There is a trend towards On hold marketing messages for callers waiting on hold and away from on hold radio or dead silence while holding. Advertising on hold is gaining popularity because most callers will drop the call when they are put on hold if there is no engaging information being communicated. Recent research indicates that as many as 60% of callers who are put on silent on-hold hang up within forty seconds while callers who are put on-hold with on-hold messages stay for as long as 3 minutes. This poses a challenge for most companies that have many callers (such as those that offer customer service) and it is particularly challenging for companies in the outsourcing world such as call centers andBPOcenters. According to Better Business Marketing, having an on hold message will reduce abandonment of calls by as much as 90%. According to Maxi Marketing, as many as 88% of the callers have indicated that they prefer on hold messages to other options such as on hold music.
Placing callers on hold is important because research shows that 55% of all communication is lost when people speak over the phone (people like seeing body language) and this leaves 38% through the tone of voice 7% through words. This means giving an on hold message in the right tone will do wonders for your sales and your company’s/brand’s reputation.
On hold advertising is an effective advertising method that will complement other advertising methods such as branding. Advertising on hold is advantageous in that you do not need to pay a salesperson to do your promotions, meaning you get to save money. You do not need to train anyone or to pay for vacations and other perks. All that you need for on hold advertising is a recorded message. In the message, you will be able to enhance the image of your company and the brands you are offering, to promote your company’s website and its special features, to motivate your customers so that they can act, to promote any product line that you may have, and to talk about your strengths and specialties.
These messages enable you to thank your callers for their patience and to assure them that they will be served soon, further ensuring that they will stay on longer. Some people opt for on hold radio, but the music and the messages from the radio will not have anything to do with your company and you may even end up playing competitor commercials unwillingly.
