Voicemail or not to voicemail... that is the question.

I recently answered a question on Linkedin regarding the responses appropriate for cold calling voicemails so enjoy and check out Linkedin if you are not already a part of the community.

What kind of cold call business voicemails, do you call back?

Wow! I am surprised at the answers to this one... Self promotion aside, I leave thousands of messages, make thousands of cold calls and get hundreds of responses to my voicemails. Not that I have any tricks or anything but I have an expectation of a return call and my message says so.

By virtue of the fact that a person is "cold calling" they should not expect a lot of "cold responding" but they should have an expectation nonetheless.

It seems to me the people take offense at voicemails, pink slip notes and the like these days under the guise of "not having enough time..." I think that people who hide behind, "I am too busy to return a voicemail" or "I am not going to do their work for them" or any of those silly answers are really saying: I am a discourteous person or I do not value building relationships or I am close minded or I started out at the top or I do not employ people who I expect to make cold calls and track their voicemail responses... and a host of other COUGH, COUGH, COUEXCUSES. Pardon me, something stuck in my throat.

The reality is that we all expect people to return our calls (whether we admit it or not) and are offended if/ when this does not occur. "Why didn't you return my call Mom?" Oops, she does not return cold call voicemails either. It is a fundamental human trait to desire acceptance and be regarded with respect and returning a call can exhibit this courtesy to another. If I call any of the "nevers", I expect a call back if it's reasonable and my inquiry is viable based upon the timing.

More reality here... since I am calling the "always" and "sometimes" as much as the "nevers" I am probably too busy to call you again as I am probably talking with the people who have returned me calls. (see first paragraph and refer to "thousands of calls...")