Does Your Brand Really Need On Hold Messages for Callers?
If you’re the average American business, you spend 95% of your advertising budget trying to get potential customers to call you. So if they’re calling, congratulations…you’re making that money work! But what happens when they call and they’re placed on hold, as more than half of your calls will be? After getting customers to call, now you’ve got to keep them on the line.
Every day, companies whether professional, well-established companies or a new start-up place highly-target, interested callers on-hold. In fact, according to an AT&T study: 70% of all business calls are placed on hold, and what happens when these callers are placed on-hold can mean the difference between making the sale and gaining a satisfied customers vs. a lost call, lost sale and even worse — wasted marketing spend! Call Center Magazine indicates that more than 90% of callers who wait with a poor on hold experience, hang-up (in less than 45 seconds) and 60% will never call back.
Below, we explain how you can keep callers on the line, prevent caller abandonment and increase sales with custom on hold messaging.
1. Increase Revenues by Reducing Caller Abandonment.
Often times, callers who are placed on hold in dead-silence wonder if they have been disconnected? More than 90% of callers with silence on hold hang up within 40 seconds. This is known as caller abandonment. However, callers who are presented with engaging and informative on hold messages will stay on the line up to 4 minutes. Remember, lost calls equals lost sales!
2. Enhance Brand Image.
Let’s face it. While callers are waiting for assistance, you have a great opportunity to create and reinforce your brand image. Today, people form instant opinions about your business based on the way you answer the phone and what they hear when placed on-hold. Businesses with silence on-hold sound small time and unprofessional. A small investment in a telephone on hold message program will go a long way toward maintaining a positive brand image.
3. Sell More Products/Services
Most businesses are forever searching to find their target market? When someone calls your business, they already have a level of interest in your offerings, so there’s no more of a vibrant marketing channel to your target market than through your phone’s hold button. Theses callers who are already interested and are waiting to hear what you can do for them.
What Should Your On Hold Message Content Say?
The secret to creating an on hold marketing message that works isn’t really a secret: tell the callers what they want to hear. Statistics tell us that 88% of callers prefer to hear information relevant to their call. The most effective on hold marketing messages, like any other form of advertising, contain worthwhile information presented in an entertaining fashion and are designed to build your brand.
On hold programs vary from industry to industry. A doctor may tell you what insurance coverage they accept, while an auto body shop may want to share directions for after-hours drop-off information. Regardless of your industry, there are a few things all businesses should consider including in their on-hold program:
● Tagline or mission statement
● Website URL
● Product/Service and Benefits
● Hours and location
● Social media pages
● Experience or years in business
● Awards and/or accreditations
● Request for referrals
● What sets your business apart from the competition
How to Maximize ROI
Changing your on-hold messaging on a frequent basis may seem like another administrative task you can afford to put off. Sure, it’s easiest to set your messages and forget them, but you might be missing out on improving customer satisfaction and additional revenue.
Set an Expiration Date
Let’s face it – nobody enjoys hearing the same thing over and over, and the same holds true with your music on hold messaging. Part of the issue is that business owners don’t regularly call their own business and ask to be put on hold, so they tend to forget about the customer experience side of the equation. Playing the same thing every time someone calls your business may give your customers the distinct impression you don’t have anything new to sayBe strategic and periodically change your message on-hold content.
Frequent Changes = Higher ROI
Survey statistics from the On-Hold Messaging Association show that small businesses that update on-hold message content 6 times or more per year are more likely to attribute an increase in sales to hold messaging and describe it as a useful marketing tool they’d recommend to other businesses.
Final Thoughts…
As with all forms of marketing, on hold messaging should give you a Return On Investment (ROI), and it accomplishes that by actually making you money by reducing lost calls and actively promoting your products and services to your hottest leads – callers on the phone, who already know and like you… There’s no other form of marketing that you have complete control of and gives you the opportunity to speak to clients one to one.
Your callers want to know that they haven’t been forgotten, or “lost” on hold. They also want to be reminded of why they’re calling: because you are the best choice for their business. On hold marketing messages when done right — could just turn out to be your best sales person! So the answer to the question of whether or not your brand needs on hold messages is a resounding “YES!” …
Not sure how to get started with on hold messaging for your brand? Check out our risk-free custom on hold demo trial offer or contact Original On Hold today!
