A Corporate Facelift With Sound BytesBy R.J. Paradee, President First Impression Inc. and MediaRight Studios
If Baby Boomers can get botox and tummy tucks, then why don’t companies receive facelifts to improve their image as well? The telephone is
lifeblood of any business. Use it respectfully. Don’t leave your clients on-hold to listen to radio static or elevator music. With digital recording and delivery of sound files, professional production of on-hold advertising is both economical and necessary for a positive image. That’s right – it’s imperative that first impression a client receives of your business (even though they may never visit) is how they’re treated on telephone. How many times have you called a business to hear “Thank you for calling ABC Dental Office please hold” before you can get a word in edge-wise.” In many cases , what they have on-hold is your first impression of that company.
Music Selection Should be Appealing At very least, make certain on-hold music is a decent selection, and that you have permission to broadcast music to on-hold callers. After all music chosen is a direct reflection of your business. If you don’t get your licensed music from an On-Hold Message provider, you may obtain permission to play certain music on-hold from ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC, three large performing rights organizations.
Develop Content That Sells Products and Services Customers who are on-hold are essentially a captive audience. If you want on-hold time to turn into sales, consider hiring a professional producer to mix radio style commercials with licensed music. The copy should be specifically written to cross-sell your products and services. AT&T studies show that people will stay on-hold longer if they hear messages about your company during waiting period. Do not rely on “please hold for personal assistance to your call, or thank you for your patience while on hold” type of messages. I believe these type of messages hurt you more than help you.
