Music On Hold Tips - 7 Vital Facts When Placing Your Callers on Hold
Quick Facts:
~ Silence on hold is a black hole and should be avoided at all costs.
~ Radio on hold, unknown to most, is not legal to use on hold.
~ Music CDs on hold are licenses when purchased at a retailer and cannot be legally played back commercially (ie: when putting your callers on hold at your business)
Vital Fact #1: “You never get a 2nd chance to make a first impression.”
If you put your callers on hold and they are just beginning a relationship with you, the last impression you want to make is a bad one using SILENCE or RADIO. Pathologically, your are putting yourself at a disadvantage by making your business look amateur and small right off the bat. Professionals do not often choose to work with amateurs.
Vital Fact #2 New callers are jaded and skeptical when they first contact you (even though they may be friendly) because of past bad experiences with poorly run businesses.
Even though this has nothing to do with you (you may be the best company in the world) the reality is that their defenses are up at this point. Don’t help them justify their skepticism by using SILENCE or RADIO on hold.
Vital Fact #3 By default, first time callers (your prospects) are in a psychological state about your company and their skepticism is paramount.
Similar to fact #2 above, you need to handle your new callers with “kid gloves” and avoid frustration or alienation, which leads to increased hang-ups. Hang-ups cost you money. Again, SILENCE or RADIO is to be avoided at all costs.
Vital Fact #4: Reduce caller skepticism and you make more money.
What you do to neutralize a caller’s skepticism can mean the difference between a long-term profitable relationship or getting a door slammed in your face.
When callers get that “warm fuzzy” feeling that they are dealing with professionals, their defenses go down, and in turn, you sell more to them, with less effort. Everybody wins.
Using custom messaging and music on hold when putting them on hold will make hold times seem shorter AND you can educate your callers while they wait. Educated callers buy more of your goods.
Vital Fact #5: Callers placed on hold in SILENCE report that hold times seem longer than they actually are.
This means that even if they weren’t on hold very long, it SEEMS to them as if they were. Perception IS reality.
Result: Increased caller frustration and increased caller attrition. Sales => Down
Vital Fact #6: If you alienate your prospect by putting them on hold in silence, they’ll move right down the list of other businesses they have in front of them, and your competitors will enjoy the fruits of their business.
This is an ugly scenario and is a HIDDEN COST to a company. Point being, the caller still has a need even after they hang up with you, so they will just go right down the list of competitors who can help solve their problem. Do this with regularity, and you will make yourself poor and your competitors rich. Yuck!
Vital Fact #7: When your competitors gain more market share because callers are migrating from your business to theirs, you go out of business quicker. I’m serious. Their are a “finite amount” of people (or businesses) who use what you offer. No more, no less.
Again, the more business your competitors have, the stronger their position. The more clients you give away, the weaker your position. Do not contribute to your own business’s delinquency. Make sure you use a custom on hold music and message to keep your callers “sticky” and on the line to increase your bottom line.
What to do next…
Get a free custom quote and telephone “needs analysis” by visiting Impress Callers right now. www.impresscallers.com
Garrett Todd
Impress Callers (dot) Com
1-877-422-1051
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WHY CUSTOM ON HOLD MESSAGING?
“Because your image is “On the Line.”
(c) 2007 - Garrett Todd, LLC - Impress Callers - All Rights Reserved
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