OnHold Messages Solutions…Before and After VoIP Phone Systems

Over the course of the two days of the conference, we discussed many new developments in our industry, none more than the continuing ascent of Voice Over IP (VoIP) as the general telephony platform of choice for an increasing number of organizations. This development may have caused a major disruption to onhold messages, but it has also led to new user opportunities and, by association, increased business value.

One drawback for implementing messages on hold (MOH) in a VoIP environment is the limited options for sequencing the messages that a given caller hears. In a traditional on-premise environment, an MOH file is “looped”; in other words, the messages rotate on “digital announcers”, an external device that is connected to the phone’s central processor. Callers are placed randomly into this loop when they call in, such that they hear different messages each time. This results in a broader set of messages callers hear, and as such, the organization receives more value for their investment.

Contrast this with a file played within the internal memory of a VoIP system. In general, the caller will hear the messages in order, starting with the first message. So, if a customer calls in four times and stays on hold for 30 seconds, they will only hear the first message…four times. The same small bit of message. Over and over. Every single time they call in. Does that sound appealing? Would you be excited about calling in if you knew you had to listen to the same recording every single time? Not even the best voiceover talent or most appealing music in the world can make up for that sort of stasis.

What’s worse, if a caller is transferred and put on hold again multiple times, they’ll hear the same messages again and again…on the same call! From a marketing standpoint, there is obviously so little value in how the call experience is being utilized. Not to mention that the caller experience itself is significantly compromised. Worse than that, in this environment, the MOH is “boring, repetitive, and does not change”, as noted by the keynote speaker on this topic at the conference.

Better MOH and VoIP Solutions for Phone Systems

Fortunately, we spent a lot of time in Dallas learning about new technologies now available that 1) enable a more flexible sequencing of messaging in the new VoIP environment, and 2) include additional features that make the caller experience immeasurably more compelling. These solutions do not require external players, rather they interface with many commonly used telephony platforms, including, but not limited to those supplied by Broad Works, Cisco, Genesys, and Microsoft (Teams). Features include:

• Message looping: Callers are dropped in at random points of the loop, broadening message exposure.
• Caller-selectable music options: Also known as “Jukebox”, this enables the caller to select the genre of music to be played, for example, pop, classic rock, electronic dance music, jazz, etc.
• Forward scheduling: Organizations can schedule messages associated with special promotions and other information that is helpful to customers in advance, and on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis.
• News, sports, weather…and even podcasts!: Current information for all four domains are automatically loaded and mixed into MOH productions nightly.
• Texting/SMS: Callers on hold can request marketing brochures and other product/service information by touch-toning out of the hold queue.
• Callback: Messages can be inserted to enable callers to request a callback if they do not wish to stay on hold.

In addition, helpful data analytics are available as dashboards to inform marketers and call center managers about hold times and other key metrics.

All of us at EMA were super-impressed by these emerging capabilities in MOH and VoIP solutions. If you are investigating professional voice recordings for your own company or organization and would like some more information on these new innovations, I’d be happy to share how they can be deployed to improve an organization’s marketing and communication effectiveness. Feel free to reach out to us via our Contact Us Form, or visit or Onhold Messaging web page or our home page at www.marketingmessages.com.

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I spent Thursday through Sunday this past week representing Marketing Messages at the annual Experience Marketing Association (EMA) conference in Atlanta. The conference, formerly known as the On-Hold Messaging Association, or OHMA, brings together on-hold providers and their technology partners for a few days of experience sharing, technology updates, and networking. I will be serving on the board this upcoming year, so my goal here is to represent Marketing Messages well and contribute to EMA’s success over the next couple of years.

I always look forward to this conference, as it’s an opportunity to pull my head out of my computer and the rest of my body out of the office – and expand my horizons. I’m always amazed at the collegial atmosphere fostered at the association. Even though we do at times compete against each other, the philosophy here is that a rising tide raises all boats, so information is shared freely and helpfully throughout the weekend.

This year’s conference was held at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta, which is co-located with CNN’s headquarters. We were taken on a tour of the CNN production command center, which included rows upon rows of video screens, cameras costing well into six figures, and more specialized lighting than I’ve ever seen. It was kind of cool to see the sets of Headline News and other shows (the prime time shows are shot in NY and DC). No sign of Wolf Blitzer or Jake Tapper, though. Also of note: the trip up to the headquarters is provided by the world’s longest free-standing escalator (8 stories, 193 feet).

What the conference was really about this year was diversification. More and more, on-hold companies are looking to augment their revenue streams with background music, digital signage, VoIP voice service, and even business scent. Ever go into a Westin lobby and notice the scent? A number of the same machines that play on-hold messages have been specially purposed to distribute fragrances within a room! Anyway, the conference organizers set up the format in a way that facilitated informal discussion and the sharing of success stories, and each technology provider came up with a packaged, entry-level solution so that resource-constrained MOH providers can get into the game with limited upfront investment.

Vendors held court in the technology exhibit area, presented to the group, and made themselves available throughout the nightly social events for impromptu sessions.

• ProDigital and Steady Brand teamed up with Rivet to provide a packaged solution that marries digital signage technology with compelling visual and audio content.
• Phone.com (VoIP service) made its usual strong showing, with many members vocally advocating for their superb customer service, and Terra… made their EMA/OHMA debut.
• Air Essentials, a long-time mainstay at this event, presented details on their business scent offering. Judging from the ensuing lively discussion, it’s clear that more and more members are making an investment here.
• Paul Williams from Image On-Line crossed the Pacific from the Land Down Under to share the early stages of a CRM platform special purposed for the voice services industry, in which script, audio, and general customer information could be managed in one place.

On the social front, frivolity and chicanery of all sorts abounded throughout the weekend. The association is chock full of big and zany personalities. Among the industry luminaries in attendance were Mitch Keller, Dana Young (the young man in the shades), Andy Hedberg (awards dinner MC), Ryan Soper (multiple award winner), and the list goes on and on.

We were treated to southern comfort food at Pattie’s Patio and ended the conference with the MARCE awards, which recognizes the most effective and creative production of voice recordings as judged by a blue-ribbon panel of industry experts.

Kudos to a very hardworking board that made this year’s conference a success. David Green has guided the organization very ably and steadily for the last 16 months and has set a high bar for his successor, Ron Schott. Mike Groom did an amazing job of what has been touted as one of the more productive and interactive in the association’s history, and our Executive Director, DeAnn Smeltzer continues to act as the glue that holds everything together.

I’m chairing the Membership Committee, so if you happen to be either an on-hold provider or a vendor interested in gaining exposure to our members, please reach out to me at jim@marketingmessages.com, and via phone at 617-527-3023.

The post On-Hold Messaging and More: Experience Marketing Association 2019 appeared first on Marketing Messages.

Beyond determining the month and year of the last update, I ask a few additional questions, all starting with, “Since You Last Changed Your Onhold Messages…..”

• What has changed with your product?
• Have you introduced any new product, services, or feature enhancements?
• How many product promotions have you offered?
• Have your competitors changed their offerings? Have new competitors emerged?
• Has your marketing strategy changed?

Indeed there are some businesses that don’t change much over time – but for the most part, I am struck by how much has happened in their business since delivery of their last production. Yet, the client’s caller, reaching out in 2014, experiences a kind of On-Hold Groundhog Day; the caller hears, “Client’s Product, Circa 2011”, even when thousands of dollars have been poured into the other elements of the company’s marketing mix between then and now.
Here are at least four reasons to keep your Messages-On-Hold up to date on a regular schedule:

• Highlighting new product introductions and promotions via on-hold messaging yields incremental revenue at a relatively low cost. If a customer calling in about one product and listens to an on-hold message about another newly introduced product that he or she may have not otherwise heard about, that’s easy money. If you are trying to get your customer to expand the breadth of products they buy from you, and one of those products costs a couple of hundred dollars, all you need is ONE sale to pay for a Messages-On-Hold update! If customers buy $2,000 of new products they otherwise would not have heard about, try to beat that marketing investment using other promotional vehicles! Now….update your Messages-On-Hold twice a year instead once every five years, and measure the revenue impact. Makes sense!
• It’s a great way to continually educate a customer on something new. Messages-On-Hold is not for just promoting products and services, it’s about educating customers. From a marketing perspective being able to communicate something is a chance to stay fresh and top of mind.  One of our medical practice customers educates their patients about how to recognize stroke symptoms. A cable company reminds their customers to recycle their modem to restore their Internet service before talking to a technician. A sky-diving company informs their customers about weather conditions for that day’s jump. The customer now is better informed having called your company.
• Communicate current and correct information. There are a few things worse from a marketing perspective than having your customer call in and hear incorrect or outdated information from an on-hold message, but not many. One networking software company I called into recently promoted a feature associated with an operating system that is, this very month, being discontinued (I won’t say which one!). Embarrassing? Yeah, but easily correctable. Keeping your Messages-On-Hold current prevents this from happening and keeps egg off your face!
• Your competitors are not standing still. Messages-On-Hold acts as a cost-effective broadcast medium to announce products and product features that are designed to counter competitive moves. If your competitor comes up with a feature that gives them an advantage, and you have a response, a on hold messages update is a fast, inexpensive way to get word out, akin to moving chess pieces on the marketplace game board before your Queen gets captured.

So when you’re putting together your marketing budget, think about new product introductions, promotions, customer information requirements, and competitive activity when considering how often you plan to refresh your on-hold messaging. If your refresh happens only once a year, think twice… or better yet, think four times a year. Also, buying deeply discounted Messages-On-Hold programs in packages (we offer them in groups of 4, 6, or 12) is much less expensive in the long run.

It’s short money for long dollars, and makes your Messages-On-Hold program a truly hard-working contributor to your sales and marketing strategy.

The post Where Was Your Product When You Last Changed Your On-Hold Messages? appeared first on Marketing Messages.

… or “How our new voice prompt scripting format can change your life!”
– by Hutch (your friendly script writer and customer services guy).
I’m sure that Marketing Messages is not alone in the realm of production houses when it comes to receiving text and scripting in a variety of ways. Believe me dear reader, we have received scripts for IVR Prompts, Auto Attendants, Messages-On-Hold, and narrations in every electronic and on every paper medium you can think of – even scanned restaurant napkins, faxed to us for us to decipher! Well… I may be stretching the napkin thing a bit, but it’s been close, and the deciphering bit is very true.

Marketing Messages Committed to Transparency

The post Making your life easier with a Voice Prompt Script template appeared first on Marketing Messages.

It’s exciting to be part of what appears to be a real rocket ship – user attendance doubled versus last year to 2,000 participants, and the energy the Twilio team brought to every customer interaction was truly impressive. The journey served to confirm our belief that integrated, hosted applications are the wave of the future in telephony, and the high-quality custom IVR prompts that only a professional voice talent can provide will enhance the caller experience for users of these systems.

Here’s me with some of the folks on the Twilio partner team.

I was struck by the diversity of the Twilio user base, everybody from entrepreneurial voice user-interface designers for small companies to project managers for Fortune 500 corporations. For the lean-and-mean startup, our professionally-produced, pre-recorded voice prompts breathe life and emotion into the company’s emerging brand, and sound more professional at a surprisingly low cost. For large corporations, combining the low cost of a Twilio-enabled application with our multi-language voice prompts supports cost-effective expansion into international markets, whether augmenting a North American call center application with Spanish voice prompts, or employing voice messages in Mandarin or Cantonese as part of an APAC expansion.

I also see the potential of adding auto attendant prompts and custom on-hold messages to Twilio-powered communications software. Twilio employs a system they call <Queue> to dynamically route calls to appropriate resources while hold music plays simultaneously, until the call is dequeued. This presents a great opportunity for companies of all sizes to promote and cross-sell new products to callers via our Messages On-Hold™ offering. The nice thing is that armies of professional services staff aren’t required to build this capability.

The small and medium size companies that represent much of Twilio’s user base have traditionally not had the resources to introduce professional voice actors and studio-quality audio into their telco applications. Marketing Messages’ low overhead approach brings the economics of these capabilities within their reach. As these companies grow, they will no longer be able to use internal resources to record their voice prompts; this approach doesn’t scale, and these untrained, internal resources just don’t project a professional image. Marketing Messages will take on all the nitty-gritty tasks of preparing voice scripts, coordinating multiple recording schedules, proofing voice messages, and naming/delivering/archiving the audio files.

During their main stage presentation, user after user came up to demonstrate Twilio’s capabilities. One cool example: Twilio has integrated pictures into their offering. Salesforce.com showed how they employed this photo-showing capability within their work order function that guides the equipment repair process. What does this have to do with professional voice prompts or Messages-On-Hold? Nothing – unless we imagine a whole integrated process which starts with a customer phone call that gets efficiently routed to the person managing that customer’s work order, right?

So, we’re happy to be part of the Twilosphere. And we stand ready to help companies large and small to fold professional voice prompts into their hosted software solutions.

By the way, if you need a place to stay in San Francisco, check out the Phoenix Hotel. It’s in a dicey part of town, but it’s the original “rock-and-roll” hotel – vinyl records on shelves along every wall, and one of the best burgers in town, hosted by awesome bartenders and wait staff!

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Inaugural Blog Post targeted IVR and AA Developers!

We inaugurated the Marketing Messages blog with a FREE white paper for IVR and AA developers! Did you miss out back in 2017 when this started? Well, we wouldn’t want you to miss out altogether just because a few (OK, a lot of) years have passed since the initial offer and so (insert trumpet fanfare here) for a limited time only if you send an email to production@marketingmessages.com we’ll re-activate this offer. All you need to say in the email is that you’ve read this blog, and want a FREE white paper and within one business day we’ll not only send you the white paper, but we’ll also include one free custom audio greeting recorded by a veteran voice artist. Mind you, that custom audio prompt needs a script, so you’d best include the copy or else it will be hard to record!

For IVR and AA developers needing pre-recorded prompts for IVR and Auto Attendant applications, check out the link on our home page.

In the coming months, our eager troupe of blog writers will post about what we do at Marketing Messages, and how our exemplary customer service and production teams can help Voice Brand™ your company. Sometimes there will be a flurry of topical posts, other times when we’re swamped with large projects we may only post sporadically, but rest assured all the prose is carefully constructed to inform and educate you while trying to stay light, engaging, and informative.

Also funny, sometimes, if we’re all lucky. Guess it depends on the day and frame of mind. I’d like to think that I spend my day encouraging happy tones and pleasant speech patterns which will allow the professionally recorded voice prompt to easily and smoothly guide the caller through the flow without ever risking a hangup or demand for the operator. My goal is to help each IVR and Auto-Attendant developer receive their carefully constructed call flow voice recordings absolutely ready-to-use upon delivery. This means each file has been recorded accurately, edited carefully, volume-adjusted accordingly, files named correctly, and all guaranteed to please.

One of the best parts is that I’m goal-oriented and achieve a very high rate of success. Try our services and see for yourself.

In addition to the above Best Practices guide for developers of AA Voice prompts, recording for IVR, surveys, and auto-attendant/PBX messages, we’re also already scribbling our take on how to get the most out of your scripts & recordings for

• Translations and recordings in 80+ languages
• Narration for Online Training, including eLearning
• Flash applications
• Website audio
• PowerPoint presentations
• Podcast Services

Check back regularly for something new.

Thanks!

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