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The Small Business Owner's Guide To On-Hold Messaging

When you call a company, you expect to talk to a live representative. Whether you have questions about your bill, certain products, or to schedule an appointment, you don't enjoy being placed on hold for long periods. This is especially true if you're forced to wait on the telephone in silence.

You're not alone. Studies have shown that people are likely to hang up if they're not connected to a live person within 60 seconds. If they're forced to wait in silence, the time they're willing to hold plummets. That's why On-Hold Messaging (OHM) was designed. It's a tool that businesses can use to create a more pleasant environment for customers and clients who are holding on the line. Today's article will discuss standard and customized messages, pricing, and other factors.

Options For Messages

You'll have two main options for the messages you use in your OHM system: standard and customized. Standard messages are less costly. They're recorded in advance and sold to multiple companies. The content is generic in order to ensure it fits seamlessly across a wide array of industries. To keep costs down, the range of voice talent used for standard messages is usually limited.

If your company needs unique on-hold messaging content, a customized solution will probably be more appropriate than generic messaging. The voice talent available to record your messages is more expansive, but the wider selection comes at a higher price.

Another thing to keep in mind is that using popular music for your OHM system is expensive. Songs are aggressively protected through copyright law. Small business owners occasionally make the mistake of using copyrighted music on their OHM systems without taking royalties into account.

How Much Will It Cost?

The price you'll pay for on-hold messaging will depend first upon whether you're using a standard or customized solution. Another factor is how often your business will require new content.

A customized production can cost between $100 and $500. The factors which control the price within that range are the voice talent you're using, duration of the segment, and whether you'll need sound effects. A standard production will generally cost under $60.

If your company requires frequent updates, the ongoing maintenance cost of an OHM system can grow quickly. For example, a monthly rotation of customized segments can cost up to $6,000 annually. Most smaller businesses will only need to update their messages two to four times each year unless they organize frequently changing promotions.

Other Factors To Consider

Many vendors will offer a variety of voice talent from which you can choose. That flexibility lets you select the voice that best matches your company's image. However, keep in mind that some talent may be far more expensive than others.

Also, if you're planning to stream a radio station feed into your OHM system, make sure the stream doesn't contain advertisements from your competitors. Studies have shown that 1 in 5 people make purchase decisions partly based upon what they hear in on-hold messaging content.

On-hold messaging is an important tool for all small business owners. It can reduce customer frustration (and hang-ups) while marketing other products and services. Use the guidelines above to select the system that fits your budget, image, and needs.

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