Smart Marketing – A medium you may not have considered

Posted on 20th November 2014 by Christabelle Harris

Have you thought about the kind of experience your customers have when they call your business?

When clients call they are inevitably placed on hold whilst being transferred or waiting to speak to a member of your team.  On hold marketing allows you to keep callers entertained and informed whist they wait.

What do your callers hear when they are placed on hold? If the answer is silence, chimes or the radio, you are not presenting a polished and professional image. Silence on hold makes the caller think someone has  hung up on them, chimes (or bell music) is irritating and frustrates callers, the radio airs commercials for other businesses- do you really want to potentially be promoting your competitors instead of your own business?

The key to using on hold marketing effectively is to keep it fresh by updating your production on a regular basis. How often you update will depend on the size and nature of your business. At the very least two to three updates per year will ensure you do not bore your callers with the same messages each time they call.

There are many occasions throughout the year that may coincide with your company’s  special events, product releases, or even different opening hours during holiday periods. Great times to update include Christmas and New Year, Australia Day, Chinese New Year, Valentines Day, Mothers Day, End of Financial Year, Father’s Day, and school holiday terms.

Having professionally recorded audio productions scripted and produced by experts in the marketing industry will help you reinforce your company’s brand, sounds fantastic and increase your sales. An example of how to use on hold marketing as a sales tool is in the instance where a product isn’t selling as well as expected. Having a fantastic sounding message created to promote that product on hold will generate interest amongst callers and generate sales.

On hold marketing is not just for big business either. If you have a small business with loyal clients regularly calling in, you may like to personalise your messages to let them know when a staff member, whom they know well, has recently gotten married or had a new baby.

Spend your marketing dollars wisely though by choosing a reputable company to do the job. Look out for copywriting that is punchy and creative. The last thing your callers want to hear is boring generic information that makes you sound like your competitors. An effective script that uses interactive language and creative flair will be most memorable. Music selection is also important and must suit your brand so make sure the company you choose has a wide selection of genres for you to choose from. If appropriate, sound effects can be great too.

So think, are you boring your callers on hold? Providing great customer service doesn’t only apply to face-to-face interaction. The customer service experience shouldn’t end when a client leaves your office, it should apply to every encounter they have with you.