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Not All Value is Obvious

By Scott Greggory

Torn Paper Bottom Edge

“That which gets measured gets done.”

We’ve always liked that idea.

But the fact is that caller responses to traditional On Hold Marketing are difficult to measure. There are no clickable links to track. No way to “buy now.”

That might be one of the reasons certain companies don’t invest in their callers on hold. Instead, they leave customers and prospects waiting in silence or force them to listen to a single frustratingly generic message that repeats every 45 seconds.

Neither the brand nor its callers win in those cases.

If your company doesn’t use custom, caller-focused On Hold Marketing because you can’t see a way to measure its effectiveness, consider these ideas.

On Hold Coupons – Tell your callers on hold that they’re entitled to free shipping, 10% off their next purchase or another bonus when they hear your on hold coupon. To “redeem” that coupon, they just mention the associated keyword or phrase to your CSR. Change the offer – and the keyword – frequently to keep your callers actively listening.

On Hold-Specific Offers – Choose a few products that you only promote to callers on hold. They can’t be available through your website, catalogs or anywhere else. Showcase them several times during each production as “On Hold Offers” or “Telephone Exclusives.” When callers ask about the products, you’ll know it’s because of your On Hold Marketing.

Remember also that On Hold Marketing is an element of the caller experience. Many marketing efforts can be tough to track – from in-store music, broadcast advertising and even branding – but all of them add to each audience member’s cumulative knowledge of the company.

So, even if you can’t directly attribute a single sale to On Hold Marketing, leaving your callers in cold silence is much more of a negative.

By the way, ask us about CXSelect. It lets you provide more on hold options and track caller interest in your products and services.