On Project Runway, American Fashion Consultant Tim Gunn coined the phrase “Make it work!” for would-be designers who needed to transform their existing design into something competition-ready in a very short period of time.

Just like would-be designers, your sales reps may need the same advice when using voicemail messages to get the attention of prospects.

According to RingLead, 80% of phone calls go to voicemail and 90% of first-time voicemails are never returned. There simply isn’t enough time in the workday for sales reps to make the number of calls required to translate this 10% call back percentage into a meaningful number.

If they really want to “make it work,” sales reps must focus on increasing the number of return calls that their voicemails generate. Here are some tips:

• Do your research beforehand and call someone who will understand the unique value your company provides.
• Lead your prospect to you by sharing an insight or idea that they probably haven’t considered.
• Include a tangible result that a current customer has been able to achieve because of your company.
• End with a question that makes them think and encourages them to continue the conversation.
• When leaving the voicemail, note the best times to reach you, your phone number, and your e-mail address

When it comes to voicemail, these approaches can help make it work!

Quote of the Week: “If you really want something, you’ll make it work.” — Rita Ora