Five Ways to Get Your Phone System Ready for the Holidays

That hectic time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s can be challenging for businesses that are scrambling to spread the word about holiday promotions while also trying to juggle celebrations, employee schedules, and keeping customers happy. Too often, little details get forgotten somewhere between managing payroll and decking the halls with boughs of holly.

Keeping it business as usual during the holiday season requires some strategic planning and a few updates to your phone system to support your marketing efforts and streamline your communications. With the festivities nearly here, these helpful tips can help you align your phone system during this busy time of the year.

Create a Holiday Greeting
Call volumes typically increase during the holidays, and the reality is that you might not always be possible to answer every call this time of the year. This makes it the ideal time to create a customized, professional message that callers can hear before you take their call. Offering a holiday greeting can be a prime opportunity to express your gratitude to your customers while also putting them in a festive mood.

Promote Seasonal Specials
Are you offering any holiday promotions, discounts, or sales this season? If so, your phone message can become one of your biggest marketing tools. A clear, concise on-hold message detailing what you have to offer can pique the interest of your callers while they’re waiting to speak to you.

Play Holiday Tunes
Do you play music on-hold for your customers? Instead of tuning in to your local FM station, why not play holiday favorites that can also set the stage for promoting your seasonal specials.

Use Call Forwarding
When you’re attending holiday lunches and shopping for gifts, your customers might still be trying to call you. This is when the call forwarding feature on your phone system can come in particularly handy. It’s ok to get away for a few extra hours during the holidays, but make sure that your calls are forwarded so that customers can still reach you or your holiday message.

Provide a Holiday Schedule Message
Are you offering extended hours during the holidays? Or, will your office be closed the days leading up to Christmas or New Year’s Day. Your customers need to know! Create an informative voicemail message to keep them up to date about your holiday schedule. They’ll appreciate the information, and it will cut down on the number of questions you’re fielding from them about your business’s availability.

Contact Snap Recordings today to get your phone system ready for the holidays. With pricing for customized, professional phone recording packages starting at $50.00, it’s an ideal solution for transforming your phone system into a highly effective marketing and customer service tool through the holidays and beyond!

Ten Tips for Leaving a Better Voicemail Message

Adrian Miller, founder of Adrian Miller Sales Training, is today’s featured guest blogger at Snap Recordings.  She begins our new series about small business strategies with  tips on how to leave a voicemail message that gets heard and also gets a response!

Mastering the fine art of voicemail is a skill that’s necessary for the success of everyone in business. Who hasn’t winced at an incoherent and rambling voicemail of a colleague and wondered what they were saying? Leaving a lengthy, confusing, or downright incomprehensible recorded message is an all too common problem, and certainly not a smart way to acquire new business or maintain existing accounts. Fortunately, with a little practice, anyone can become a voicemail pro. Consider the following tips the next time you leave a voicemail and avoid having your message erased into oblivion.

Keep it short
The quicker you can get to the point of your call, the better off you will be. You’re far more likely to be listened to if your message is short and concise.

Include a benefit statement
Give a reason to call you back. A response is more plausible if you can communicate a clear benefit to your recipient.

Leave your name and contact information at both the beginning and end of the message
A fine-tuned voicemail message starts with the most pertinent information, including your name and phone number. If your recipient has to replay your message, your contact information will then be at the beginning, instead of just at the end.

Speak slowly enough for your recipient to understand your message and transcribe your phone number
The delivery is just as important as your content. Don’t make it difficult for your listener. Keep your speech slow and comprehensible.

Speak in a natural, pleasant, and professional tone
Your tone is important, as well. Be aware of your vocal pitch and articulation. If possible, replay your message and repeat, if necessary.

Rehearse your message
Not all voicemail systems have replay options. It’s always a good idea to rehearse your message before you even pick up the phone.

Escape from the voicemail loop
Whenever you can, locate a “live person” to obtain additional information about the firm, your decision maker’s whereabouts, schedules, and other useful tidbits. You might be surprised by what you learn while trying to leave a message.

Leave messages at “off times” of the day or night
Leaving a voicemail later in the evening helps to ensure that your message will be one of the very first heard the next day. Prospecting sales voicemails that are left during the busy middle of the day are often ignored.

Consider voicemail as your ally
The bottom line is that voicemail gives you an opportunity to get your message, spoken in your voice, into the ear of your decision-maker. Take advantage of this fact, and use your ability to leave an effective message to create new business opportunities.

 

Adrian Miller is the founder of Adrian Miller Sales Training and Adrian’s Network, a virtual business networking community that helps business professionals make contacts and connections. Follow her on Twitter: @AMST.

End of Summer Special – 15% Discount on All New Orders until September 21st

Summer is quickly coming to a close, and it’s time to get back to business!

If you haven’t updated your telephone system messaging recently, there is no better time than now. Snap Recordings is offering an End of Summer Special with a 15% discount on all new orders placed before September 21st.

Let Snap Recordings help you polish your greeting, on-hold message, and prompts. It’s the fastest and easiest way to build credibility with your callers and polish your brand image. 

To take advantage of this limited time special, enter discount code: SummerSnap when placing your order.

How to Create a Smart Out of Office Message

With only a few more weeks left of summer, many of us are trying to get away from the office for one last long weekend before the fall cooler weather begins. While it’s great to escape from the daily grind, a poorly constructed or non-existent on-hold message can simultaneously increase your backlog of messages and irritate your callers. Yes, it can even cause you to lose customers!

While you may feel like there is a long list of things to do as part of your pre-trip planning, a clear, informative out-of-office message should be a priority. Here are the key components that you’ll need to communicate to your callers before you leave.

When You’ll Be Absent
First, you need to provide details of when you’ll be away from the office. You should specify the dates, not just the days of the week. For example, “I’ll be away from the office from Monday, August 16 until Friday August 20.” By providing these specifics, it will help your callers determine what they should do next – whether to call you back upon your return or seek someone else to help them.

The Reason for Your Absence
There may be a number of reasons why you’re out of the office. If you’re on a business trip or at a training session, you still might be checking messages and returning calls. Let your callers know this. If it is a vacation, it’s a good idea to communicate that you’ll be offline and unable to return calls until you return.

Of course, you don’t need to spell out too many details of your absence. If you’re undergoing a medical procedure or having personal problems, your out of office message is not the place to discuss details. Keep it professional and only provide the necessary information that your callers need to know.

Who They Should Contact
If possible, provide at least one backup contact for your callers. Let them know who to specifically call and how to reach them.

Finally, Make Your Message Precise and Concise.
You don’t need to leave a five minute rambling message apologizing for your absence. Instead, it needs to be clear and informative with all of the necessary details. Play back your message to make sure that it’s easy to understand and avoid using office jargon and abbreviations that others may not be able to decipher.

No one wants to return from vacation with a voicemail box full of messages from upset callers. By taking a few minutes to create an out of office message that provides the necessary information, you will be well on your way to be able to enjoy your time away while minimizing your callers’ frustration.

If you want a truly polished and professional out of office message, Snap Recordings can help. With studio-mastered, custom messages for your telecommunications systems from $50.00, it’s the best way to communicate with your callers while you’re away from the office.

 

 

 

 

Five On-Hold Strategies for Jumpstarting Sales

The “Sounds of Silence” was one of the great songs of the 20^th century, but silence to a caller on hold is usually a deal killer. Not only does it make the caller feel abandoned, you can miss a golden opportunity to communicate your brand message.

Your callers have already expressed interest in your company just by dialing your number. Now, it’s up to you to let them know they’ve made a wise choice. Here are five pointers on what to include in your on-hold message that will help convert a caller into a buyer.

Tell Them Something New
Regular customers are the lifeblood of most businesses, but you can’t take them for granted. You have to always be contributing something new and fresh if you’re going to keep them engaged. If your company has a new produce or service, or if you’re running a promotion, make the announcement through your on-hold messaging.

Play to Your Strengths
While your callers are holding, share with them what separates your products and services from your competition. For instance, a doctor’s office could say, “All our physicians are board certified in their specialties and average at least ten years of experience.” Or a pizza place can say, “We’ve always thought we make the best pizza, but we’re thrilled to know you agree: We just won our third straight Best in the City Award!”

Remember, if you’re good at something, don’t be shy about it!

Pave the Way for an Up-Sell
There’s an old saying: The number one reason people donate to charity is because they are asked. The same is true for your customers. They can’t ask for products or services they don’t know about.

While your customers are on hold, make sure you educate them about the full spectrum of products and services you offer. Consider this classic example: Most states require residents to have minimum car insurance policies. If you call most car insurance companies, the smart ones take the chance to offer other insurance types as well.  Almost always, your customers will appreciate learning about all that you have to offer.

Use Variety
There’s a fine line between presenting a caller with useful information and burying them with an avalanche of sales pitches before they’ve talked to a live person. If you have multiple items of information you want to convey in your on-hold message, think about alternating these items with pleasant, appropriate music. This allows the caller to pause and digest what they’ve just heard and consider whether they’re interested. Alternating what they hear can also make the on-hold experience seem shorter than it actually is.

Set the Customer Service Tone
There’s another tried and true saying: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. If a caller’s first experience with your firm is being put on hold, provide them with a quality experience. Show that you care from the first minute. That starts with writing a quality script. If you don’t have a good writer on staff, hire one. And don’t spoil a quality script with poor presentation. Use professional voice talent to present a polished image.

 If you’re ready to ramp up your on-hold message to improve your company’s image, leverage a valuable marketing opportunity, and effectively communicate with your customers, contact Snap Recordings today. We have professional voice recording packages for your telephone system with prices starting at $50.00.

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At Snap Recordings, we invite you to follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-the minute with all the latest on our blog, links to helpful ideas & news, specials, promotions, contests, and more.  Find tweets of all our latest posts the moment that they get published. Tweet with the rest of our community, share your thoughts, and get to know what others are saying. 

Become a fan of Snap Recordings on Facebook and get a glimpse of the latest happenings on the blog. Comment and share your thoughts immediately and respond to others. We’ll also have polls, special offers only available on Facebook, contest announcements, and lots of other reasons to stay connected.

We’re excited to be building the momentum as our community increases. Of course, we welcome your suggestions and comments about our blog. Tell us more about what you wish to read about and what improvements we can make to provide you with the most value.   

Guidelines to Writing a Fantastic On-Hold Script

What makes an ordinary on-hold message extraordinary? With Snap Recordings you are getting the finest voice talents and audio quality available. But if you really want your on-hold program to stand out you need one more thing…you need a great script.

Your on-hold message provides an excellent opportunity for you to market to your customers, and share all of the details that make your company unique. Now that you have their undivided attention what would you like them to know?

Whatever your message, there are a few characteristics that are universal to a successful on-hold script:

• Informative - Utilize this time to address your callers questions, provide your basic info (address, hours of operation, website url, etc.). Many businesses find that a significant percentage of callers are simply asking for this info. You can save your employees and your callers time by including it in your on-hold message.

• Engaging - While you want to create a platform to inform your callers, the best way to do that is by keeping their attention. Using fun facts, conversational language, and avoiding technical jargon can go a long way in keeping callers engaged.

• Credible - Making lofty claims (i.e. “We’re the best in town”) can damage your credibility if you can’t back them up. Instead of making grand, general statements highlight your industry affiliations, awards, and achievements (example: “Last year we served more customers than other repair shop in the Springfield area.”) Those are the types of statements that instill confidence in your customers.

• Concise - Trying to cram too much content into one message or creating lengthy messages can be overwhelming for callers. Identify the key points you want to make with your on-hold message, and stick to those. Encourage callers to ask for more details when you return to the line, and you can fill them in on the other products/services you offer at that time.

If you already have dynamic marketing materials, good news…some of the work has probably already been done for you. Chances are, your website, brochures, and marketing materials already provide some great information about your business. With some minor modification, you can use that content for your on-hold script as well.

As an additional resource, we provide customizable scripts for several popular industries (Insurance, Automotive Repair, Real Estate, Medical, etc.) Feel free to use or modify these as you’d like. (create link). If already have a great script, but you’re looking to say something more than just “thank you for holding” we’ve complied some “On-Hold Taglines” for you to utilize as well.

If you still need some additional help, or would prefer to leave the work to the professionals, Snap Recordings also offers scripting services as a part of our recording packages. Find out more

Tips for Writing Your Auto Attendant Script

A couple of weeks ago a client came to us saying, “I listened to your demos, and I have picked a great voice talent for my phone greetings, but I’m not sure where to start with the script. What do I do?” And since this wasn’t the first (and probably won’t be the last) time we’ve been asked this, we decided to outline the process of writing your Auto Attendant or Phone Greetings Script.

The most important element to writing your Auto Attendant or Phone System Greetings is having an understanding of how your phone system is set-up. If you don’t have a list of the current messages and extensions, the company that maintains your phone system may have it on file. You will also want make any phone system changes before creating your greetings.

Step 1:

Identify what additional information you would like to include in your greetings. Many companies include their website url, address, slogan, etc., where appropriate. If your receptionist is fielding several inquiries about your hours of operation, for example, it might be beneficial for you to include this information in your greetings.

Step 2:

Eliminate any time sensitive material or information. Unless you plan to update your recording frequently, you will want to exclude any information that dates your greetings (i.e. mentioning seasonal promotions). You may also want to consider omitting names from your extension list, and replacing them with titles.

Example:

For the Sales Manager, Press 4

vs.

For Julie Jones, Sales Manager, Press 4

Step 3:

Specify where necessary. If you want your new customers to set up their billing account with Customer Service rather than your Billing Department, make note of that in your greeting.

Example:

New customers looking to set up billing and for all other service  matters, contact Customer Service at ext. 214

Step 4:

While you want to be thorough, you also want to use wording that is concise and to the point. Callers may hang up if they have to wade through too much extraneous information before they reach the right party.

Step 5:

Make sure everything is written as you want it read by our voice talent. For Example: Inc. will be read “ink”, so use Incorporated, if that’s what you would like said. Also, you will want to specify any questionable pronunciations as well as addresses.

Example:

2421 Independence Boulevard can be read twenty four – twenty one  OR two four two one. If you have a preference, please make note of it

If you need some additional ideas or greeting samples, check out our ‘Auto Attendants Greetings’ page

Snap Recordings: Who Are Our Voice Talents?

Choosing the right voice for your company’s audio production is like choosing the right outfit for an event. You need to ask yourself: what kind of image am I trying to project? Soft and calming, powerful, soulful, authoritative, professional…whatever message is most representative of your business, you’ll find the right match from our extensive selection of talent. But don’t let the number of our available voice talents fool you.

Our voiceover artist undergo an in-depth selection process before they are added to our database. This allows us to ensure that your recording is of the finest caliber, and meets the highest industry standards; whether you are a one-man operation or an international corporation.

At Snap Recordings, we pride ourselves on offering you the industry’s finest. From radio talent to TV personalities, we work with the best of the best. Turn on the radio during your morning drive or flip on the TV, and some of the voices you hear in our voice talent database may sound familiar. We are pleased to make these highly sought after and talented individuals accessible to you and your business at very affordable rates.

Listen for yourself and check them out here

Snap Recordings: How Do They Work?

“How do I put your recordings into my phone?” If you’ve asked this question, you’re not alone. In fact, this is one of the most frequently asked questions we receive. So, we wanted to take this opportunity to explain. No technical jargon. No IT degree required…just a simple breakdown of how it works.

Whether you want to put our recordings into your fancy office phone system or into your cell phone, we offer a few easy options for you to select from.

Audio File:

If your system has the capability to receive an audio file, we can provide our recordings in a number of different formats. You let us know what format is compatible with your system, and we’ll deliver the appropriate file. You can then upload the file to your system or have whomever manages your phone system upload it, and you’re done. It’s as simple as that.

Insertion Service:

If your system or cell phone cannot accept audio files, Snap Recordings has the capability to patch audio files directly into your system, with your permission. You provide us with the administrator password to login to your phone system or cell phone voicemail, and we’ll seamlessly deliver the file through the phone line. This ensures your callers hear a crisp, clear recording every time.

Speaker Recording:

If you are unable to or uncomfortable providing us with your phone system password, it’s no problem You can still put our recording into your phone manually. We will email you the audio file. You then login to your system and hold your phone up to your computer’s speakers. Play the audio file on your computer and record it directly into your phone that way. With this method, the clarity of the recording may be compromised depending on the quality of your speakers, phone and the presence of background noise.

Audio Tap Devices*:

Another available option, is to purchase a Telephone Handset Audio Tap Device. These devices are often used by radio stations and telephone companies, and they allow you to transfer audio files into your phone, similarly to Snap Recording’s insertion service. Most of these devices do not work with cell phones, cordless phones, or any telephone with a keypad in the handset.

If you are interested in purchasing one of these devices, we recommend you check out:

http://jkaudio.com/that-1.htm

If you have any any further questions on how our recordings work, or which of the above methods would be best for your system, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

*Please Note: Snap Recordings is not responsible for the quality of your recording through an Audio Tap Device or the compatibility of these devices with your phone system. Please research your purchase of this device carefully to ensure that it will work with your system.