There's a lot riding on leaving a message after the beep.

Because you can't rely on the energy and spontaneity that a two-way conversation can provide, the success of a sales voicemail lies on the shoulders of the person leaving it. Sales reps, we're looking at you.

There's a lot of pressure when leaving a message for a prospect, begging the question, "Is it worth my time to stress over a silly voicemail that might not even be listened to?" The answer is yes.

Why? Because when you get a call back, you can be sure that that person is interested enough in your business to have followed up after hearing your message. While it may seem tedious to leave voicemail after voicemail to your list of prospects, when they give you a call back, there is an added layer of assuredness that they might convert into a customer.

So yeah, it's worth it to leave a voicemail when prospecting. And it's also worth it to sharpen up your skills before dialing.