A potential customer is calling, but you cannot take the call. You’ve heard business experts and gurus say that you should personally answer as many calls as possible, but there will always be times when you’re in a meeting or talking to another client on the phone, working on a client site, having lunch, dropping the kids off at school or about to solve a tricky problem you don’t want to be distracted from.

That’s what voicemail is for. Right?

Well… that depends on how many leads your business can afford to lose.

Studies consistently show that most callers simply hang up if their call goes to voicemail instead of being answered by a real person:

• 80% of callers who receive a voice mail system hang up. (Fortune Magazine, 2006)
• Callers responding to print, media, or telemarketing campaigns are 8x more likely to leave their information with a live representative than on a voicemail. (Sales Summary, 2007)
• When responding to print, radio, or RV ads, only 21% of the 10,000 customers surveyed said they would likely leave their name and phone number on an answering machine, with 68% not likely and 11% not likely. that is not sure. (ABC Advertising via the New York Times, 2008)
• 70% of callers never leave a message when calls are answered by a voice mail service. (Alex Drumheller, 2010)

At an average of 75%, that means that for every message left on your voicemail service, three callers hung up (and quite possibly called one of your competitors). That’s a high percentage of potential business that is being turned down, and many businesses don’t realize they’re losing out.

Let’s repeat that for emphasis. 75% of calls are lost.

Now that you know the problem exists, what are you going to do about it? Many businesses simply cannot justify the expense of a full-time receptionist. The good news is that there is an affordable alternative.

For the fraction of the cost of hiring a receptionist, you can sign up for a live answering service. These services are performed through call centers, which have professionals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your “virtual receptionist” greets callers using your business name when you’re not available to answer the phone and sends you instant messages via SMS and email. With some plans, the receptionist can even transfer the call directly to you.

For best results, you should select a call center in your home country. That way, you can be sure that callers are greeted by someone with a good grasp of the local language who is familiar with local customs and sensitivities.

You can select the times of day and the conditions (eg “busy” or “no answer”) when your calls are redirected to the call center. And with live response plans starting as low as $29 per month, it’s probably one of the easiest and the most profitable ways to increase sales opportunities.

Again, let’s repeat that for emphasis. Stop losing 75% of your calls from as little as $29 per month.