As a business manager, you probably believe customers don’t care what your system’s call hold messages or Interactive Voice Response (IVR) sound like. They barely wait a minute or two before someone picks up. Plus, they hang up when they hear a voicemail message anyway, right?
We’re sorry to burst your bubble, but this perception is far from the truth.
Over the phone, we lose 55% of our communication due to a lack of body language. The remaining 38% is transmitted through tone of voice, and only 7% through words. Since your tone makes up a huge chunk of all conversations, getting it wrong can be devastating for your goodwill and business.
Hence, if you’re planning on asking Ben from the I.T department to record your IVR and on-hold messages, think again!
Read ahead to find out why you need professional on-hold marketing messages, IVR, or voicemail messages, instead of generic ones.
Build Your Brand
Your company’s IVR and voicemail messages have a more meaningful purpose than just instructing customers. They are a crucial means of building your brand name and carrying out on-hold marketing. For many customers, this might be their first interaction with your business. And if they are met with an unwelcoming and cold response, I bet you they’re never coming back.
Creating a professional voice and tone for your on-hold marketing and interactive voice response will give great first impressions to customers. This will instantly boost your credibility and efficiency, as well as inspire customer confidence.
Don’t Go Overboard with IVR
It might seem like a good idea to list down every department on your telephone IVR. You’d think it would help customers with clarity, but really, it does the exact opposite. You’re flooding your client with too much information, and they will most likely hang up if they find the process too confusing.
So, the lesson here is, don’t complicate things. Rather, simplify them as much as you can. Instead of listing down all 10 or 12 of your departments, include only 3 to 5 of the most vital options. By doing this, you’ll ensure your customer gets transferred to the most relevant department without wasting any time.
Hold The Line
“I love to stay on hold while on call”, said no one ever.
Waiting for a representative to respond at the other end is never a fun process. But since people don’t have a choice, they’ll stay on call anyway. Callers might hang up if this long waiting period consists of no interactive voice response or voicemail messages. They might think your company is ignoring them or that their call was disconnected.
According to a CNN survey, 70% of callers hang up within 60 seconds of the call if they hear only silence; 35% of these will never call you back.
Speed Up Call Processing Time
On-hold marketing messages are great for filling in the silence before a call gets answered. But if your business requires specific information from clients, you can use this time to inform them in advance.
For instance, a bank may need information such as account number, credit or debit card number, I.D. details, etc. You can use a professional on-hold or voicemail message to remind customers to gather their information beforehand. This will effectively cut down the waiting time your representatives have to wait for the customers to fish out their documents and information.
Sell With On-Hold Marketing
While on hold, customers will listen to whatever messages or background music you play.
This gives you the perfect opportunity for on-hold marketing to promote your services or products, share news of recent events, promotions, or other important features. You can even use well-crafted voicemail messages for the same purpose, leading to new sales opportunities.
That doesn’t mean you should start outright advertising your business. A better approach would be to make your on-hold marketing more captivating and entertaining. Use both voice and music to create on-hold and voicemail messages that sound pleasing to the ear.
Script Ideas for On-Hold Marketing/ IVR/ Voicemail Message
We’ve already covered why you need a professional message on your telephone system. Now it’s time for the fun part. Here are some interesting script ideas for IVR, on-hold, or voicemail messages you can use for your brand!
Don’t Beat Around the Bush
Using print copy for your on-hold scripts may save you some extra work. However, it won’t fare well for your company. That is because a print copy is wordy and meant to look great on paper, but that doesn’t translate to voice messages.
For on-hold marketing and IVR, you need something that quickly grabs your caller’s attention.
Have a look at this example for an Aesthetician/ Beauty clinic:
“Blackheads; they are such a pain. You can’t remove them, but we can. Press 5 to find out more.”
“Say bye-bye to dry, flaky skin. Get our famous Hydra Facial. Talk to our representative to book an appointment now.”
Create Trust
Tell your customers more about your products and services, and assure them you offer the highest quality. Educate your clients about product warranties or any money-back guarantees. Ask them to visit in person to try out your products or connect with your experts for further questions.
For an electronics retailer, the script could look like this:
“All our T.V sets carry a standard two-year manufacturer’s warranty. Get the perfect T.V for your home with the help of our experts.”
Share Reviews
Nothing works better than credible customer reviews in today’s day and age. If you have a huge customer base or fan following online, be sure to let your callers know.
“Follow us on Instagram for the latest updates. Join our community of 50,000 fans to view exciting daily posts and win tons of prizes.”
Entice With Promotional Offers
Who doesn’t love a good bargain?
Including coupon codes in on-hold marketing and voicemail messages is a sure-shot way of getting more people interested in buying your products or services.
“Use code SAVE to get 10% off. Exclusive for online orders only, for a limited time.”
Conclusion
There is no doubt that for successful on-hold marketing, you need help from professionals. Creating audio messages is not something anyone can do: you need experience and the right skills for making effective on-hold, IVR, and voicemail messages. So, start making voice messages work for you; hire a professional to make your callers’ wait worthwhile.
Primary Keywords:
Voicemail message
IVR
On-hold marketing
Secondary Keywords:
Interactive voice response