By Steven Kaip, Managing Partner, MusicOnHold.com

Ever want to make a real and lasting impression on your customers? Show them that you mean business about wanting them as a continuing client by giving them valuable on hold messages. Make them love it enough to want to ask you to put them on hold again. When was the last time you wanted to ask that of a company? When you were finished with your call, you were so amazed and excited about it that you just had to tell someone else what you just experienced? Here are some thoughts about how you can provide such a service.

Consider Why You Should Do This

Your customers are the lifeblood of your business. You already know that. You've probably heard on hold messages that would just about bring a snail to tears - pointless, monotonous, and going nowhere. Some seem to think that monotony equals business. Just think what would happen if you were to take that time, that all customers know they must spend - on hold, and use it to create a genuine excitement about your business and your products! Or, you could give them some real information related to your business. The idea here is to make them feel that the time spent on hold was not wasted - thanks to your thoughtfulness.

Thoughts About How To Do This

In order for you to do this in an effective way, you will need to do the following.

Get Adequate Equipment

One of the first things you need to do is to discuss with the sales person the various options that are available to you - in other words, what can the right equipment and service do? Here are some things to look for:

• Able to change messages easily
• Dynamic on hold production messages - listen to samples
• Digital equipment - more durable and will work immediately after a power failure
• Message options for variety - news, new products, company developments, daily restaurant menus
• Quickness in delivery of new messages - preferably downloadable

Obtain Quality Messages

This is what will make or break your system. It is the message itself that makes the difference. Of course, having an inadequate system will not help either. A digital system can keep on giving quality sound with great clarity. Once the system is in place you will want to design your quality messages with the on hold advertising company. You should look at it in the same way that you develop a branding for your company, or seek to produce those targeted ads. Slipshod work will not get the job done - it will take some real thought and effort to produce the messages you need.

Seek A Desired Effect

Your on hold messages may be the only thing that keeps your clients on line. By developing a message with such comments as "We are now helping another customer with their needs, and will soon be with you to bring you customer satisfaction, too," you can soothe dissatisfied and angry customers before your representative gets to them.

Other possibilities include expanding your sales by focusing on specials of the week. Suppose a potential buyer calls about your small pools and equipment, and, while they are listening to your audio marketing message, they learn of floating lounge chairs and other floatables on sale. When your representative comes on line, they ask about the sale, and – you just increased your sales total for the week! All because of delivering a quality message to a targeted and willing listener.