The choice is simple! You can either bore callers to death with your on hold script by letting them know how important their call is, or how you value their time so much that you’ve put them on hold? Or, you can use your on hold script to sell the sizzle and not the steak!
The phrase "Sell the sizzle not the steak" is an old sales aphorism that tells us something about human nature. The best sales people in the world understand human nature almost intuitively. When we go to the store to buy a lightbulb we don't really want a lightbulb, we want the light it provides. When that bulb burns out - I curse the dark and buy another - for the light. I don't really care about the bulb itself.
When we go out to eat (for steak or whatever) it's not for the food itself. Sure, I may be hungry, but really I have a lot of choices to satisfy my hunger. I choose a restaurant because it gives me the kind of experience I want and solves my hunger problem. Taste, smell, ambiance, location, service are just a few of the reasons I might choose a particular restaurant. And these things speak to my emotions through my senses.
I don't just buy any car, I may buy a make I trust, a model that makes me feel sporty, a color I like, with a stereo system that makes me feel like I'm in a concert hall. I am not just buying a method of getting from one place to another - I am buying an experience. This is why car sales people always want to get you to test drive a car.
What kind of experience do your customers want and how can you give it to them?
It’s in the script, stupid! Crafting an on hold message is more than “just thanks for holding”….Let’s say you sell carpet. Sell your callers on hold what they’re looking for. Let’s say for instance Durablex is a hot trend this year in flooring. Sure your on hold script can go on with a bunch of factoids about new Durablex Carpeting and how the poly-resin fibers resist staining 35% better than the competition .... blah blah blah. Snore.
Or, what if your on hold message system could capture your callers attention, and get them to envision the “what if” or “as if” they too can have a good experience, if they had Durablex capet in their home?
Engage callers and sell the sizzle:
……"So when you’re entertaining guests do you usually serve wine? Uh oh, let's say - at your next party – if one of your good friends should happen to spill a glass of wine on the rug neither the rug, nor the party, nor the friendship will be ruined when you have Durablex carpet in your home. No need to fuss, just a quick towel-up you can go on enjoying yourself "………..
While many elements and strategies make up your on hold script, your callers on hold still present a fantastic opportunity for you to give them a great sales message. Sell the sizzle not the steak. I don't buy a steak at a nice restaurant because it makes me feel full - I buy it for the experience it promises.