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Impress with Telephone On Hold Messages

Posted on November 29, 2013 by mediagro

I speak to at least three businesses a day – at least; and on most occasions I will be put on hold for some reason or another. There is nothing more infuriating than being put on hold and having to listen to 20 seconds of chimes, or worse, silence and not being quite sure if there is still someone at the other end.

Smart business need not have to worry about this however, as they are impressing with telephone on hold messages.

Combined with sound effects and royalty free music beds, a message on hold programs can do wonders for you image. You will sound much more professional, and if you are a smaller company, then you will also be perceived as being a much bigger organisation.

A telephone message on hold program wears a number of hats, not only does it promote your products and services, but your message on hold program acts as a customer service representative acknowledging your callers while they wait, an entertainer – entertaining them; and an educator – informing your callers of the benefits of your products and services.

A telephone message on hold system most certainly is a great way to impress your callers and reduce the number of caller hang-ups.

Make a lasting impression and contact the team at Onhold Solutions and enquire about our inexpensive telephone message on hold packages today.

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Professional Voice Messages for your Business

Posted on November 15, 2013 by mediagro

Many companies often overlook telephone voice messages! It just never seems to make it into their communications strategy, but let me ask you, how many times have you been greeted with a voice message and been confused?

Maybe their message is out-dated – that of an old employee or telling you they are on leave, even though by the dates they mention in their message they should be at their desk. Or worse, you are confronted with a message that is barely legible.

Investing in a professional audio production for all of your employees will inevitably help your business sound much more professional. At Onhold Solutions, we can create a generic message for your entire business, or we can customise each recording for each of your employees – the choice is yours.

Why Go Pro?

Onhold Solutions has access to a huge library of qualified voice artists who are practiced in the art of audio communication. It is their job to clearly and accurately voice your message in a tone and speed that is both professional and easy to listen to.

Our audio production won’t have people speaking in the background. No rushed messages (of employees clearly uncomfortable recording their own voices) and a professional audio production will be clear, audible and straight to the point.

For more information about Onhold Solution’s professional voice message recordings, contact our audio specialists today on 1300 784 566.

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Secrets to a Successful Message On Hold Script

Posted on November 12, 2013 by mediagro

If you are contemplating investing in a telephone message on hold program for your business follow the below steps for a successful message on hold script.

Get Straight to the Point

Audio is not a place to waffle. Keep it simple and straight to the point. You have 15 seconds to get your point across – so there isn’t any time for riddles or long and complicated messages.

Keep Messages Short

You can have up to seven messages, so don’t feel you need to write a novel for each one. 15-30 seconds is enough time to promote your product or service. Listen to the radio; companies do it all the time.

Promote only 1 Product / Service per Message

It may be tempting to promote your entire catalogue to your callers on hold, it is best to select only a couple to put on your message on hold program, and only promote one per message. This way, you will be able to list the benefits of the product or service and explain to your customers why they need that product or service.

Get Rid of Jargon

Industry jargon is really for your benefit only. Mere mortals generally don’t understand what you are talking about. Speak in layman’s terms and keep your message simple so all your listeners can understand what you are talking about.

Select Appropriate Background Music

Select music that works with your messages. If your messages are of a corporate nature, then it makes sense to select conservative music rather than your high tempo or rock music. Select wisely, you don’t want your messages to get lost in the music.

A telephone message on hold program is a mixture of art and science – though the process is really rather simple – providing you know your business, customers and what you want to promote. Follow the tips above, and you are sure to have a compelling telephone marketing campaign that will reduce caller hang-ups, increase sales and make your business sound more professional.

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Selecting your Telephone On Hold Music

Posted on November 1, 2013 by mediagro

Your telephone message on hold script is being finalised as we speak. You’ve kept it pretty simple and straight to the point. You even intend on incorporating a few sound effects for extra emphasis, but now your have to select your telephone on hold music. Here are a few things to consider.

Match Music to your Branding

It may just be music bed to play behind your telephone messages on hold, but let us assure you, your selection will reflect on your company. We suggest you think about your company and culture, and come up with a few words to describe your brand. Are you a ‘fun’ and ‘outgoing’ hair salon or are you a ‘corporate’ and ‘serious’ law firm? This approach should help you decide on the tempo of your music on hold.

Appealing to your Customers

Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Who are they? And what are they likely to listen to? This should give you a fair idea on the tempo you should be aiming for.

Music for your Messages

What is your message about? If you are talking about a serious issue, then you should use only corporate music beds. However, if your messages are light-hearted and fun, then you could select a number of music beds to suit.

Selecting the right music bed for your message on hold program can really make all the difference. It is also important that you keep in fresh, and make sure you change it on a regular basis so your customers don’t get bored and switch off when they are put on hold.

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How to Write a Message On Hold Script

Posted on October 24, 2013 by mediagro

Firstly, congratulations on signing up for a telephone message on hold program – it will do wonders for your business. If you’ve signed up with Onhold Solutions, one of our creative copywriters will put pen to paper and write up a script for you, however, if you have opted to write your own script, here are a few tips to follow.

Determine the length of your Message On Hold Program

If your callers are kept on hold for a long period of time, you may need a longer program so they don’t hear the same message twice.

Think from your Customers’ Perspective

Your customers really only care about “What’s in it for me”, so try and think about it from their perspective. Try and answer the questions they might ask, or entice them with an offer you know they will love. Whilst you might be extremely proud that you have won every award under the sun – how important is this information to your customers?

Topic for each message

Decide on one topic / product / service for each message. You will only really have between 15 – 30 seconds to grab their attention; so don’t confuse your callers by trying to put everything into one message. Instead, choose just one topic to focus on in each.

Message Structure

Your messages should be clear and concise, and relatively short.

Your first line should attract.
The second line should inform;
And your third line should have your call to action.

Your message on hold script shouldn’t be an essay on how fabulous you are, but rather it should focus on how your products and services will benefit your customers. Research has shown that shorter messages that get straight to the point are much more effective. For more information, feel free to contact our creative department on 1300 784 566.

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Bad Excuses not to have Messages On Hold

Posted on October 22, 2013 by mediagro

The team at Onhold Solutions realise the world’s economy is in limbo at the moment, and every business is trying to save a dollar or two. But seriously guys, a telephone music and message on hold program from Onhold Solutions is an inexpensive way to promote your brand to customers who are calling you. Think of it like a girl Friday – this system is a marketer, customer service representative and sales consultant all wrapped into one. And best of all, it works 24/7. Yet we still hear some bad excuses not to sign up for a message on hold program. Here are some of them.

“We don’t put people on hold”

Really? Never? Not even when you are transferring phone calls, or when you need to find out something for the caller? Most businesses do put their callers on hold at some point; doesn’t it make sense to continue your branding when you do?

“Our callers aren’t on hold for long, so there is no need for it!”

But you still put them on hold right? Then use that 10, 15, 30 seconds to promote your products and services. Hell, why not leave them on hold for just that little bit longer so that they can hear your messages. This way you are selling your products without the hard sell.

“We don’t have the budget for it”

A message on hold program will cost you as little as $10/week. That’s two cups of coffee. Seriously, your telephone message on hold program works for your 24/7 and is a great branding channel.

“We’re happy playing the radio on hold”

Fine – but what if your competitors are advertising on that radio station? You could potentially lose out to them – all because you promoted them on your phone-line rather than your business. Or you could be playing inappropriate music to your callers on hold, or worse still, an inappropriate statement could be made on the radio offending your customers.

For as little as $10/week, a message on hold program is probably one of the most cost effective marketing tools around. Not only will you sound more professional, but if an strategically written script that entices can certainly help to drive sales.

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Customer Service: Go the Extra Mile

Posted on October 19, 2013 by mediagro

When I was 21 (quite a few years ago now), I had a little Toyota Starlet that I had crashed, so the passenger side panel was black, whilst the rest of my car was teal. I was about to embark on a trip overseas, and needed to sell my car, but I had been quoted ridiculous amounts to get this fixed.

Being one of the worse drivers, I drove over some debris on the M1 and stuffed something under my car. I found a mechanic in Southport called him and told him my story – he laughed and told me I reminded me of his daughter, and for a reasonable fee he fixed what I had just broke, and when I went to pick up my car, he had also painted that hideous side panel free of charge. I have been going to this mechanic ever since, and I have referred heaps of my friends and family to him also.

Maybe that was excessive, but this mechanic who went the extra mile now has heaps of additional business from me telling my friends and family about him. And whilst you can’t give away free labour all the time, you can give your customers a much better experience by going that extra mile. Here are a few examples of businesses going that extra mile.

A sales assistant ringing their other branches to find that dress that you MUST have for your date.
A shed company helping you find an honest and reputable shed installer.
A Telco helping with your problem and finding a package that is best suited to you – even if it is a cheaper option to the one you are already on.
Onhold Solutions contacting you to remind you that it is time to update your message on hold program (we had to give a plug).

If a customer experiences good customer service, then it is highly likely they will then share this experience with their friends. Word of mouth is one of the most valuable leads you can get, so make sure you are on the ball at all times, and treat your customers like gold.

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Impress with your Messages On Hold

Posted on October 17, 2013 by mediagro

It’s pretty easy to dismiss the importance of your message on hold, and neglect to write a compelling script that really engages your customers. Below are just a couple of tips to think about when writing your telephone message on hold script.

Grab their attention in the first line

Just like a heading on a newspaper, your first line in each message in your on hold program should stand out – no longer than 30 words, but those 30 words need to have enough detail in the statement to briefly introduce the topic and to entice your listeners. Don’t waste these precious words on mentioning your business name or apologising for putting them on hold, instead answer a potential question they may be ringing to find out about. Your callers already know whom they are calling and realise they are on hold – don’t remind them.

Clear and Concise

Keep it simple and get straight to the point. You’ve really only got between 15 – 30 seconds to get your message across. Don’t lose them in your words.

Call to Action

Give your callers a reason to ask about the message – such as “mention this message for 20% off your next meal”. Not only will this get your callers attention, but also will also help you measure the success of your telephone music and message on hold program.

Combine your messages with an appropriate music bed

Steer away from the mundane, and ask your on hold supplier to view their range of music beds for your on hold system. If they are a reputable audio production company, they should have a decent library to choose from (Onhold Solutions certainly do). When selecting your music bed, make sure you think of your customers and what would appeal to them.

Your telephone music and message on hold system is another marketing channel and a sales tool that can help increase inquiries, and done efficiently, convert sales. Don’t waste this airtime, be smart with your script; start getting those inquiries rolling and start to impress with your messages on hold.

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Lines to Avoid in your Message On Hold

Posted on October 16, 2013 by mediagro

There are so many cheesy lines that are used in advertising these days, and many of them have been used to death. Get the most from your telephone message on hold program and avoid these lines …

“We appreciate your call and will be with you shortly”

Every single message on hold program from the noughties has this one liner in it. It’s a waste of time peoples – seriously, you’re stating the obvious – and you are wasting valuable time. Instead promote a product or service they don’t know about it.

“For more information visit our website at …“

Whilst it isn’t a bad idea to promote your website, don’t always direct your callers to the Internet. If you can, provide as much information as you can over the phone, or get them to ask you personally about a product or service, that way you can properly explain the features and benefits.

“We offer a professional service that is second to none …”

We hope you offer a professional service – but let us be a judge of whether you are second to no one. This is a bit of a wanky statement, and again is a waste of time. Instead explain why your service is professional and how it will benefit the customer.

“Simply call us on …”

Uh derr … they’ve already called you, so they have your phone number. Don’t confuse them and give them another one. As we’ve mentioned previously, use this valuable airtime to promote your products and services.

When compiling the information for your telephone message on hold program, ensure you focus on your products and services and how it is going to benefit your customers. At the end of the day, all they really care about is how it will benefit them – not how great you are.

For the very best in digital equipment and audio production for your phonelines, call the team at Onhold Solutions on 1300 784 566.

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