The hidden sales killer most professionals don’t even notice

Several sales professionals and small business owners are losing potential customers way before the first conversation ever happens… and unfortunately, most don’t even realize it’s happening.

At least that is the central warning from Matt Easton, Founder of Easton University, who argues that default voicemail greetings and AI-based call screening have introduced an unintended layer of friction between sales professionals and the buyers they are trying to reach, on today’s CBT Now episode.

Drawing on data from more than 100 sales calls he personally makes each day, Easton found that 83% of salespeople either use AI call screening or have never recorded a personalized outgoing voicemail. Instead, Easton believes they default to generic, out-of-the-box greetings that signal indifference to incoming callers.

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The problem, Easton contends, is one of perception. When a prospective buyer encounters an AI screening prompt that requires them to state their name and reason for calling before being connected, the subconscious effect is one of rejection. Rather than feeling welcomed, the caller feels as though they must audition for the privilege of speaking with someone who is supposed to be earning their business. 

A professional voicemail

In a competitive marketplace where a smartphone gives any prospect instant access to a competitor, that moment of friction can be enough to end the opportunity entirely, according to Easton.

“[The] same phone that’s costing you deals is also giving them access to your competition. So make sure you’re answering your phone when you can. But when you can’t… which is most of the time… make sure that you don’t either have call screening or one of the standard out-of-the-box recordings.”

Easton recommends that sales professionals replace default greetings with a brief, personalized message that identifies who they are, affirms that the caller matters, and opens the door to multiple communication channels. The goal is to remove any sense of hierarchy or inconvenience from the experience while giving the caller a clear path forward, regardless of whether they prefer to leave a voicemail or send a text.

In regard to steering callers toward text communication, Easton draws a sharp distinction between language that empowers a caller and language that subtly diminishes them. Phrases that promise a faster response via text, he argues, imply that the caller is not worth a real conversation, an impression that undermines trust before any dialogue begins. 

Conversely, offering both options with equal weight achieves the same practical outcome while preserving the caller’s sense of being valued.

Omni-channel follow-up

Beyond the outgoing voicemail, Easton advocates for an omni-channel follow-up approach in which a phone call, voicemail, text, and email are deployed in close sequence when reaching out to a prospect. This strategy, Easton believes, maximizes the chance of connecting on a channel the prospect prefers without forcing them down a single path.

Across all channels, Easton emphasizes brevity and precision over pleasantries. Long voicemails and multi-paragraph text messages place an unnecessary burden on the recipient and dilute the core message. A skillful outreach, such as one that identifies the caller, references the specific deal or need, and provides a direct callback number, respects the prospect’s time and communicates professionalism far more effectively than elaborate greetings or extended introductions.

Easton frames these adjustments not as major overhauls but as marginal improvements that compound into meaningful revenue gains over time. For sales professionals operating in a high-volume, high-competition environment, the difference between a default setup and a deliberate one, he argues, is often the difference between a closed deal and a missed opportunity.