Communication and sales Getting the call back Joy Baldridge, author of the "Fast Forward MBA in Selling" (Wiley, 2000), has made more than a quarter-million cold calls and has always ranked number one in every sales position she held. Here are some strategies that have helped Baldridge and her clients persuade prospects to return their calls. "Use voice mail to your advantage. Your voice tone and manner are important. Let your voice convey a friendly expectation that the call will be returned." One client told Baldridge, "You sounded like someone I would like to know - someone I could learn from. Your enthusiasm was the main reason I called back." To double your chances of success, Baldridge says, "Use your prospect's name and the name of your referral in the first five seconds of your call. If your prospect doesn't return your calls, send an email message. Many people who never return voice mail messages will press reply on their emails. Call back on another day. You may have reached the prospect on a bad day, and the hostility may have nothing to do with you. Source: Selling Power: "Expert Advice: Call Me!", Joy Baldridge, September 2001