## The 22-second rule
Any voicemail longer than 22 seconds gets deleted. Any voicemail shorter than 12 sounds robotic. The sweet spot is 16–20 seconds, and every word has to earn its place.
## The script
> "Hi {{firstName}}, it's Alex from Headhunter. I'm calling because we just helped {{similar company}} double their reply rate on cold outbound and I had an idea I think would work for {{their company}}. My number is {{number}} — call back when you have a second. Thanks {{firstName}}."
That's 19 seconds when read at a normal pace. Notice:
- First name twice (start and end)
- A specific outcome, not a feature
- One clear ask: call back
- No pitch, no link, no follow-up promise
## The trick most teams miss
Drop the voicemail **before** you send the cold email, not after. The voicemail primes recognition, and the email arrives an hour later with "as I mentioned in my voicemail" in line one. Reply rates roughly double.
## When not to use voicemail drops
- C-suite at enterprise — they have gatekeepers; email and LinkedIn first
- Markets with strict consent rules (Germany, parts of Canada) — get opt-in
- Anyone who's already in an active sequence — you'll just annoy them