On-Hold Messaging Making the Most of a Captive Audience
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Business -> subcategory Marketing.
Maximizing Your On-Hold Messaging: Engaging a Captive Audience
When customers call your business and navigate your Interactive Voice Response (IVR) or are transferred between departments, what do they hear? If it's silence, static, or uninspired "elevator" music, it may be time to rethink how you're engaging and supporting your customers during their wait.
Why On-Hold Messaging Matters
A study by AT&T reveals that over 70% of business calls are placed on hold for about 45 to 60 seconds. During this time, 60% of callers hang up, and of those, 30% never call back. This presents an invaluable opportunity to reach your customers effectively.
While waiting, customers are a captive audience, eager to hear what you have to offer. Whether their wait is a minute or ten, it's crucial to keep them engaged, satisfied, and assured that their call is valued. Properly implemented, on-hold messaging can:
- Keep callers engaged
- Improve their experience with your company
- Introduce new products or services for cross-selling
- Share company insights in a friendly manner
- Build trust and assure them that assistance is coming
- Retain callers and prevent hang-ups, reducing the need for callbacks
Crafting Effective On-Hold Messaging
To make the most of your on-hold time, combine courteous messages with marketing strategies.
Sample On-Hold Script
Courtesy Message:
"Thank you for calling Extreme Sports Gear and Mountain Bikes. We appreciate your business and value your time. A customer service representative will be with you soon, so you can get back to enjoying the great outdoors."
Music Pause:
Play appropriate music for about 30 seconds.
Marketing Message:
"Are you browsing our website? Click on the 'Special Offer' banner on our homepage to access our Online Summer Sale! Enjoy a 25% discount on anything purchased online. Dive into summer savings!"
Adjust your script depending on the average hold time. For holds between 1-3 minutes, aim for at least 2 courtesy messages and 2 marketing messages, each approximately 30 seconds long.
For longer hold times (4-5 minutes), diversify with at least 4 different messages of each type to keep the content fresh and engaging.
Integrating Music
Music plays a crucial role, acting as a secondary track to voice-overs. It should align with your business ethos and appeal to your audience. For instance, if catering to an extreme sports crowd, consider rock, punk, or alternative genres to match their interests.
Conclusion
On-hold messaging is a powerful tool to convert callers into loyal customers. By choosing a compelling script and partnering with professional voice talent, you can significantly enhance the caller experience and potentially increase sales. Seize this opportunity to make your on-hold time valuable for both your customers and your business.
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: On-Hold Messaging Making the Most of a Captive Audience.
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