You have a hot prospect, someone you know you can sell — or at least advance in the sales process — if you can only get some face time, or even a solid phone conversation. You call to make an appointment, but receive the all-too-prevalent answer these days:

“Hello, this is Barb Gerber, Operations Manager at Blake Industries. I’m currently away from my desk or on the phone. Please leave a message and I’ll . . . .”

The frustration of the voice mail barrier. And a dilemma. You can hang up and try back all afternoon (if you even have the time) or you can leave a message in the faint hope that your voice mail will receive priority over all the rest. You do have an advantage, though, in breaking this barrier — Q4 selling skills.

If you think about it, every voice mail message you leave for a prospect is nothing less than a sales call, an attempt to close, not on a product or service, but on getting an appointment or some phone time. Which Q4 selling tool will help you get noticed and get action?