Just like any other marketing tool, the on hold provider you choose should be judged on what it can do for your business:

• Reinforces your advertising campaigns
• Promotes specials, seasonal events or products
• Saves staff time with messages that answer frequently asked questions
• Mentions important manufacturers or product lines you represent
• Cross-sells products your sales staff may neglect to mention
• Increases customer knowledge about your business

Info on hold has been proven to do the following:

• Enhance a company’s image
• Decrease caller hang-ups and agitation
• Keep callers interested
• Stimulate new sales

A custom on hold message and music recording can help you quickly and conveniently provide information about your business to a caller, who is already interested in your product or service. Couple that by directing callers waiting on hold to your website, blog or Facebook page for detailed information or specials.

Be heard and seen by targeted customers with each phone call placed to your business.  That’s a powerful combination.

Dan Andrew recently added a message with music that plays for his callers placed on hold. His customers no longer suffer in silence wondering if they are still connected. In addition, he is providing his customers a service by promoting the products and services he offers.

When people call your business, their mind is open to any message you have for them because they want your product or service to fill a need or solve a problem. How well your business fills that need or solves a problem is the difference between success and failure.

Is your business the obvious choice for (insert product/service here)? When people need a new (product/service), do they call you first? Do prospects of your business feel that they would have to be an absolute fool to do business with anyone else but you? If not, why not?

How often do you have your prospects attention when promoting your company? They have called because they are interested. If they are let down, there is always a competitor they can contact.

As a business owner myself, I believe my company is giving prospects and customers quality service they won’t find elsewhere. In fact, most hard-working business owners feel this way. We are so focused on running our business, we don’t have the time to really consider how our prospects and customers perceive our business.

Have you ever called your company and pretended to be a prospect to see how your call is handled? You might be surprised to hear an employee answering the phone with food in their mouth, or the radio station playing on hold has a commerical running from a competitor. Is your phone being answered with enthusiasm that conveys to callers your business is happy to hear from them, or does it sound like you have better things to do?

Some business owners have told us they don’t put people on hold for very long or not at all. We understand, nobody likes to be put on hold. At least that is what people will tell you. What they don’t tell you is they don’t like being put on hold and hearing nothing or a poorly tuned radio station.

Nothing?

Why give a valued prospect or client the silent treatment?

Radio?

Your callers on hold are a captive audience to a lot of commercials. Are any of them yours?

Music?

You’re in business to make money. Shouldn’t you promote your business?

Professionally produced messages on hold create a positive, professional impression of your company. Studies show that what your customers hear while on hold has a dramatic effect on how they perceive your business.