Music On Hold Basics

Endear yourself to customers by honing your on-hold music and messages
By Lori Rogers-Stokes It may seem like a simple given that when your customers are waiting to speak to you, they hear hold music. But music on hold is more than mere stand-by music. Music is a powerful language, and the telephone hold music you play is the voice of your business, speaking to your customers.
 

On-hold music and messages have to appeal to your specific customers. It shouldn't be a negative or even a neutral experience for the customer, but a chance to sell. Here are three music on hold basics to keep in mind as you choose your on hold music provider:

1. Make beautiful music for your specific customer base.

2. Avoid copyright infringement issues.

3. Refine your voice-over message to grab your customers.

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.
Try: 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.
Try: 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.
Try: 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.

• 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.