Looking to keep your agents productive and your leads warm, but tired of wasting time on endless ringing and no-answers? Smart voicemail drops can help you reach more people—without burning out your team or annoying your prospects. If you’re running outbound campaigns using Convoso, this guide will show you exactly how to set up and fine-tune voicemail drops that actually work. No vague promises. No “one weird trick.” Just a clear walkthrough and some hard-won lessons from the trenches.
Whether you’re new to voicemail drops or just want to avoid the most common mistakes, you’ll find what you need here.
What Are Smart Voicemail Drops (And Do They Even Work?)
Let’s get one thing out of the way: voicemail drops are not magic. They’re just a way to automatically leave a pre-recorded voicemail when a live person doesn’t pick up. The “smart” part usually means the system tries to detect voicemail boxes and only plays your message if it’s sure it’s connected.
Done well, voicemail drops can:
- Save your agents a ton of time (no more repeating the same message 100 times a day)
- Ensure your message is always clear and consistent
- Gently nudge prospects to call you back or take action
But let’s be real—bad voicemail drops can make you sound like a robot, get you flagged as spam, or just annoy people. So the setup actually matters.
Step 1: Prep Your Voicemail Audio (Don’t Phone This In)
Before you even touch the settings in Convoso, you need a voicemail recording that sounds like a real human—ideally, the same person who’d be calling if they got through. Here’s what works:
- Keep it short. 20–30 seconds max. Long-winded voicemails get skipped.
- Sound personal. Use the agent’s real voice, not a generic recording. Avoid “Hello, valued customer…”
- State your name, company, and a quick reason for calling. Don’t be mysterious—that just gets you ignored.
- Leave a callback number. Repeat it twice, slowly.
- Don’t promise a call back unless you mean it. If you say you’ll call again, do it.
Pro tip: Record in a quiet room with a decent microphone. Bad audio = instant delete.
Most people overthink the script. Just sound like you’re leaving a quick note for a friend-of-a-friend. Here’s a solid template:
“Hi, this is Alex with Main Street Solar. Sorry I missed you. I just had a quick question about your solar inquiry. When you get a chance, give me a call back at 555-123-4567. Again, that’s 555-123-4567. Thanks!”
Once you’re happy with the recording, save it as an MP3 or WAV file.
Step 2: Upload Your Voicemail Audio to Convoso
Now you’ll need to get your recording into the Convoso platform. Here’s how:
- Log in to Convoso.
- Go to the Call Recordings or Audio Library (the wording may differ depending on your account settings).
- Look for an option like Upload New Recording.
- Pick your file, give it a clear name (“SolarVM_2024”), and save.
Watch out for:
- File size limits (Convoso usually caps uploads at a few MB).
- Supported formats (stick to MP3 or WAV).
- Accidentally uploading the wrong version (double-check before you save).
Step 3: Enable Voicemail Drops for Your Campaign
Now it’s time to actually turn on voicemail drops for your outbound campaign.
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Navigate to Campaign Settings
In Convoso, go to Campaigns and pick the campaign you want to use voicemail drops with. -
Find the Voicemail Drop or Answering Machine Detection Section
This is often under a tab like Advanced Settings, Disposition Settings, or AMD/Voicemail (depends on your Convoso version). -
Turn On AMD (Answering Machine Detection)
- AMD is what tells Convoso whether a call is picked up by a person or a machine.
- You usually want this enabled for voicemail drops.
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Some folks disable it because it’s not perfect. But unless your agents love leaving voicemails by hand, keep it on.
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Enable Voicemail Drop Feature
- There should be a toggle or checkbox to Allow Voicemail Drops for agents.
- Save your changes.
Honest take:
AMD is never 100% accurate. Sometimes it thinks a human is a machine (or vice versa). Test it first—don’t just trust the marketing.
Step 4: Assign Voicemail Recordings to Agents (Optional but Smart)
If your campaign involves multiple agents, you can assign specific voicemail recordings to each agent. This makes callbacks more personal and avoids the “robot call center” vibe.
- Go to your Agent Settings or User Management.
- Assign the appropriate voicemail drop recording to each agent.
- Make sure agents know which recording is theirs, especially if they handle callbacks.
Tip: If you have a small team, this is worth doing. For huge teams, keep it simple—just use a generic (but still human-sounding) message.
Step 5: Train Your Agents on When and How to Use Voicemail Drops
This is the step most teams skip. Don’t. If agents use voicemail drops at the wrong time, or in the wrong way, you’ll just annoy your leads.
- Show them how to trigger a voicemail drop. Usually, there’s a button in the Convoso agent interface that says “Drop Voicemail” or similar.
- Remind them: Only drop a voicemail if they’re sure it’s not a live person.
- Have a backup plan: If AMD gets it wrong and a live person picks up, your agent should be ready to actually talk—not just hang up.
What to ignore:
Don’t worry about making agents memorize scripts for live calls and voicemails. Just make sure they know the process and sound human.
Step 6: Set Up Reporting and Monitor Results
You set it up—now make sure it’s working. Here’s what to check:
- Monitor Answering Machine Rate:
In Convoso’s reports, look for how often calls go to voicemail versus a live answer. If it seems off (way too high or low), your AMD settings may need tweaking. - Track Voicemail Drop Usage:
Are agents actually using the feature? Are voicemails being left where you expect? - Check Callback Rates:
Are leads calling back? If not, it might be your script, your audio quality, or maybe your number is flagged as spam.
Pro tip: Don’t expect a flood of callbacks. Industry average is low—think 2% or less. But even a small bump is better than nothing.
Step 7: Fine-Tune and Troubleshoot
Nothing’s perfect out of the box. Here are common issues and what to do:
- AMD Misses or False Positives:
- Calls with long greetings (e.g., “Hi, you’ve reached...”) can stump AMD.
- If you notice lots of mistakes, try adjusting AMD sensitivity settings in Convoso, or switch to manual drops for tricky lists.
- Bad Sounding Voicemails:
- If your message sounds muffled or gets cut off, re-record it and check audio settings.
- Spam Labeling or Call Blocking:
- If nobody’s calling back and your contact rate plummets, your number might be flagged as spam. Rotate numbers, or use reputable caller ID management tools.
- Agents Forgetting to Drop Voicemail:
- Add reminders in your scripts or run a quick refresher training.
What to Ignore
Here’s what not to sweat:
- Over-optimizing your voicemail script:
Don’t chase “the perfect voicemail.” Just be clear, brief, and human. - Fancy background music or sound effects:
It’s a voicemail, not a podcast. - Exotic file formats:
Stick to MP3 or WAV. Anything else invites headaches.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Smart voicemail drops aren’t a silver bullet, but they can help you run smoother outbound campaigns in Convoso—if you keep things practical. Start with a clear, human message. Set up the basics. Test once, then check your numbers. Tweak as you go. Don’t get lost in the weeds—just make it a little better each week.
Remember: your leads know when they’re talking to a machine. Make it easy for them to call back, and don’t overthink it. Good luck.