Thinking about using messages on hold as a sales tool on your telephone system or VoIP service? For the best, most effective hold messages, it is probably worth asking a professional to write the script. A specialist. Someone who just writes scripts for the messages on hold that your telephone callers will respond to.
Why a specialist? Think about your own experience as a customer … Where will you get the best service? Where will you get the best results? Whether it's from a doctor, real estate lawyer, or financial advisor, you'll choose the specialist if you can afford it. They "know their stuff" better. They've got experience with your specific problem. And their reputation is based on one thing they do best. That's because you get better results.
When you want to accomplish more than you could with just music on hold, the difference is the script. The best script can help you sell more when it's written from the customer's point of view: what are your customers' needs? Why did they call you today? What problem or concern got them to take action? And what are their "hot buttons?"
"Hot Buttons" are defined as the most important questions on your customer's mind … the ones that your customer is most concerned with, and causes an emotional response.
It's well known that the most effective hold messages are written in a series of short ideas, and separated by background music. The reason for this is that the time spent on-hold can be short (and attention spans can be shorter!) So telephone callers can lose focus if listening to a long complicated message. What if your caller has to wait on hold for a longer period? No problem. Your caller will hear several short messages. Some may not be of much interest, but if your on-hold strategy has been properly planned, other messages will get the response you want.
Most people who write on hold messages are good writers. They write articles, brochures, and radio commercials. But a specialist in writing on hold messages knows how you can get more response every time a caller has to wait on hold. Your specialist starts with a strategy, just like a website SEO designer does. Your script will capture the attention of your caller with a "hot button," educate them about what you do, how you do it, and what makes you different from your competition, and give your caller a reason to ask for more information.
Every time you update your messages on hold (there are lots of reasons to update your script: seasonal demand, new products or services, new competition, or new customer needs) your hold message specialist should review your strategy, talk about the messages that have worked and those that did not get enough response, and then improve the script.
The best script gets the best results. If you're not getting the results you want, it's your hold message specialist's job to come up with new ideas. It's not always easy, but that's what you pay for.
Is it worth hiring an on hold specialist? Can not you just get a generic script, or use a "template" from a phone installer or DJ? Your success depends on the strategy and the script. It usually takes a specialist to help you sell more on every call.
