LinkedIn voice messages: your untapped sales channel

October 22, 2020

Pedro Guimaraes

In 2018, LinkedIn launched a new feature: LinkedIn Voice Messages. This new feature allows users to send 1-minute long voice messages to any connection on LinkedIn.

However, the reason why not a lot of people know about it is because it’s only available in the LinkedIn mobile app. Like some of the best sales leaders in the industry have already understood, this feature can be a great opportunity to stand out and get people’s attention.

Does that mean that you need to open your LinkedIn mobile app whenever you want to reach out to someone? No, this is where things get interesting. To make this feature more accessible and actually leverage it, Amplemarket’s extension recently made it available in the browser!

The benefits of using LinkedIn voice messaging

How many LinkedIn voice messages have you ever received? Probably not that many (if any). It’s a new channel that will automatically grab a person’s attention just because of its novelty - people are curious!

Besides, voice messages feel inherently more personal than text. The voice messages feature is something that most people are used to seeing on apps like WhatsApp or iMessage and it’s associated with something that you should pay attention to.

Generally speaking, you should always be considering different ways of connecting with your prospects and LinkedIn Voice Messages are a great way to stand out from the crowd and achieve much higher engagement rates.

How to send a voice message on LinkedIn

#1 Use it as an unconventional first touch

The idea is to leverage this less conventional channel in your first touch and make a great first impression.

Step 1: Do your research and connect with the prospect beforehand (2-3 days)

Whenever you reach out to someone, it’s crucial that you have found potential buying intent from this prospect. If this is found, you should find some elements to personalize your message. This can range from industry, title, interests, etc they mention on the LinkedIn profile to other information you may have collected somewhere else (example: recent company news, referral by xyz, etc).

Note: If you’re using these voice messages in complement to an email sequence. You can use LinkedIn bulk actions on Amplemarket to quickly connect with all the prospects on that sequence.

Step 2: Structure your voice message

Be concise. Although LinkedIn allows you to send 1-minute long messages, keep your message under 30 seconds.
Have a powerful and personalized intro (first 7-10 secs). You want to get the prospect’s attention in the first 5 seconds. Prospects don’t like to lose time with spammers, so make sure to leverage your research and personalize your message.

“Hey {{first_name}}, I figured I’d drop you a message as I’m sure that everyone is probably texting you at this moment.”

“Hi {{firstname}}, I looked at your profile and saw that you are {{title}} at {{companyname}}. I figured that [topic] falls into your wheelhouse.”

Introduce your value proposition (next 15 secs). Prove that you’re worth continuing to listen to. Follow the introduction with a strong message that provides value.

“We just got off a call with a client we recently helped solve [issue] for in only a matter of weeks.”

“We’re currently helping clients with [problemyousolve] and I was curious to see if this is also something you’ve been facing recently.”

End with an effective call to action (5-10 secs). The end goal of your message is to get the prospect to engage with you. Make sure you offer a chance to get a reply.

“I would love to schedule a call to go over this issue, would you be the best person to discuss this with?"

Step 3: Record, listen and send your message!

When you practice, record it so you can listen to yourself. Make sure you sound conversational, not too formal nor too casual. Speak in a clear tone and don’t rush the script (even though it’s only 30 secs you’ll see that you have time to say all the relevant things you need).

When you're ready, hit send!

Step 4: Follow-up with text

Prospects aren’t usually aware of this functionality, so they might be skeptical to open your voice message. Send them a personalized very short text to make sure they are prompted to open your recording.

“Hi {{first_name}}, just dropped a quick message over here, keen to hear back.”

#2 Use it as a soft reminder within a sales sequence

LinkedIn voice messages can also be used as a reminder within an ongoing sales sequence. You can have high relevancy first touch via email and follow up with a LinkedIn Voice Message that is a bit less personalized than the first touch but will get some attention points due to the novelty of the channel.

Additionally, when leaving a voice message you’ll be visiting the prospect’s profile which will trigger a LinkedIn notification and create another way to naturally grab the prospect’s attention.

Here is an example of what you could say in this situation:

“Hey {{firstname}}, I just shot you an email but figured dropping you a message to explain why I’m reaching out to you. I saw that you are {{title}} at {companyname}} and figured that [topic] falls into your wheelhouse. Are you the right person to discuss this with?”

#3 Use it as an unexpected last touch

LinkedIn voice messages can also be used as a last resource when the prospect has been unresponsive on all the other channels. Again, the channel’s novelty will help you grab the prospect’s attention and you could also leverage the fact that you have tirelessly exhausted all the possibilities to connect with the prospect.

Here is an example of what you could say in this situation:

“Hi {{first_name}}, I thought I’d give it a last shot. We’re currently working with… Do you think this is worth a conversation?”

Enhance your networking with LinkedIn voice messages

As digital networking evolves, so should the tools and methods we use to engage with our prospects and professional contacts!

Here's how LinkedIn voice messages can help you amplify your connections and stand out from your competitors:

Building personal connections: Compared to text-based messages, voice messages add for more personal touches to your communication. They give you more scope for experimenting in tone, emotion, and personality, which are crucial elements in building stronger, more authentic relationships.
Efficient and time-saving: Voice messages can often communicate complex ideas more effectively than text, saving time for both you and the recipient. Remember, time is valuable to your prospects!
Standing out in a crowded platform: Not many people are using LinkedIn voice messages - so use this to your advantage!
Immediate and convenient: Voice messages on LinkedIn fell more authentic and personal, especially when you and your prospects are on the go. They provide a quick way to reach out without the need for a formal email or scheduling a call.
Creating a lasting impression: A well-crafted voice message can leave a lasting impression on the recipient. It shows that you've taken the time to personally reach out, which can go a long way in building rapport.
Expanding your professional reach: You could try using LinkedIn voice messages to follow up after networking events, webinars, or meetings. It’s a great way to keep the conversation going and stay top of mind with new contacts!
Incorporating into your multichannel strategy: Integrate voice messaging into your broader multichannel outreach to complement your emails, calls, and LinkedIn posts, and maximize your chances of getting a response!

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A couple more resources to help you nail sales calls:

If you’re struggling to make your cold outbound to stand out from the others reach out to team@amplemarket.com. There’s no shame in it and we won’t ask anything in return 😇