How To Write a Sales Voicemail Script + 10 Examples and Tips

Picture this: You've identified your ideal customer, you've researched their pain points, and you've crafted the perfect sales pitch. You're ready to pick up the phone, engage with the prospect, and close the deal…but they don't answer. At this point, you’ve got to switch gears so you can leave a voicemail.

Voicemail can be a valuable tool in the sales process, but it's often overlooked or treated as an afterthought. However, with the right approach and a well-crafted sales voicemail script, you can turn missed calls into new opportunities. 

In this post, we'll explore the art of writing a sales voicemail script that grabs your prospect's attention and persuades them to take action. So, whether you're a seasoned sales professional or a new business owner looking to improve your sales skills, read on to learn how to write a sales voicemail script that gets results.

5 elements of a sales voicemail script

A sales voicemail script can really come in handy for a variety of reasons, from helping you stay consistent with your brand messaging to assisting new reps who may struggle with phone anxiety. 

To help you get started with creating your own sales voicemail script, check out these important elements that should be included in all of your outreach. 

1. Your name and company

Including your name and the company you’re affiliated with is a small but important detail of a sales voicemail script that you can’t leave out. It’s simply good telephone etiquette and shows that you’re professional and respectful of your prospect’s time and attention.

It also establishes credibility and legitimacy, showing your prospect that you’re a real person representing a legitimate business. This can help build trust and increase the likelihood that they’ll return your call. 

Even if you’ve spoken with this prospect before, stating your name and company helps them recall who you are and what you do. If the prospect receives multiple voicemails a day, including these details can help them differentiate your message from others they may have received. 

2. Your reason for calling

To help grab your prospect's attention, you have to clearly state the reason you are calling them. By doing this upfront, you can avoid confusion or ambiguity and show the prospect that you respect their time.

This also helps personalize your message to make it more relevant to your prospect. Did a mutual connection suggest you reach out to them? Maybe they registered for an upcoming webinar and/or left an inquiry on your website about the challenges their company is facing. 

If you can reference a specific pain point the prospect is facing, it shows that you have done your research and are genuinely interested in helping them. This can increase the prospect's trust in you and make them more receptive to your message. 

3. Benefits of calling you back

Including the benefits of calling you back in a voicemail is an important detail that can help establish your value proposition and provide the prospect with a clear incentive to return your call.

Your focus here should be strictly about the prospect, their pain points, and how you are able to offer the solution. Are you able to add value to their business? Save them time and money? 

Whatever your solution may be, avoid getting caught up in tools and features. Instead, emphasize the tangible benefits by giving examples from previous clients, the amount of money they can expect to make or save, etc.

Getting your prospect to pay attention and respond to your message is the main goal. You can cover specifics in later conversations.

4. Your phone number

While caller ID is readily available, it's always best practice to state your phone number in your sales voicemail. This way, your prospect has a clear and easy way to contact you. 

It also demonstrates your availability and willingness to engage with the prospect. By providing a direct line of communication, you show the prospect that you are committed to providing an excellent customer experience and building a positive relationship. 

5. Next steps or action items

At the end of your sales voicemail, you should provide your prospect with clear next steps or action items. Make sure what you’re asking them to do is nearly effortless, such as giving you a quick call back or keeping an eye out for a follow-up email. 

If you’re asking for a call back, it’s best practice to include your availability so they know when they’ll be able to reach you. For example, you can say, “You can reach me at [phone number]. I’m typically available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST.” (Don’t forget the time zone!)

Letting your prospects know what to do after listening to your message gives them a clear understanding of what to expect, diminishing any questions and moving the sales process forward.

10 sales voicemail script examples and best practices

Now that you know the fundamentals of what should be in your sales voicemail script, let's go over some best practices and examples to get you started with writing your own.

1. Keep it short and sweet

The last thing your prospect wants to do is sit there and listen to a long rambling voicemail — so they won’t. To ensure your prospect listens to your full message, keep it as short as possible, aiming for under 30 seconds. 

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Hi Angela,

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This is Ryan from ABC Incorporated.

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I’m calling because I received your inquiry about our [product/service]. 

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I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to speak with you directly, but I’d love to set aside some time next week to discuss how we've helped companies like yours benefit from [resolving a pain point] by utilizing our [product/service].

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You can reach me at [phone number]. 

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I understand you’re busy, so if I don’t hear from you I will follow up by [time to follow up].

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I look forward to hearing from you. Have a great day! 

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Bye.

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2. Show you’ve done your research

Make sure you research your prospect before calling them so you can personalize your message with relevant information. For example, you could take note of the prospect's key business KPIs, as well as the prospect's competitors, recent internal changes to the organization, and their main pain points and challenges.

Mention information that is most relevant to your pitch and important to your prospect so that your voicemail leaves a good impression on them. 

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Hi Charlotte, 

This is Steven from 123 Company.

I came across your company and noticed that you offer [product/service], which is why I wanted to touch base with you. 

Our team has been working on something that could help you [benefit from using your product/service] and I'd love to discuss it with you. 

Please give me a call back at [phone number]. I’m typically available Monday through Friday from [times of availability].

I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you!

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3. Sell the next interaction, not your offering

Remember that you aren’t trying to sell your prospects anything on your voicemail. You're leaving them a message to explain how you can be of assistance and add value to them. Make sure you focus your script on getting their attention rather than trying to sell them on your offerings. 

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Hi Destiny,

It’s Jenny from XYZ Company.

I was hoping to catch you and offer you a chance to improve your [pain point] with our new [product/service] solution. We’re just testing it now but I think your company would be a great candidate to get in on the ground floor. 

You can give me a call back at [phone number] or send me an email at [email address] — whichever you prefer. 

Thanks. 

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4. Establish a personal connection

Building personal connections with your customers is essential to maintaining a good relationship with them. To start the interaction off on the right foot, you could mention something you have in common with the prospect, such as a shared alma mater or connection on LinkedIn. 

This strategy helps turn you from a stranger to an acquaintance who’s reaching out, increasing your chances of getting a call back.

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Hey Alex,

This is Kevin with XYZ Company. You and I [how/why/when you connected].

I wanted to get in touch with you because I have an idea that could potentially transform the way things are for you at [prospect’s company] and I wanted to run it by you.

Can you give me a call back on my cell at [phone number]?

Hope to chat soon!

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5. Let them know they’re missing out

FOMO, or fear of missing out, is a real thing — and it works great in sales, too! When prospects feel like they’re missing out on a great opportunity, they’ll be more likely to respond to you.

You can leverage FOMO by sharing case studies of companies that faced similar challenges or competitors that have achieved great success from working with you.

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Hi Samir,

This is Allie at ABC Company. 

I’m reaching out because one of my clients similar to you used my [product/service] to [result of using your product/service].

I’d love to share with you how they did it to see if we can produce the same results for you.

Could you call me back at [phone number]? I’m typically available [times of availability].

Hope to hear from you soon!

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6. Mention a mutual connection

By leveraging a mutual connection or a referrer, you automatically establish some authority with your prospect because the connection is technically social proof. Make sure to mention this person in the “reason for calling” part of your sales voicemail script.

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Hi Vinny,

My name is Angelica calling from XYZ Business. [Referrer’s name] suggested I reach out and book a meeting with you. 

[Referrer] gave me your details because we have helped them over at [referrer’s company] [insert specific benefit relevant to the prospect], and they think we can do the same for you.

I’ll send a follow-up email right now with details on how [referrer’s name] thinks we can help you.

It’d be great to speak to you this week. You can give me a call back at [phone number] or contact me through email.

I’ll be in touch.

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7. Mind your voice and delivery

Your tone of voice and delivery is a major element that can make or break your sales pitch. You want to ensure your prospect knows just how excited you are about potentially working with them, so convey that in your tone of voice. 

Make sure your voice is steady and clear, and avoid coming off as bored, tired, or robotic. You also want to make sure you aren’t rushing through your script so that the prospect can easily understand you. 

If you tend to talk fast, try adding times for pauses in your script or breaking up each sentence to remind yourself to talk slowly and steadily. 

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Hi Oliver,

This is Jasper calling from ABC Business. 

I just wanted to follow up on your recent inquiry about our [product/service] and let you know that we're excited to have you on board. 

Our team has been hard at work perfecting the [product/service] and we can't wait for you to see it in action. 

Give me a call back at [phone number] so we can discuss your needs and get you started with [product/service].

I’ll also follow up with an email right now to share more resources that can help you get started. 

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Thank you and have a great day!

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8. Show them you care

If you’ve got the time to spare, put together something to share with your prospect via email before giving them a call. It doesn't have to be extremely in-depth, but a custom report on some of your findings based on your research of their company could do wonders for earning their attention and interest. 

It shows you care and have gone the extra mile for them, proving that this isn’t just another mass-delivered outreach campaign. 

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Hi David,

Parker from XYZ Business here. 

I just sent over a brief report I put together on [prospect’s company] to your email that showcases some of your key strengths and weaknesses. I think you’ll find it useful given [reason].

If you find it helpful, just shoot me a message back or give me a call at [phone number] and I can give you some more insight.

Again, this is Parker from XYZ Business. 

Thanks.

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9. Mention results

While you’re telling your prospect about the benefits of calling you back, it’s best practice to share tangible results in the process. 

So if you sell a project management tool that can help save teams time with automatic workflows, mention that data in your results — ideally a statistic that’s most relevant to your prospect.

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Hi Amber, 

This is Sherry from ABC Company.

I’m calling because I’d love to set aside some time next week to discuss how we've helped companies just like yours increase their [specific metric] by [percentage].

You can reach me at [phone number] or send me an email at [email address]. 

I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks.

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10. Create a sense of urgency

Urgency gets people's attention, as they don’t want to miss out on any great deals coming their way. If you’re running a special or limited-time deal on your offerings, make sure to mention that in your sales voicemail script.

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Hi Jeff, 

This is Mark from XYZ company. 

I wanted to touch base with you real quick about a new [product/service] that I think you’d love, but we only have so many slots for the first round. 

Get back to me as soon as you can and I’ll hook you up. My number is [phone number]. 

Thanks.

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Let Smith.ai handle your sales messages

A sales voicemail script is a great tool that can help your team stay consistent with your brand and improve the overall effectiveness of your sales messages. 

It’s no secret that effective sales communication can take up a large portion of your day-to-day activities, so leave it to the pros at Smith.ai. Our virtual receptionists offer 24/7 solutions for call answering, call backs, live chat, outreach campaigns, and so much more. 

To learn more about what we can do for you, schedule a free consultation.