The Voice Recordings Strategy:

1. The vocal characteristics of your chosen voice talent should coincide with the characteristics of your brand, which means you need to be able to define and verbally illustrate those characteristics consistently in both voice and vocabulary.  It may be helpful to create a brand chart, where you list three general terms that define your brand – like classy, fun and smart.  Now you have a better understanding of what type of professional voice talent you should be looking for.  Review your answers to the following questions:

• What emotions do you hope are elicited in your customer when they think of your brand?
• What adjectives are the OPPOSITE of what your brand represents?
• What is the first thing your customer should think of when they hear your brand name?

2. Align your brand voice with your target customer personas.  In other words, if you offer the latest in hip and trendy outerwear for women, ages 18-30, you probably don’t want a “grandma” voice featured on you messaging on hold. It would be confusing, to say the least.  Your customers need to be able to identify with your brand, thus, your brand voice should appropriately correspond to your target audience.  Ask yourself:

• Am I able to describe my target customer?
• How should the voice talent sound to these customers?
• What kind of person would my customer relate to?

If you are unsure about the answers to these questions, ask your marketing department if there are written customer profiles or persona worksheets available to review.  Different voice types convey different meanings, and a distinctive voice makes your brand both recognizable and sharable.  Does your brand require a deep, powerful, reassuring voice (think Dennis Haybert as the AllState Insurance man)?  Or maybe a quirky, funny voice is more suited to the task (think Flo and Progressive Insurance).  Regardless, the voice talent you choose should reflect the way your audience speaks.

Consider the following suggestions:

• Try calling your competitors’ headquarters or call centers to listen to their voice recordings.
• Many companies use voices that are formal and “professional sounding.” The trend today is towards a more conversational and informal sound, and more companies are using unique voice talent to stand out.

Building your brand persona by using professional voice talent throughout your core messaging builds consistency and trust.  If you strike the right chord with your customers, you’ll leave the right impression. Our free eBook, “The Essential Guide to Voice Marketing,” explains the benefits of using professional voice talent, the importance of emotional engagement, and how Voice Marketing fits into your marketing strategy.

The Professional Voice Talent Process

1. One of the most effective ways to define, and then execute on your brand voice is by utilizing your own Marketing department.  More likely than not, they already have written customer personas and profiles, strategy statements and branding guides.  They’ve done their homework when it comes to understanding what problems your customers have and how your business offers solutions to those problems.  Having a clear picture of who your are trying to reach is essential in executing successful messaging through various channels – from internet banners, to on-hold messaging, to social media.

2. Engaging your internal stakeholders and potentially, a voice services firm, is another important piece of the Voice Marketing puzzle.  In other words, you need to meet the team you’ve assembled to carry out your branding strategy!  Once you have an idea of who you will be working with, consider the following:

• After you’ve engaged a voice services firm, as them to present standard sample demos, targeting a broad audience, using five or six different voice talents.  Then rank those samples in order to further define the direction in which you want your voice brand to go.
• Once this is accomplished, you can request your voice service to provide a custom demo – they’ll do it for free.  You may also ask for a second, slightly different demo based on feedback from your planning session.
• Ask if the talent chosen to do your voice recordings is willing to participate in a live coaching session, where you can listen in and give feedback. This important step increases the likelihood of your brand voice being heard loud and clear.

Voice Marketing is just one of the many avenues we travel with you on your journey to success. Request your own custom demo, or visit our Voice Marketing page to learn more about the services we offer, including coaching sessions and script writing and review.

The post Loud and Clear (Or Not): How Professional Voice Talent Boosts Your Brand Voice Strategy appeared first on Marketing Messages.

Enter Contextual VUI (Voice User Interface), the practice of directing callers down a specific call flow tree based on personalized information.  This information is gained by either querying a database or by prompting the caller to take a specific action, such as buying a specific product, using a specific service, or alerting the caller regarding the availability of self-service options.

For example, a customer calls into their banking call center, engaging with the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.  The bank’s computer and phone systems have been integrated, enabling the system to use the caller’s ANI (Automated Numbering Identification).  In doing so, it determines that the caller is not using the bank’s online banking system.  The caller hears, “I see that you don’t have online banking with us…,” and is subsequently told about the benefits of the online banking system, including being given the option to be transferred to a representative for assistance.

Wy entrust such a critical interaction to anyone but a professional voice talent?  These artists know the appropriate variations in rhythm, pitch, speed, duration of pauses and elongation of words to gain the attention of your customers.  If your IVR prompts sound less than engaged and confident in your messaging, so will your customer.  Nothing says brand discontinuity like an IVR function featuring multiple, inconsistent voice recordings.

How do you avoid this?  Well, let’s discuss five ways professional voice prompts make all the difference in what your customers hear about – and how they connect to – your brand.

1. A professional voice talent is trained to sound more persuasive than a recording created by an internal employee.

Say you own an insurance company.  A customer calls into your automated system, follows the call tree flow, and is waiting on hold.  Your contextual VUI queues, and the caller hears, “I see you purchased auto insurance from us last April, but did you know we sell insurance for boats and motorcycles as well?  Ask a representative for a free quote.”  If the voice is professional, personable and has the right level of energy, it is more likely the customer will act as directed.

2. Professionally recorded IVR prompts lend themselves to a better personalized caller experience.

In this example, a tool manufacturer uses an IVR system to allow customers to track tool repair.  “I see your ‘widget’ is in our repair shop.  It will be ready for pick on October 15.  For helpful information about keeping your ‘widget’ performing optimally, please visit our website, www…..”

Employing professional voice talent sounds more natural and engaging than text to speech or using untrained voices.  They are also able to use informal language and logic appropriately.  Coupling a strong natural voice with a conversational script greatly improves the odds of your customer visiting your website.

3. IVR systems using contextual VUI are more likely to use prompts that are concatenated – or joined – with other prompts or system-supplied variables.

Because of this, it is more important that the proper inflection is used at the start and end of phrases to make each full sentence smoother.  Simply put, a trained voice talent is much better at this than an untrained internal employee.

4. A professional voice talent minimizes the “freak out” factor.

Let’s be honest.  It can be a bit spooky to hear that the computerized telephone system your customer has called into knows something specific about them.

System:  “I see you don’t have our outage reporting application.”

Customer Thinks:  “Wait, what?!  How do they know that?!”

A disinterested or robotic voice isn’t going to able to overcome any negative feelings associated with this kind of reaction.

5. Because of the complex and nuanced nature of contextual VUI, a natural, conversational voice is required.

Contextual VUI is often used in speech recognition applications, of which the complexities can be numerous.  Professional voice talent that is engaging and sympathetic is essential for customers to feel emotionally connected.

The professional voice talent at Marketing Messages is here to help.  Our Voice Artists have the experience and depth necessary to enable your brand to emerge as a market leader.  Request a free, 20-minute phone consultation today.  Or, if you already know what your needs are, request a quote here.

The post It’s Contextual: 5 Ways Professional Voice Talent Makes All the Difference appeared first on Marketing Messages.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems are a regular part of the utility business now. Utility and energy companies have found that IVR systems can be useful in cutting down the need for live operators and ensuring that billing is handled in an efficient and timely manner, but there is more that can be garnered from these systems than simply streamlining a billing system. In fact, there are a plethora of different applications for IVR systems that many electric, gas, and water utilities have deployed with great success.

Service Options

While many customers call into utility and energy companies to pay and manage their bills and energy usage, there are a plethora of other reasons that a consumer, or other stakeholders, may be calling in. Through an IVR system, an energy company can streamline the call-in process and allow consumers to get to the business at hand in a timely and efficient manner. Some companies are utilizing IVR systems for:

• Gas leak reporting
• Repair and equipment requests
• Service setup and disconnection
• Sales and installation processes

Through short phrase prompts, consumers can call in and quickly deal with having their service needs met without ever needing to sit on hold. As an added bonus, those who do need to speak with a live operator can be fed through the prompt system quicker to ensure they reach the person uniquely qualified to serve them. Because the majority of callers won’t need to deal with a live customer service representative, this leaves reps available and ready to deal with those calls that do require human interaction.

Customer Education

With many utility and energy companies looking to the future, customer education is quickly becoming a top priority. An IVR system can enable utilities to set up educational messages that each customer can be directed to when they call into the system. One company creates IVR-based messages in the fall to teach consumers about what they can do to prepare their homes for the winter. Another company that is seen as a “green” energy company provides energy-saving tips and details pertaining to utility-sponsored efficiency programs.

Meter Seals and Lock Band Removal

While dealing directly with the customer base seems to be the most popular utilization of IVR systems, there are internal applications that can help a utility company run in a smoother fashion. One innovative electric utility utilizes its IVR system to provide access and authorization to third-party service providers that work directly with the energy company. One example is meter seals and bank lock removal services that are performed by third-party licensed electricians.  When the electrician calls in, they are prompted to enter their personal information. They are then read back what work needs to be performed, where it needs to be done, and the type of access that is required to complete the task. This capability has drastically reduced the amount of associated administrative overhead associated and makes the process go faster and more accurately.

Substation Authentication

IVR systems can also be used to provide authentication and access to personnel and third-party providers in substations and other, controlled access areas. While most utility companies take security seriously and have restricted access areas, there are instances in which individuals who would not normally be granted access must be able to access restricted areas. Through an IVR system, the utility company can control access and keep necessary data regarding who had access to these restricted sights, when, and why.

All visits must be tracked for compliance purposes, and an IVR system allows for an efficient and automated way of doing just that. Such a system can track everything from meetings to training, fence repairs, painting services, and private tours of the substation.

Why should energy companies use professional voice talent for utility IVR voice prompts?

The above scenarios often require short phrases to be strung together in a way that sounds natural and elicits a sense of comfort and familiarity with the caller.  To accomplish this, many utilities choose to employ professional voice services when they want help with the creation of energy IVR prompts. Professional voice talents have training and experience creating these prompts with the proper inflections and tone that mimic the traditional back-and-forth nature of a true conversation. This creates a comfortable caller experience that eliminates the robotic and monotone nature of many automated phone systems.

In addition, professional voice talents work hard to ensure that the entire messaging system is cohesive. For the purpose of branding, businesses generally want the voice prompts to remain consistent across all customer-facing phone systems – and over the lifetime of these systems – in terms of style, pace, and intonation.  Many energy companies turn to professional voice recordings when their voice user interface becomes fragmented and artificially sounding over time – usually, the result of cobbling together prompts spoken by multiple, untrained internal resources that come and go throughout the life of an energy IVR system.

IVR systems are simply another tool that can be utilized by energy and utility companies to provide service that is both quick, accurate, and efficient for all those stakeholders.   Thinking creatively about how to expand your usage of IVR, and considering the use of professional voice services in doing so, will increase the value of your system as an asset for satisfying the energy consumer.

The post Using Energy IVR Systems Only For Utility Billing? Boring! Try These Ideas Instead. appeared first on Marketing Messages.

An increasing number of utility companies provide their customers with telephone and mobile applications that notify customers of outages, enable customers to report outage and power status information, and provide access to the progress the utility is making towards restoring power. These systems make the conversation two-sided and increase the opportunity for positive and reassuring interaction in the midst of an unfortunate situation.  When the telephone is the medium for this interaction, employing professionally recorded voice prompts can enable energy and utility companies to both quickly inform their customers and reduce the anxiety and frustration associated with outages.

Allow Customers to Report Outages Easily

The conversation about power outages works most efficiently when customers can actively reach out to you in emergency situations. Providing a venue for customers to report outages via a utility IVR system is faster than relying on your internal systems or your field employees, as customers are sometimes first on the scene when their home or office is without power.

Using an interactive voice system serves two purposes. First, it makes your call center more productive.  By offloading call volume associated with general outage information, call center agents can focus on providing more personalized, customer-specific service that requires human interaction.  Second, hearing a calm, professional pre-recorded voice is not only a useful way to appear more sympathetic, but the effect of that voice is also reassuring to the caller.

Human Voices Convey More Empathy

The primary reason you want to use a human voice and a message that can be easily distributed is to ease your customers’ concerns. A human voice conveys more sympathy and empathy than a computerized voice. What’s more, a human voice can put a human face on energy utilities, which are generally perceived to be large and impersonal.  While nothing replaces a real and attentive human being, an automated system that uses professional voice recordings is the next best thing. You’ll choose the attributes you want the talent to have, effectively putting forth the right tone and inflection that will resonate with your consumers in times of crisis.

Provide Timely Warnings

Timely warnings can be distributed to a wide number of your customers when you become aware that they have a power outage. When you have a pre-recorded message, you can distribute it rapidly using your entire network’s resources and provide the impression that you truly care. You can also share pro-active updates this way, such as advance notice of when brownout conditions could present themselves.

Keep Those Medically In Need Informed

Outgoing pre-recorded messages can be tailored to specific segments of your customer base. For example, healthcare providers employing medical equipment and devices with electrical backup systems, such as hospitals and nursing homes, need to be among the first on your list to receive notice when the power fluctuates. Instantly upon your receipt of information pertaining to a power outage, you can have a voice recording ready to roll out advising these providers to invoke their backup plans as quickly as possible. In addition, “critical care” individuals that rely on electric-powered medical equipment should be sent such messages as soon as possible.   Oftentimes, professional voice talents are chosen by energy companies based on their ability to appeal to elderly and chronically ill individuals, providing an added sense of comfort.

Use Specific Addresses

There are many ways to show that your utility company cares about its customers and their needs. One of these ways is to reference specific locations in pre-recording messages whenever this is possible.   By doing so, an electrical utility can express that it is aware of the situation and that it is working to rectify it. Furthermore, referencing specific cities/towns, neighborhoods or even street names can instill confidence in the consumer that there is hyper-awareness of their plight and that the outage is being taken seriously. A professional voice talent can handle tricky pronunciations that might not be known to a call center agent and would sound awkward and mechanical if a computerized voice were employed.

Text-to-Speech Has Limitations

While ample information can be provided through text-to-speech, computer-generated voices are lacking in the very quality that connects people to each other: emotion. Text-to-speech software does a poor job of conveying sympathy or empathy, and many people are generally nonplussed at being called “by a computer.” As we move full-speed ahead in our digital society, computer-generated audio gives the perception of impersonality, which can lead to disassociation and dissatisfaction on the part of consumers. And that kind of response to a computer becomes greater when we need to employ any language other than English.

Use Other Languages

Using other languages in your inbound and outbound messaging system is a good way to connect with an ethnically diverse customer base. Hearing their native language lets those callers know that their concerns are noted and that their neighborhoods matter. Since the population in your area may speak several different languages, this is a powerful expression that you are taking care of the situation and that the needs of all of your customers are important. Since translation and pronunciation are critical to any language, hiring a native-speaking translator and voice talent is often the only practical option – as computerized translation oftentimes renders many languages incomprehensible and text-to-speech engines struggle with difficult pronunciations in any language.

The Benefits of a Professional Voice Firm

A professional voice firm can assist you in handling every aspect of voice recording, language translation, and audio file management for your systems.  Such firms employ audio engineers that are trained to proof and edit voice recordings to improve accuracy and sound quality.  These firms organize and archive all scripts and professional voice recordings to lessen the administrative burden associated with managing the large number of prompts required by energy IVR systems   A quality voice firm also screens and manages a roster of voice talents spanning a broad range of styles and languages; assuring you that a top quality, professional and friendly voice will always be available when your customers are in need.

Photo credit: sandcastlematt / Foter / CC BY-NC

The post Outage Reporting and Power Restoration: Creating Customer Comfort with Professional Voice Recordings 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.