part/vehicle/search for a vehicle] is treating you. We recently [launched promotional discounts/got a new model in stock/began a new maintenance program], so I’d love to schedule a convenient visit to [check up on your vehicle/part/learn about your search]. Feel free to call me back anytime at [Phone Number].
Once again, we’re cultivating urgency, providing clear next steps, and stating the reason for our call. All five features we discussed are here, ensuring customers feel cared for but not pressured into calling us back.
Phone Coaching for Voicemails
Even equipped with three of the best voicemails to leave for sales success, your team will consistently run into situations they don’t feel prepared for. That’s why Phone Ninjas’ active coaching methodology combines engaging, focused scripts with real-world scenarios. We don’t constrain learning to classrooms or conferences; instead, we tailor individual growth plans for each of your sales agents in bite-sized sessions week after week.
Don’t drive business away with inconsistent messages. Start leaving voicemails that sell with Phone Ninjas. Reach out now to learn how to receive two free mystery shops for your online and phone sales channels.
As the COO | Partner of Phone Ninjas, Chris delivers leadership, coaching, and mentorship to 55 team members providing software sales and phone skills coaching. He fosters powerful partnerships and collaborations with leaders across various business sectors, establishing expectations, communicating vision, and escalating performance to maximize productivity and effectiveness.
Chris is an innovation-driven business executive with over 25 years of experience delivering leadership to teams of up to 75 overseeing development, launch, and sale of website lead acquisition, reconditioning process software systems, and technology that support automotive dealerships across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
