Cold calling with skype - going to voicemail ?

by 33 replies
35
Hey guys,

I started cold calling using skype. The problem I am facing is that the calls go to voicemail every single time. I have tried about 30 calls by now. I might be dreaming but do people have any automated setup to send skype calls to voicemail instead of answering or something ?

Have you guys faced something like this ? Are these stats normal in cold calling ? Should I switch to getting a dedicated number ? What is your setup ?

P.S I'm asking about international calling.

EDIT : MeTellYou helped me figure it out. Thank you ! It was a problem with the number showing on the caller id. I had to get a US number and add it to skype's caller id option. I made 5 calls since then and 2 picked up. Earlier it was 1 out of 30.
#main internet marketing discussion forum #calling #cold #skype #voicemail
  • I'm just a lil' business so if you're calling people like me, if I'm answering calls, just a wild guess but, if I see an int'l number I'm letting it go to VM because chances are it's gonna be spam or scam.
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    • This is exactly why it's so effective to DOUBLE TAP!

      As a cold caller myself, I've qualified and opened new accounts for my firm using this effective method.
      • [1] reply
  • Most phones today have Caller ID's, if a strange number appears it easier to let it go to VM. If they are in the office and hear you hang up
    or leave a message they can decied the value of the call. In the US spam is a big problem so it is worth screening calls.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • That's what I was thinking. What do you guys suggest? Should I get a dedicated US number to better the rate (currently is close to 0%). Or, should I resort to cold emails ? Does leaving a voice message ever work for a cold call ?

      As business owners, what do you guys prefer ?
  • I don't think the actual phone number is necessarily a major hurdle. Spam comes from US numbers also. Essentially the key is to make someone want to talk to you by offering real value to a decision maker.

    Yes, voice messages definitely work. Just be sure to use strong value statements. I've done a lot of cold calling, and even if they don't call you back after leaving a VM, often they will actually hear the message and this can be a great way of making multiple impressions (send an email after or just call back in a couple of days).

    Cold emails are much worse than leaving a VM because they are just so easy to ignore, and many people receive hundreds of emails per day. Not saying it can't work, but I think effective cold calling gives you a much better chance.
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    • Thank you very much for the insights. I have been calling, and when they don't pick up, I hangup and send an email. I will start leaving a voice message too. That should improve the number of responses I get on my emails.
  • I international cold call all the time, and can say I have never had this issue. ( but I don't use skype ) I think I can almost say that my percentage of an answer is GREATER when doing this vs cold calling in the States.

    A stupid question, but I have to ask... are you taking into consideration the time difference when you are calling?
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    • I haven't tried calling anywhere other than U.S. yet but the one call I made was well received. I think it is the difference in markets. Maybe, I should shift focus.

      I would feel very stupid if I had to say no to your question. Even then, I wouldn't tell here, would I ?
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  • I wouldn't waste time disecting this in fairness, since it's quite clear.

    You can't and won't get through to people, because you are taking liberties (like others) as a someone who's a stranger using a platform which is otherwise quite personal and considered private. Getting a reply is one thing, scoring actual business is the next.

    Instead of the 'cold' anything, bring in some heat and some decent money by leads which are sourced intelligently, considering 'Reactive marketing strategies'.
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  • If cold-calling was dead, then telemarketing would be dead. However, telemarketing is a live and well and the reason for it is because it's still profitable.



    Same thing goes for commercial spam, it still exists because it's still profitable.


    A high enough percentage or people/businesses buy products/services from telemarketing and commercial spam. As long as this is the case and as long as the costs for telemarketing and commercial spam sending do not increase too much, they will always be profitable if you know how to make work it.
  • I almost let every number that I don't recognize goto VM. I personally don't have time for cold calls or telemarketers. I have a feeling many are in the same boat.
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    • I'm sure. However, 1 out of 3 calls picked is good enough if you are doing good prospecting as a cold called.

      I have had clients who were grateful to me for finding them. Some cold calls prove to be useful, you might want to start picking up
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  • Realize I'm just guessing. I don't really know what "double tapping" is in the telemarketing world. I know that in the firearms world it means shooting at a target 2 times consecutively (in close succession) using the same sight picture of the target.
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    • The thread is regarding cold calling, not telemarketing. Easy to confuse them but -

      • [1] reply
  • Far better to create useful content and allow people to flow to you buddy.
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    Cold calling with skype - going to voicemail ?

    Hey guys, I started cold calling using skype. The problem I am facing is that the calls go to voicemail every single time. I have tried about 30 calls by now. I might be dreaming but do people have any automated setup to send skype calls to voicemail instead of answering or something ?