Does your web site talk?  For 27% of the people the primary sensory dominance is auditory; Seeing the words or the object gets them part way to absorbing the information; touching and feeling gets them more of the way there; but until those 27% hear the words that describe whatever it is, they have not absorbed the complete story being transmitted by your web site.  By using the same voice for audio messages on your web site as you use in your on hold messaging, your point-of-purchase messaging, your lobby vision messaging, and any other audio marketing, you will add that much more clout to your branding efforts and results.

What could you say about your products and/or services that would result in an impulse purchase? What benefits about any one of your products or services could you talk about in your on hold messaging which would translate into a “call to action”?  There’s nothing wrong with having a caller get so fired up about a product or service that she wants to tell you her credit card number immediately.  Assuming that it is not quite an impulse purchase, but that you still want some action,give the caller the secret code that lets her get to the specials on the web site.  Your web site should be able to tell you exactly who is calling or clicking.  And that’s a solid lead!  If it cannot provide the information about the caller, get with your web site provider and ask about acquiring that capability.

On Hold messages could be the first impression that a caller gets.  We all know that first impressions are lasting impressions.  So providing a friendly and efficient experience for your callers will put them in a far better frame of mind and have them thinking, “I am going to like doing business with this company/organization.”  A professional voice, doing a professional greeting in a friendly and pleasant manner can go a long way to creating a positive first impression and setting the stage for authentic dialogue.

On hold messaging is an easy, effective way to tell callers how your company is growing or changing, how it is being restructured, how the new call center will work and what the benefit to the callers will be, where the new building is being constructed, that there is a new automated call attendant which will be in effect in 6 weeks, that the new web site will be live (or is live) as of such and such a date and the address is www.xxxx.com; go now to check it out.