Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Offer something new in music on-hold services to returning customers

Why not let your on-hold message serve as a customer care rep? Include answers to a few FAQs in your message loop, and update them every four to six weeks. Or mix things up a little with a short dramatic audio-play about your business.

I recommend: Let eNthem create your on-hold messages with their on-staff, professional lyricists. You get to hold the copyright for the final product and use it how you like. See Leave Me On Hold for samples of dramatic mini-plays designed for music on hold services.

Bring your telephone hold music into the digital age

In the old days, on-hold music and messages were recorded onto cassettes and sent to you through the mail. Changes took days or weeks to implement. Now, you can get on-hold music and messages emailed to you in the MP3 format, making it easy to instantly update your on-hold experience.

I recommend: Easy on Hold offers an analysis of Digital MP3 Email Delivery solutions for business hold music. You can find a variety of Digital Music On Hold players at TWAcomm.com.

Be yourself with custom on-hold messages and services for your industry

When customers call your spa, do they hear an assertive male voice while they're on hold? Why not a calming female voice? Custom-tailoring your on-hold messaging to suit your particular business is a smart move.

I recommend: Browse different custom messages for industries from casual dining to taxi services at Muzak.com. See Commercials On Hold for samples by industry, with several voice and tone options for each industry.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Augment the professional voice-over artists on your on-hold messaging with your own star turn. Customers like to hear a personal message from a company executive. It makes you more than a name and a number.

Guide to Successful 'On-Hold' Messaging

Make your phones work harder. Put tell-and-sell to work on hold.

By Daniel Kehrer, Editor, Business.com & Work.com

Successful ads on hold:

1. Make a small company sound big
2. Deliver an effective combination of information, voice and music
3. Transform 'dead time' - however brief - into sell time or customer service time.

Action Steps
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Evaluate options, equipment and pricing

Explore different on-hold messaging options and learn what questions to ask before making your choice among the many solution providers.

I recommend: The On Hold Messaging Association, with about 70 member companies, offers helpful information about how on hold messaging works, how to evaluate providers, program design, equipment types and pricing.

Quick solutions and free custom demos

Try out free customized demos before you decide.

I recommend: Easy On Hold offers a range of quick message on hold solutions for small business and will craft an original demo message for your business.

Show me the money

Get details on how on-hold messaging can make money for your business.

I recommend: On Hold Marketing Services, Inc. is another vendor offering free demos. The Web site has free reports for download explaining how on hold messaging can make money for your business.

Combine toll-free and virtual on-hold messaging service

A hosted 'virtual' PBX system with toll-free service and on-hold messaging can make a small business look a lot bigger.

I recommend: Freedom800.com offers virtual telecom services with PBX style functionality, automated voice messaging, on-hold music, call routing, virtual fax and more.

Run it through your own PC

For an in-house solution, try software that turns your own PC into an on-hold message and music player.

I recommend: IMS is a computer-controlled on-hold message player. Install the software on any Windows PC and connect the computer's sound out socket to your office phone system. You can continue to use the PC as normal.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Hours and location: Your message can include business hours and your Web site address - the very information some callers may have wanted.
• •  Cross-selling and impulse buys: A caller on hold to a hair salon could hear about a new hair care product just in, or a weekly special.
• •  Branding: Tell callers what your business is all about; things you do they might not know about.
• •  Testimonials: Let customers hear what other customers are saying.

Action Steps
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Hit the right note for your customers to enhance your business hold music

If you sell bridal services, you probably don't want heavy metal on-hold music. Farm equipment? Classical music may not be appropriate. While no customer base is uniform, you can narrow down the types of telephone hold music your customers most likely want to hear.

I recommend: You can create a unique profile for your business' hold music with TWAcomm.com's MessageStudio Software. It gives you 20 music selections plus numerous pre-recorded messages, along with the ability to record your own. At Royalty Free Music, you can browse from dozens of music genres, from Classical to Reggae to Dance/Trance.

Obey the law--use licensed business hold music only

Many businesses unknowingly infringe on copyright by tapping into local radio stations or their own CD collection for stand-by music. And it's not just your business that can get into trouble. Make sure your on-hold music service provider is fully licensed.

I recommend: Easy on Hold offers a quick briefing on How to Use Music on Hold Legally. Read "The Issue of Legal On-Hold Music" at EZineArticles.com.

Target your customers with on-hold messages and services

Targeting your message goes beyond content. What's best for your base, a male or female voice, comedy or complete seriousness, a fast or slow pace, or bilingual voices? When it comes to communication, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

I recommend: RainMakers International allows you to listen to a full array of voice identities. At Marketing Messages from Data-Track Services, you can try out Spanish, French, American and British English, as well as other voices and languages for your on-hold messaging.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Work with your on-hold services provider to come up with an appropriately timed loop so that your message does not repeat too often during a hold. To do this, come up with an average time spent on hold, and aim to have your message come up no more than twice during that hold time.

Guide to Music On-Hold Key Terms

Know key terms to keep customers listening when they're on hold

By Rachel Davy, Writer/Editor

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Overhead music

Overhead music is music on demand without voice-overs. There are overhead music companies that offer selections of different types of music, including classical, big band and top 20 hits. Overhead music is pleasant and easy to listen to so customers will stay on the line until someone is available to take their calls.

I recommend: Learn about overhead music systems from Ear Glue.

On-hold messaging

On-hold messaging includes scripted messages that interest callers until their calls can be answered. Background music is sometimes used during on hold-messaging to produce a pleasant listening experience.

I recommend: Read about on-hold messaging at On Hold Business.

Telephone greetings

Telephone greetings are scripted messages used for on-hold business callers. These greetings include detailed information about companies that callers listen to while they're on hold.

I recommend: Read about telephone greetings at Power Productions.

Digital voice players

Digital voice players play prerecorded messages of selected music or voice recordings. Some players allow users to create their own recordings or play from formats including mP3s and WMAs. Business owners can use digital voice players to play voice recordings that give information about their services.

I recommend: Read about digital voice players at MCS.

Music on-hold news feeds

Music on-hold news feeds can include updated financial and stock market reports that customers can listen to while they're on hold. News feeds can also be current events, weather updates, sports or entertainment news.

I recommend: Learn about music on-hold news feeds at Walsh Media.

Auto attendant

An auto attendant is a virtual receptionist that answers and directs calls into your phone systems if your receptionist is unavailable to answer calls directly. An auto attendant provides a professional image to businesses while saving time by greeting and routing calls correctly throughout the day.

I recommend: Use the information at Coliday to learn about auto attendant services.