Voicemail Usage is Costing Contractor Jobs and Money

Voicemail Usage for Contractors

Contractors don’t realise how many potential contracts they are losing by their voicemail usage. Only 3-in-10 of callers will actually leave a message – and most agencies don’t ring back.

Picture the scenario. A recruiter has got a company who wants them to send in some CVs for a role. Nowadays agencies have to inform contractors, by law, that they are going to submit their CVs.

However, they want to get a jump on their rivals by getting their CVs in first.

They have done a search for the appropriate skills wanted by the client.

They have, in front of them, on their screens, dozens and maybe hundreds of contractors who fit the profile.

Select the Best CV Match

They select those they think are the best match and proceed to call them.

Some they get through to. They tell them about the contract opportunity and ask their permission to submit their CVs to the client.

However, one or two are just voice messages.

That’s a bit of a bummer for them.

So, they don’t bother leaving a message and just go straight on to the next contractor on their screen.

This could be happening to you. Perhaps you are at work and don’t want to take calls.

Won’t Leave a Voicemail Message

It seems that 69% of people who call you won’t leave you a message if you ask them to on your voicemail. They simply ring off.

This will include agencies looking for you to submit your CV.

It seems that most contractors just use the standard network voicemail greeting.

Only 33% of contractors tailor their message to their businesses.

It seems, also, that 34% of contractors don’t answer the phone at times and simply let it go to voicemail.

Lost Contract Opportunities

This could all be having a detrimental effect on ttheir businesses and contract opportunities.

It means that they will only hear of 31% of vacancies when agencies call them when their voicemail is on.

That’s frightening.

Just imagine the opportunities that must have gone begging when you had your Voicemail on.

Effect on Contractors’ Businesses

Moneypenny’s survey shows that this coud be having a huge effect on contractors’ businesses. Can you imagine being out of work for months not knowing how to pay the bills when an agency wanted to send your CV to a client but couldn’t get through to you because you had your Voicemail on?

Having Voicemail on could cost contractors tens of thousands of pounds if they missed out on a golden opportunity?

So, what can they do about it?

Frstly, don’t have your Voicemail on when you don’t have to have it on, e.g. at night when you are just watching TV.

Phone Off at Work

However, sometimes you need to have it on, e.g. if you are at work and you have to go to a meeting.

At some clients’ they are not keen for you to have your phone on at all. However, if that is not the case, keep your phone on.

Even if you have to go to meetings you could have an arrangment with other contractors.

Instead of switching your phone off when you go to a meeting, ask another contractpr if you can leave your phone with him / her.

Do the same for them.

Getting Renewed

This is especially important for the later stages of a contract when you are not getting renewed and you need to keep on he look out for fresh opportunities.

According to Ed of Moneypenny “Quite simply, a customer getting through to a voicemail instead of a person is like tearing up money.

“It’s akin to walking into a shop with no one at the till. Buyers simply ring the next supplier on the list,” said Ed Reeves, director and co-founder of Moneypenny.

Prospective Customers Hang Up

“Pretty much every prospective customer hangs up at an answer message, yet so many businesses, especially those run from mobiles, have no solution in place. UK SME’s are losing a fortune in business opportunities, and our dependency on operating our business from our mobiles is making things worse.

Ed continued: “We all hate leaving voicemail messages as much as we dislike listening to them. But if a mobile is answered by a real person, you’ve immediately got a business connection. It really is that simple.

“Larger companies have long ago realised the value of this personal touch, but it seems their smaller peers are still lagging behind and missing even the basics of a professional business front.”

Mobile Answering Services

Moneypenny have devloped an answering service called Mobile Answering which deals professionally with any calls you get when your phone is off. It re-routes to them rather than voicemail.

It’s designed for small businesses like contractors.

Even without this, contractors, after reading the facts here, should try and keep their phones on as much as possible and make arrangements for someone else to babysit the phone when they really cannot take calls.

Another option is to redirect it to a real person rather than Voicemail – as long as that person isn’t on Voicemail too.

Don’t let crucial contract opportunities pass you by when you most need them.

69% of callers won’t leave a voicemail when you phone is on Voicemail. They’ll simply ring off.

Remember that figure.

Yoru Voicemail Usage may be costing you dear.