The say communication is key and in the new business landscape that has evolved from the ruins of the economic tsunami, communication with your prospects and customers has never played a more vital role in the success or failure of your business! All levels of business, from the small entrepreneurial start-ups all the way up to the Fortune 500 giant realize that when it comes to generating revenues and achieving customer retention -- the stakes are high!

Conducting business in the new world is not an easy task, with less fish to go after the competition is fierce, but fear not, as one method of marketing can cover all of the bases like no other – on hold messages. If  you’re a new enterprise starting out and a prospect has picked up the phone to call you they have some interest level in your product/service offering, but if you blow the communication, it's all over. And if you're a multinational and you do the same thing, you're throwing millions of dollars down the toilet, or worse, creating negative effects for your brand that may cost you twice as much as what you're spending. You need to present a positive brand image, reinforce the caller’s decision to contact you and provide for a great caller/customer experience. This is why using professional music on hold and messages is simply -- a no brainer!

When callers are on hold you have their undivided attention, giving you the ability to create a positive brand image, cross-market your products/services and connect with customers and prospects in a way that may never happen again. Therefore, your on hold script is the most critical element that aids in achieving positive on hold marketing results.  By crafting an on hold message script with targeted, relevant message content and delivering it using professional voice talent and pleasing music on hold  your message will resonate with callers, create a positive impression and lead them to take action.

The bottom line – communication is critical, everything matters and you need to distinguish your brand, your business and yourself.

Let’s take a look at the definition of the word marketing according to webster’s dictionary.

mar•ket•ing : the process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service

One of the most common misconceptions about marketing is that marketing is a business expense.  Nothing could be farther from the truth, unless you are looking at an income statement.  Marketing is an “INVESTMENT”  in your business, and you must treat your marketing spend in the same way that you treat an investment in product development or a new factory.

What does this mean for your business?  Treating marketing as an investment requires you to think beyond just this month or this year when considering how you will spend your precious marketing dollars. While various offline and online marketing trends may come and go, the one constant is your telephone. That’s why an investment in on hold marketing – is a no brainer!

With callers on hold, you’re being presented with an interested, listening audience. Affording your business an edge in marketing is a smart idea and creating an opportunity to target your customers in such a way as to strengthen your business relationship and increase your sales is a smart idea too. And all of these can be done with on hold messages, but as with any good marketing, it’s all about quality. All business is unique, and it is yours and your message needs to convey that uniqueness to the listening audience. This is why the on hold script, voice talent and music choice is such an integral part of the success of  your music on hold advertisement. When done successfully your on hold message can have a distinct brand, sound, and tone that sets you apart from the herd.

Your hold button is full of untapped potential for you to grow your business and your personal brand. Isn’t it time to tap that opportunity with on hold messaging, and make a wise investment for your business?

As our economy still struggles to rebound from what is considered the largest recession since the great depression something all too familiar is happening. Many savvy business people seem to discover their entrepreneurial spirit and take the leap to start their own business. With today’s technology many of these entrepreneurs no longer need that big office space or storefront, and can seamlessly operate their new business venture from home.

So, now that you have your ducks in a row and set-up a website, purchased a telephone and computer, what else is needed as you begin your new endeavor? Well, what you need is an image that can compete with the big boys! Let’s face it, customers and prospects want to now they are dealing with a professional organization and not someone sitting in their pj’s. So, how can you create that big corporate image from your home based office?  It’s simple. What you need  is professional on hold messages.

Yes,  excellent on-hold programming provides numerous benefits for any business as it has proven to reduces hang ups, informs customers, lowers frustration and gives an opportunity to cross sell for your business. For the home based business or small business it is an absolute must to enhance your business image. Many home based businesses or small businesses are reluctant when it comes to adding music on hold and messages, simply because they believe it will be difficult to implement. Well it’s easier than you might think.

You don’t need a big and complex phone system, in fact, an on hold message can be utilized with a simple two or four line analog phone purchased from your local office supply store, and even most of the VOIP systems being used. Today’s Message on hold players, and/or music on hold adaptors make it easy to implement a professional on hold marketing solution.  They simply hook-up in-line with the phone just the same way you would install an answering machine.  Getting your messages on hold is easy. Professional copywriters will create a custom on hold script to promote your company and brand, and your messages are produced with your choice of voice talents and background music. On-Hold Messages can make a home office or small office sound big, even if your office has only one or two people. When you put callers on hold they hear a nice, informative, interesting message, giving that same polished image like the big boys.

Given the current economic climate customer retention should be the primary focus for all businesses. It is critical that every business takes the time to evaluthe experience that it gives its customers at every touch point and with  every interaction.

A new study from Cometrix shows that brand loyalty is at all time lows, and that consumers are switching brands at an alarming rate. J.D. Power and Associates, an authority on customer satisfaction says, “With longer wait times, poor caller experience and bad customer service the problem is intensified.”

Companies are wasting billions on attracting new customers through advertising then losing them by delivering a poor customer experience. It is estimated that this poor experience has forced over 10 million consumers to switch suppliers in the last six months alone, and accounts for businesses losing 24% or more of their customers. The main culprits for this switching epidemic are poor caller experience, bad customer service and long wait times.

What does your company look like from the perspective of a caller? The way a company treats an incoming phone call is as important to the image of the company as its storefront, signage, or website. It is the image of a company on the phone. The combination of consumers waiting on hold, and then hanging up in frustration can be a toxic mix when it comes to customer retention.” The solution is a professional music on hold and message system.

Overcoming, or at least managing, the tendency of a caller to hang up, and improving the caller experience and  or caller interaction are some of primary goals of on hold messages. Besides its ability to keep a caller’s attention, on hold messaging is an opportunity to communicate with callers and reinforce the company’s image with the caller. No to mention your ability to educate prospects and customers about your product/service offerings and also increase up-sell opportunities.

Improving the caller experience and good customer service is obvious stuff for customer retention right? So, then why, aren’t businesses getting the message? If you’re thinking that you’re not losing callers to hang-ups, or that you’re customers would never consider switching to another vendor, think again! You might just want to take a few minutes out at your next management or team meeting and evaluate how callers perceive their interaction with your company, and consider how a professional on hold message can become one of your greatest assets in improving the caller experience, enhance customer service, and keep customers happy and prevent them from switching to another brand.

As business owners and entrepreneurs, we’ve all heard the statement….business don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan! Well the same holds true when it comes to your marketing, regardless of the type of marketing, it all starts with a good plan. How you set up your on hold message and how your prospects will interact with your on hold messages requires some key considerations. With a well defined plan, your on hold advertising can be one of the most effective tools in your marketing arsenal.

So what are the steps you need to take? How did the most respected businesses out there go about setting up their music on hold & message system? There are really three key steps in planning an on hold messaging system for your business.

They are:

• Defining your target market: Who is calling in to your company? What are their needs? How you communicate with this market is of paramount importance. It will help you determine the rest of your follow up marketing plan. Understanding your target market, will help set up your on hold messages for success.
• Defining the goals for your messages: Will your on hold messaging be a lead generation tool? Or will they communicate basic company information? Knowing what you want your  on hold messages to do for you and how they will do it is critically important.  
• What should your messages say? Will you try and upsell callers into a new service? Will you give your company’s “elevator pitch”? What can you communicate to your callers so you save your receptionist’s time? These are all great questions. Knowing what you will say is step three in the On Hold Messaging Planning Process. You want to ensure that your on hold callers are educated, entertained and motivated to do something after hearing your messages. 
•  What type of on hold message equipment do I need? The type of on hold message player is is also an important part of planning process. Do you have a phone system that is music on hold ready? Or, are you a home based business or small business using a regular off-the-shelf type telephone? No matter what type of telephone set-up you have there is an on hold player solution available. Most all telephone systems are MOH (Music On Hold) ready and you simply plug in your digital on hold player in just a few minutes. If you’re a home based business, or small business without a sophisticated phone system, you will require an on hold player or on hold adaptor to work with your off-the-shelf phones.  

So, there you have it. A list of key steps to consider as you begin the important journey of implementing a successful on hold message program. Growing a business through on hold marketing doesn’t have to be a challenging process. At the end of the day, your on hold message is a wise investment, and will serve you for years to come. Just make sure your messages are in focus, on target and you will achieve your marketing goals

All businesses agree “silence” is not what their callers should listen to on hold, but most businesses are hesitant to admit that they sometimes have to place customers on hold. Let’s face it, no matter if you have trained your staff to answer the phone quickly, or how sophisticated a phone system you use callers are and do get placed on hold – it is inevitable! At various time for the callers, your staff has to look up client information, check stock on items, get transferred to different  personnel or department, or simply have to wait while you’re assisting other callers. 

So why should you continue to day after day, year after year, caller after caller miss out on a huge marketing opportunity for your business. On hold messages are the most cost-effective tool in your advertising arsenal. Why? Because the caller has already contacted you, they’ve demonstrated interest in your services and you have the largest interested and captive audience…they’re on hold, they’re listening!

With a little planning and creativity, you can speak to your callers—your captive audience—in a way that’s as effective as it is affordable. With that in mind, on-hold marketing opportunities are as diverse as your clientele is large.

• You can use your customers’ time on hold to give them valuable information they need to know.

• You can promote specials easily by using features like ‘When we return to the line, ask us about our (discount on tire rotation and oil changes).

• Answer frequently asked questions like store hours, location, website address, etc.

• Share valuable tips, inform them of new products/services.

• Educate potential and existing clients on your company. Promote the “I didn’t know you did that!” aspects of your business and Up-sell!

• Affirm their decision about doing business with you by telling them the Who, What, When, Where and Why’s.

Music On Hold & Messages targets customers and gains their attention in a way that no other communications medium can. 

• Direct mail gets ignored.

• Radio and Tv ads often go out to thousands of people who may never have a need for your service.

• On-line or Pay-Per-Click advertising to drum up business requires a significant budget, and often times yields minimal results.

Since your caller has already shown their initial interest, with On Hold Messages you have a targeted demographic and virtually every person placed on hold is someone you want to talk to. Your business has a unique story to tell. Every restaurant boasts of friendly service and fresh ingredients. Every banker wants to be your "friend in the business". Why not use your on-hold messages to show potential customers what makes you unique, and reassure their decision to do business with you? No matter how you slice it, customized music on hold and messages are effective. On Hold messages are affordable and will improve the caller experience, educate potential and existing customers, promote your brand and grow your business.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past few years, you’ve no doubt heard about twitter, facebook, linkedin,digg, stumbledupon, and hundreds of other social media platforms that exist. And marketers can’t deny that most businesses these days are dipping their toes into the social media landscape. While there are many reasons social media has become popular, it’s all about building relationships to turn those relationships into customers and having a voice for your brand.

In many ways, On Hold Messages is the original social media.  It allows you to have one on one communication with your customers, it is used to share information about your business, it is an extension of your public relations strategies, it offers opportunities to bring exposure to your company. And, it not only personalizes your business it is the voice of your brand! 

Social Media is about effective communication with interested audiences Who is more of an  interested (and captive) audience than your callers on hold? Regardless of all the latest ways to try and communicate through social media, blogs, etc. the telephone is still a constant... and customers and prospects, no matter what, still find themselves on hold.

On Hold Messaging connects you to a pre-qualified audience. This is an audience that has already reached out to you, not the other way around, and they are ready to listen. No other media can do that!

• On Hold Messages targets customers and gains their attention in a way that no other communications medium can.

• On Hold Messages leverages existing communications infrastructure to showcase your brand, your products, and your services.

In many ways On Hold Messages is the original Social Media application.  It is relevant, effective, and affordable for every business and organization.