Do you have marketing messages on your phone? Do messages on hold work?
Giving your callers messages on hold, even bad ones, can sometimes help you and them. After all, bad messages on hold let your caller know they haven’t been “cut off.” They’re better than a staticy radio station, or a “shock jock” who’s trying to make you cringe with deliberately offensive or provocative comments. Weak messages on hold make sure you don’t offend a customer, or lose them with comments that are in bad taste.
But that’s a pretty low bar to clear.
So you decided to try messages on hold. How are they doing? We’re not asking if they sound okay…most do (though some really don’t). Here are several questions that will help you figure out if your messages on hold were the right decision.
Do your messages on hold work?
Messages on hold have lots of potential. They’re the most efficient advertising you can buy, because they reach your customers and best prospects when they’re interested enough to pick up the phone and call you. But what do they do for you? Do they earn a profit?
Do messages on hold work if they’re not updated?
There are lots of good reasons to update your messages on hold: new products or services, seasonal demand, new competition, new ways you can help your customers, new ideas that help you compete better, better reasons for your customer to buy. Do messages on hold work like this? Do yours?
“Fail to plan and you plan to fail”
What was the plan for your messages on hold? Like your other advertising (TV, Print, Web, Email, Direct Mail, Social Media, etc) your messages on hold supplier has to start with a plan and goals. What were your goals? Have they been measured and reviewed? Did they ever help you set your goals?
Do your messages on hold work effectively with your other marketing?
Well planned messages on hold work in a variety of ways. They educate your callers about what you do. They show how you’re different from the competition. And they sell: a good on hold message will start the conversations you want to have with your customers, that lead to increased sales. But they do more: they build your Twitter followers, your Facebook Friends, and your Blog readership. They build your reputation as a “thought leader” in your industry. They suggest new ways to use your products or services. They’re coordinated with your marketing calendar so they talk about the topics that are on your customers’ minds (their hot buttons). And more.
It’s easy for messages on hold to be profitable.
They’re the least expensive advertising you’ll ever try. They deliver your message to your best prospects right when they’re making buying decisions. But they can flop just like any other poorly planned, poorly executed advertising. Are your messages profitable? Do you even know?
Call now (or click here for more information) for a free 15-minute Discovery Session and let’s evaluate your messages on hold. We’ll make free suggestions. We’ll give you a second opinion on what’s working and what isn’t. How will your messages on hold measure up?