keep in mind. The best on hold message in the world will not help you if the

customer doesn’t feel respected.

How many times have you called a busy office only to be immediately

asked “Do you mind holding?” Often times you find yourself on hold before

you can even answer.

Always make sure your employees answer the phone with a courteous

standard greeting. People want to feel appreciated. Give the caller a time

frame when asking to place them on hold. For example, “Is it ok if I place

you on hold for 2-3 minutes while I research this for you?” If it’s going to

take longer, come back on the line and reset the expectation.

Giving callers a time frame reduces anxiety because they know how long to

expect to wait before someone picks up the phone again. Otherwise, the

caller is left hanging only to wonder if they have been forgotten. A happy

caller will feel relaxed and pay more attention to your on hold message

instead of the clock. B9QVMASKDBU4

• 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. In understanding your target market, you need to study the demographics and psychographics so you can set up your messages for success.

• Defining the goals for your messages: Will your phone messages be a lead generation tool? Or will they communicate basic company information? Knowing what you want your phone messages to do for you and how they will do it is critically important. You want to be sure your voice talent understands your goals so they can use the correct tone and style in their delivery.

• 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.

• Consider your budget: How much can you spend for the project? At the end of the day, how much you can afford is what it’s all about. Your on hold messaging program will cost some money, but consider it an investment. Your on hold messaging is going to be a cornerstone of your marketing program, something that will serve you for years to come.

So, there you go. A list of key steps as you begin the important journey of a new on hold messaging project. Growing a business through on hold messaging can be a challenging process. Following a set of guidelines can keep you focused and help you achieve your goals.

-Steve