We’re now officially knee deep in summer. That means along with the BBQs and sunburns, you’re probably also facing sluggish sales and a loss of in store face time with customers. As happens every year, warmer weather means people are spending more time at the beach and less time making heavy buying decisions. It’s the summer lull and there’s nothing you can do to combat it.

Or is there?...

How can you get your customers' attention when they, too, are preoccupied with their own seasonal activities? Consider these tips for your on hold messages to avoid the summer sales lull:

1."Summer Special" Promotion. Let’s face it with less and less contact with customers and prospects during the summer months, many businesses will try to lure in folks with summer sale promotions. If you’re having a Summer Sale Promotion, then you should advertise that to your callers with your on hold messages. For example maybe you’re having a Father’s day special, 4th Of July Special, Labor Day or End of Summer special…Plan simultaneous promotions of seasonal items that go together, such as barbecue grills and propane tanks, or summer hats and shorts by offering discounts if customers buy these products together. Studies prove that when shoppers are offered deals that have an expiration date they are more apt to make their purchasing decision.

2. Promote Summer Products/Services.
Not many people are going to be buying school supplies in the summer. Focus your on hold message script on summer products/services that cater to a customer’s seasonal needs. An example, if you’re an automotive repair shop then you should promote air conditioning repair services, and because more people are traveling by car during the summer, they should also stop in for maintenance before any long trips…. If you’re a pest control company, different seasons bring different types of pests, so you need to inform callers about services they need in the summer versus other times of the year…. If you’re a HVAC contractor then why not encourage callers to prepare for the summer heat with a seasonal tune-up of their HVAC system, so that they don’t have a hot weather emergency….  Maybe you’re an appliance retailer that also sells outdoor grills? This is the time to promote them, because advertising outdoor grills in the fall or winter won’t help you sell more grills.

3.Introduce a new products and events. Believe it or not, summertime is also a good time for planning your marketing for the upcoming busier fall season (as they always say, boy the summer flew by). If you have new product or service offerings, kick them off during the summer, with your  on hold messaging. This way your callers will informed of these new offerings (for the busier fall season).

4.Promote Community/Charity Events. With the warmer weather there are more community/charitable events taking place than at any other time during the year. If your business is involved in or exhibits at such events, then inform your callers on hold of such happenings. Your on hold message can let callers know when and where these events take place. This a great way to meet with your current or prospective customers and also allow them to see  any product or service offerings you have.

5. “Buy this, get that” Summer-related Promotions
A lot of businesses get create and offer promotions that are fun and innovative. For example, when anyone buys a book title that relates to summer or the beach they get a sample of free sunscreen, or, if your customers spend a certain amount they get complementary tickets to a summer-friendly place like the zoo, water park or baseball game. Using your music on hold system is a great way to communicate these types of “summer-related” promotions.

The best way to avoid a summer lull is to focus your music on hold marketing efforts around the summer season, and you can build your business and increase your potential success.

When it comes to fishing, you need two key elements. The right hook and of course the right bait.  The whole idea behind bait is to attract a fish and entice him to eat that bait. The bait disguises the hook, and can often mean the difference between success and failure.

The same theory applies when you’re fishing for additional sales. You need the right hook, and the right bait that will attract customers/prospects and entice them to take the bait.

Your telephone system is your fishing hook, and you need to disguise your wait as bait, so you can reel them in. Your callers on hold are like a school of fish, no you’re not going to land all of them, but if you can catch a few it makes for a good day of fishing and catching more sales. 

When you keep callers on hold in silence, it’s like fishing with no bait. You’re unlikely to catch anything because you have nothing to attract and entice your callers. On Hold messages is the perfect bait to make catching sales plentiful. Unless you have your head in the sand, you must understand that prospects and even your best customers aren’t aware of all your product/service offerings. As a business owner when you answer a call you’re focused on handling the callers immediate needs, however you certainly do not know what additional items they may be in the market for. You see the problem is often times they don’t tell you what else they may be looking for, and if they don’t ask, then you won’t tell them either.

But with on hold marketing messages, you can be using the right bait to attract and capture more sales.  Your callers are like a school of fish and you can drop your line in the water and attract more of them by informing them of your vast offerings, special promotions and keeping them entertained so they will stay around longer, ultimately giving you the chance to reel them in hook, line and sinker!

If you’re looking to catch more sales, then why not hear what great bait sounds like? On Hold Inc is a full service on hold messaging provider and offers a risk-free on hold system trial offer.  We will produce a professional music on hold and messages recording for your business in 3 days or less. You audition the finished product and if you like what you hear, we offer a variety of on hold service packages that is competitive and affordable. We also feature a fulll ine up of message on hold equipment for large and small businesses. Will your next caller make for that great big catch, or be the one that got away?

  It’s the most magical place in the world… A place that families, children and people of all ages adore. There’s a lot of things that make Walt Disney World such an exceptional place to visit, but even beyond all the fun and fantastic memories let’s face it, Disney’s success certainly didn’t happen by accident. Walt Disney World definitely knows a thing or two about successful marketing, and these same tactics also apply when using on hold messages. Anyone who has ever visited the Magic Kingdom has been exposed to the successful marketing strategies of the world’s most famous mouse.

 Let’s take a look at a few of their marketing tactics and how on hold messages can have the same impact for your business model.

1.Sell More to Existing Customers:

While at the Walt Disney World theme parks you are continuously offered other products / services to purchase.

* Upon exiting attractions, you enter a store themed to that attraction with gifts.
* During travel on trams, monorails, trains, boats, etc. there are always marketing announcements. These recordings inform you of ways to upgrade your ticket, to stay longer, to visit other parks, to dine at restaurants, to stay at resorts or to go to other attractions.
* Booths in the parks have representatives selling Disney vacation packages for future visits.
* Stores with gifts and restaurants with food are on every corner for your convenience.

Disney knows that current customers are the easiest customers to upsell. As a result, they take every opportunity to sell you more. Your business can follow this same principle when using music on hold and messages. When a customer calls your business, you can use hold time as a way to Sell More. How? It’s easy, by cross-promoting additional product/service offerings to your captive audience.  Be it an upsell on your existing offer, an add on to your offer or another product, your customers on hold are your best prospects when it comes to selling them more. So follow Disney’s success strategy # 1 and sell more to your current customers!

2.  Always Change your Offerings:

Disney is never complacent. They are always growing, building, expanding and improving. With their existing theme parks they continuously work to add in new attractions and shows. They update old outdated rides, as well as refurbish and modernize long standing favorites. These regular improvements draw back repeat visitors, as well as impress new visitors, so they’re sure to come back.

Your business should recognize the importance of bettering your offerings too. One of the many advantages of using on hold messages is that the on hold script content can easily be changed to reflect season products/services, introduce new product/service offerings, promote changes in technology, inform callers about upcoming trade shows and events, etc.  Business is about effective communication. If you don’t keep customers in-tune with changes within your business or industry, your competitors will. And soon you’ll be out of business.

3. Making Customers Feel Valued:

Most organizations expend 95% of their marketing efforts chasing after potential business. Once a client is in the door, it’s onto the next. Chalk up the win and go after the next big fish in the pond, right? Not so fast my friend. It’s your current clients who keep your doors open, and are the most likely to give you new opportunities and sales. Disney understands while its great to get new faces into their theme parks, they need to reward those most loyal guests as well. One way they do this is by extending park hours to those guests who are staying in a Disney owned resort. With a special wrist band, Disney resort guests can enjoy the most popular rides and attractions without long lines. There’s an air of exclusivity at being able to wave your wrist band and stay to play another few hours. It sure makes us glad we’re staying where we are.  How do you make your callers feel special and valued? Are you sure they know about the little extras you give them? Don’t be so sure. On Hold Messages will get these points across to your callers, and let them know  you value their business. 

4.Brand Image:

Disney is different. No other entertainment company – perhaps no other company period – evokes the feeling of wholesome family goodness that Disney does. Disney has taken extreme care from its early roots under founder Walt Disney in 1928 to ensure that its image is fun, imaginative, clean, and appeals to people of all ages. In other words in people’s mind when they think of Disney World they think of fun, excitement, memorable and safe. That is the image they wanted, and that is what people associate with their brand.

No matter what you want to believe, your image affects your business. People judge based upon first impressions. “What you see is what you get.” In fact, your image is nine-tenths of success. A potential client will determine whether to connect with you in less than one minute.  Since  the vast majority of  the time customer interaction with your business is via the telephone, it is important how callers perceive your brand. On Hold Messaging will give callers a positive first impression, and that’s exactly how you want them to relate to your brand image. 

Walt Disney’s genius was not animation or theme park design, but in truly understanding the human heart. Somehow, in the midst of ROI, measurability, counting clicks and studies that can track a person’s eye movements to see what part of an ad captures their attention first -- we that marketing and branding is ultimately about wooing and winning someone’s heart. 

Your telephone system is like the entrace to the Magic Kingdom with your patrons waiting to come in for fun. Your on hold messages can upsell, is easy to change for promotional offerings, makes callers feel valued and provides a professional image of your brand identity. These are all the successful marketing strategies used at the world’s most famous theme park, and why Walt himself would have loved on hold messages.