You have a deadly competitor out there and you probably aren't aware of it. If you are, you probably don't know how much business this competitor has taken from you.

Who is this competitor?  The Delete Button on your prospects' phone system!  Here is how it kills your business.

This is an example of a voice mail where the delete button wins most of the time: 

"Hi, my name is Bobby Smith, I am a recruiter with ABC Executive Search and I am calling because I found a candidate who has great communication skills, x, y, and z in there background. I was wondering if you were hiring someone like this.  Call me at 860-555-1212."

My informal survey of hiring managers tells me that this call gets deleted right after "I am a recruiter" most of the time.  Know this, no one cares who you are and where you are from UNTIL they know WHY it is in THEIR interest to call you back.  Look again at the above message. The value is buried at the end of the call and is very brief.

In contrast, here is an alternative that gets much better return rates: 

"Hi, this is Mike Gionta at 860-xxx-xxxx.  In a recent search I uncovered an individual who slashed spending by $343,550 against a $2 million outlay with no interruption in service to their customers. This individual will find hidden expenses in your operation and provide you a return on his salary the first 90 days after you hire him/her. I am calling you and a select few of your competitors. To avoid a bidding war for his services, call me immediately at 860-xxx-xxxx. Again, Mike Gionta, Hudson Consulting Group 860-xxx-xxxx."

What is different?  I lead with my phone number. Since they don't know who it is they begin writing it down, taking their hand AWAY from the "delete" button.  Next, my first sentence is a huge feature followed immediately by the benefit (return on his salary in 90 days). Note that the feature was a  SPECIFIC number. Avoid round numbers as much as possible to gain greater credibility with your prospect. 

Lastly, the voice mail creates a bit of urgency ("To avoid a bidding war"). Remember a key fact on human nature; people want what they can not have.  

For more free tips, enroll in our Tuesday afternoon interview series. Get instant access to interviews with Mike Gionta on the first thing you should do emerging from this recession. Gary Stauble and Doug Beabout discuss time management and productivity issues, and more. Enroll at no charge at: www.TheRecruitingFirmOwnerSummit.com.