On-Hold Messages and Music
Deliver important messages to an engaged audience
Having callers on-hold is an inevitable part of life for any growing business. Studies have shown that if callers are confronted with silence, they are likely to hang up and not ring back, which could cost you business. On-Hold Marketing keeps callers engaged, lets you deliver important messages and improves the likelihood of the caller staying on the line.
Messages
Deliver short updates such as changes to opening hours.
Music
Keep customers entertained with suitable music.
Promotions
Alert callers to your current sales promotions.
On-Hold Messages
Keep your customers informed
The most common version of On-Hold Marketing involves messages. These messages should be informative; such as letting the customer know their position in the queue, reminding them of specific numbers to call based upon different queries, or letting them know about an expected wait time.
On-Hold Messaging is also crucial during holiday periods such as Easter and Christmas as it allows you to easily convey your opening hours and emergency contact details, if required.
On-Hold Music
Use music to entertain your customers
The other common version of On-Hold Marketing is the playing of music. The key to engaging your audience here is understanding their tastes in music and providing them with something they would like to listen to. You should also consider how the music fits with your brand.
You will also need to consider licensing when choosing your music as, while there are a lot of royalty-free pieces available, your chosen work may incur a fee.
Promotions
Alert callers to your current sales promotions
One of the lesser-known benefits of On-Hold Marketing is drawing attention to promotions, offers and events. If a caller is placed on hold as part of the sales process or if they are a returning customer, it could well be a perfect opportunity to let them know of a promotional offer which could help to seal the deal.
Similarly, it is also the perfect time to let them know about upcoming events they may be interested in.
Explore your options
Alternatives to On-Hold Marketing
Whilst the above options are all excellent uses of any time on-hold, the target for most businesses should still be to keep this time as short as possible. With that in mind, we encourage our customers to consider Call Routing, Call Forwarding and expanding Hunt Groups to ensure that the time your customers and colleagues are spending on-hold is as short as possible.
Learn more about Call Management