How do you coach reps to leave voicemails that get callbacks?

Question

Pulse · Accepted Answer

![How do you coach reps to leave voicemails that get callbacks?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0YwyaJ1VaLE/maxresdefault.jpg)

### Direct Answer

Coach reps to leave voicemails that get callbacks by treating the voicemail as a **15-second teaser, not a pitch** — and by drilling the structure until it's automatic. The move that matters: make every voicemail name a **specific, relevant reason to call back** (a trigger event, a peer result, a question only they can answer) and end with a **clear, low-friction next step** plus a slow, repeated phone number. As a manager in 2027, your job isn't to write their scripts for them; it's to pull call recordings from **Gong** or **Salesloft**, score the voicemails against a tight rubric, and run weekly role-play until reps stop "checking in" and start giving prospects a reason to pick up. Callbacks are a leading indicator of message quality, so you coach the message — not the rep's mood.

![How do you coach reps to leave voicemails that get callbacks?](https://www.leadfuze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Four-Reasons-Salespeople-Absolutely-Must-Leave-Great-Sales-Call-Voicemail.png)

## Why This Happens — Diagnose Before You Coach

![How do you coach reps to leave voicemails that get callbacks? — Why This Happens — Diagnose Before You Coach](https://image.pollinations.ai/prompt/high%20quality%20editorial%20business%20professional%20office%20photograph%20illustrating%20Why%20This%20Happens%20%E2%80%94%20Diagnose%20Before%20You%20Coach%20How%20do%20you%20coach%20reps%20to%20leave%20voic%2C%20realistic%20magazine%20style%2C%20warm%20light%2C%20no%20text%2C%20no%20watermark?width=1200&height=675&nologo=true&model=flux&seed=94106)

Before you fix anything, find out *why* a rep's voicemails die. Most managers assume it's confidence ("they sound nervous") when it's usually message or relevance. Root-cause it across four lanes: **skill** (they don't know the structure), **will** (they leave throwaway voicemails because they don't believe voicemail works), **knowledge** (they don't have the trigger event or peer proof to make it relevant), or **system** (the cadence, list quality, or local-presence dialer is the real problem). Coaching the wrong lane wastes everyone's time — a rep with a bad list doesn't need a pep talk, and a rep who's bored doesn't need another script.

Pull three to five of the rep's recent voicemails from **Gong** or **Chorus** and listen for the tells. If the message rambles past 30 seconds, it's skill. If every voicemail is a generic "just following up," it's knowledge or will. If the voicemails are tight and relevant but nobody calls back, the problem is upstream — list, timing, or the fact that the prospect was never the right buyer. Diagnose, then coach.

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    A[Rep's voicemails get no callbacks] --> B{Listened to 3-5under br/over recent voicemails?}
    B -->|No| C[Pull recordings fromunder br/over Gong / Chorus first]
    C --> B
    B -->|Yes| D{Is the messageunder br/over tight under 25sunder br/over with a clear reason?}
    D -->|No, rambling| E[SKILL gap:under br/over drill the structure]
    D -->|Generic check-in| F{Do they have aunder br/over trigger event orunder br/over peer proof?}
    F -->|No| G[KNOWLEDGE gap:under br/over build relevance research]
    F -->|Yes but won't use it| H[WILL gap:under br/over belief + accountability]
    D -->|Yes, tight + relevant| I{Right list,under br/over timing, dialer?}
    I -->|No| J[SYSTEM gap:under br/over fix list / cadence / dialer]
    I -->|Yes| K[Volume + patience:under br/over callbacks lag, keep score]
    E --> L[Coach to the lane]
    G --> L
    H --> L
    J --> L
```

## The Coaching Conversation

![How do you coach reps to leave voicemails that get callbacks? — The Coaching Conversation](https://image.pollinations.ai/prompt/high%20quality%20editorial%20business%20professional%20office%20photograph%20illustrating%20The%20Coaching%20Conversation%20How%20do%20you%20coach%20reps%20to%20leave%20voicemails%20that%20get%20cal%2C%20realistic%20magazine%20style%2C%20warm%20light%2C%20no%20text%2C%20no%20watermark?width=1200&height=675&nologo=true&model=flux&seed=58279)

Run this as a 1:1 using the **GROW model** — Goal, Reality, Options, Will. Don't lecture; ask, then co-build. Here are the verbatim questions and the language to use.

**Goal.** Open with the outcome, not the criticism. Say:

> "Let's get your voicemails working harder. By Friday I want at least one callback from a voicemail. Walk me through what you're aiming for when you hit record."

**Reality.** Play one of their actual voicemails from **Salesloft** or **Gong**, then ask the diagnostic questions:

> "If you were the prospect and 12 reps left you a message today, what made this one worth a callback?"
> "What's the one specific reason you gave them to call you back?"
> "How long was that — and where could we cut?"

Let them hear it. Most reps wince at their own "Hi, this is just a courtesy call to touch base." T

Kory White

How do you coach reps to leave voicemails that get callbacks?

Why This Happens — Diagnose Before You Coach

The Coaching Conversation

The Coaching Plan / Cadence

Drills & Role-Play

What to Measure

Common Mistakes Managers Make

FAQ

Bottom Line

Related on PULSE

Sources

Kory White

How do you coach reps to leave voicemails that get callbacks?

Why This Happens — Diagnose Before You Coach

The Coaching Conversation

The Coaching Plan / Cadence

Drills & Role-Play

What to Measure

Common Mistakes Managers Make

FAQ

Bottom Line

Related on PULSE

Sources

Two scores — Gate vs IQ