Article originally posted on: https://www.clearonhold.com/blog/2020/6/15/4-reasons-youre-hurting-your-business-by-not-changing-your-on-hold-messaging
Even if you haven’t been in business long, you know there’s more to success than just making and selling products – who you are to your customers matters—that is, your brand matters. It matters most of all because no one brings in revenue to your business like repeat callers and repeat customers, and they are exposed to your brand more than anyone. That’s why it’s so important to have something playing on hold. This isn’t groundbreaking or new. Marketing with on hold messages has been around for long enough, and most business owners know, if they have telephones, they need something on hold. Many still make the mistake of thinking as long as they have something – anything – that’s good enough, and they can move on to more important things.
Don’t fall into that trap! You aren’t a one-size-fits-all, set-it-and-forget-it, generic business. Don’t choose a one-size-fits-all, set-it-and-forget-it, generic on hold message! Forgetting about your on hold messaging can make your customers feel like you’ve forgotten about them. Why? Well,
1. Generic Messaging becomes Background Noise that Your Customers Tune Out
The worst thing you can have on hold is dead air – silence makes callers feel lost in the dark. Ten seconds can feel like ten minutes, meaning they are more likely to hang up and call you back or even hang up and call a competitor. Even if you have something playing, though, if you make no effort to keep it fresh or make it custom to your business, your callers get used to it and tune it out. And you’ve inadvertently given them permission to tune out your sales messages.
Effective On Hold Messaging means not allowing callers to get used to or ignore your message. If your on hold messaging feel like you’ve got nothing to offer, it’s a short leap to them ignoring all your marketing. That’s what you’re putting on the line when you gamble on a set-it-and-forget-it approach to your phones. It’s amazing what a gamble just doing nothing can be!
2. Failure to Update Makes Your Business Appear Unreliable
Your on hold messaging can keep people coming back. Offering fresh, custom messaging makes callers see you as someone who stays on top of things, who has all their ducks in a row, and, most importantly, will do what they say they will do. That’s a trustworthy, reliable business: one that customers will return to. Whether you sell cordless drills or cat collars, your customers rely on you. Keeping on top of your on hold messaging communicates to them that you won’t let them drop through the cracks, because you do sweat the small stuff. That means good on hold messaging locks in a loyal customer base.
Once you’ve done that, you can can build a marketing strategy around that base. Then, your on hold messaging doesn't just keep them around: it gets them to spend money on products and services they didn’t know they wanted. Create reliability, you create loyalty, and with loyalty you increase your sales. And all it costs is a few minutes every couple of months to change what they’re hearing when you place them on hold!
3. Stagnant, Disengaged Messaging Tells People You are a Stagnant, Disengaged Business
Coca-cola could afford to charge the same price for their product for 70 years – but they couldn’t afford to ignore their marketing. In fact, in the US alone, they’ve changed their branding and marketing slogan over 60 times. You’re not running Coca-cola, but you can learn from them that when you don’t update your messaging, what you have is a stagnant brand. When you don’t change your messaging, you’re telling your customers is that you don’t have the time, energy, or money to invest in good marketing. That makes your business look lifeless and disengaged, and it gives your customers permission to go somewhere else for better service and new opportunities.
What happens when a big box sets up outside of town? Most of the Mom & Pops on Main Street go bankrupt. It’s not just lower prices. Constant updates, changing sales, new products, full shelves – those reflect resources spent on being more engaged and more engaging. Even if you don’t have the resources of a Walmart or a Coca-Cola Company, by focusing the resources you do have on communicating everything you have to offer your customers, you improve their experience. Fresh marketing makes you look engaged and dynamic – the most attractive option in your market.
4. Unchanging, Generic Messaging Tells Customers You Don’t Really Care About Them
We've got news for you: you invest in the appearance of your shop or office because you already know people are willing to spend more money for a better experience. With every encounter you’re sending a message to your customers about what kind of business you are. You can't escape it.
Here's another fact: people spend more money when a business looks like it invests energy and time into making their experience better. Every customer assumes a kind of authority when they walk into a store. After all, in most cases they can always take their business elsewhere. No one is a stronger believer that “the customer is always right” than the customer. We're not saying you have to fawn over everyone who walks through your doors or calls you – sometimes the customer is wrong. You can still send little signals that your customers pick up on subconsciously. On Hold Messaging is one of the most important of these signals – and one of the easiest to send.
When you keep your on hold messaging fresh and up-to-date, you’re telling your callers “yes, I think about every aspect of your experience. I care about you.” Use it to sell specific products, by all means, but good on hold messaging focuses on your customers first, and your products or services second.
Our advice? When you choose an On Hold Marketing provider, choose somebody who makes it easy to update regularly and gives you plenty of options for customizing your messaging. That’s how you get the most benefit for the least effort with On Hold Marketing.
Article written by:
Clearonhold
119 N Sage St Suite 201
Toccoa, GA 30577
(888) 465-3661
https://www.clearonhold.com/