August, 2 2010
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