A very good advertising idea that started decades back and has since gained more popularity for businesses of all types is using on-hold messaging. Whatever business you have, no matter of industry your in manufacturing, distribution, retails, legal, medical, retail, service, etc. -- every business can benefit from on-hold marketing.
Of course, you should realize that an on-hold message advertising can also make or break your brand image. Remember that while it’s a very good way of telling potential customers about your latest service, a bad recording will utterly put that advantage in vain. Worse, a bad recording may even be powerful enough to completely drive some of your customers away. But never fear, what you only need to know is how to do on-hold messages the right way.
How? Here are some ways:
1. The first part of your message should contain the most important parts.
You must remember that the caller did not call to hear your on-hold messages. However, what we do is utilize the time they are put on hold in order for you to advertise your services. The most important thing to do is to keep your listener interested. To do just this, your message should begin with the most important and interesting detail of your advertisement. You can intrigue them with a huge discount for example, or start with a question that is bound to perk their ears up.
2. Keep your message short and direct to the point.
After catching the attention of your listener, proceed with the details. But, as it is with speeches, your on-hold message should be like a mini-skirt: long enough to cover the essentials but short enough to remain interesting. Remember, you can’t count on your listener to be interested in your advertisement for a very long time – even if you were successful in catching their initial attention.
3. Keep your message casual and conversational.
A friendly voice actually comes off as more trustworthy to listeners, as compared to one who sounds too informative, or worse, manipulative. Instead of bombarding your message with a lot of technical terms, keep it down to earth. Try to keep it conversational. Make it sound as if you were giving a personal advice to a friend.
4. Your message should be help-oriented.
There is no better way to keep a caller listening than addressing their problems directly. To do this, you must research the common things callers ask when they call a certain hotline. Or you can target common problems we all have, i.e. annoying neighbors, work anxiety, food problems, anything!
5. Brag a little!
Hey this is your advertisement. Your goal should be to convert those callers into sure customers, so this is no place for some false humility. Go on and discuss the rave reviews your company’s been getting, the awards you won and your edge over your competitors. Of course, balance is very important in your on hold script. Be careful to not be over confident, and promise something you can't back up. Just assure your potential customer that they won’t go wrong with you, and it provides them with the confidence needed to make a purchasing decision without having to think twice about doing business with you.