Sell yourself even when you’re not there

Everybody hates being put on hold but unfortunately it is

a way of life. If you have the technology to play hold music
you can probably arrange to have a company message
playing. This is an opportune time to let potential customers
know more about your company and the services that
you offer.
There are plenty of companies that arrange ‘messages
on hold’ and the cost is not overly expensive. Like most of
these marketing ideas it is more a matter of someone
making the time to find the company that produces ‘messages
on hold’ and then actually arranging for the service
to be installed. This type of marketing produces a very
good corporate image and many small companies give the
appearance of being a large company by having a professional
on hold message.
The same principle can apply with answering machines
and voice mail on mobile phones. Be proud of your
business and take every opportunity to promote your services.
Try the following:
Instead of
‘Hi, you’ve reached Jim Davies. I can’t take your call at
the moment but please leave your name and number and
I’ll call you back as soon as possible.’
try this
‘Hi, you’ve reached Jim Davies of Precision Engine
Tuning, the mechanical repair specialist in Brooklyn.
I can’t take your call at the moment but I would love the
opportunity to return your call and discuss how Precision
Engine Tuning can be of service to you.’ Keep your message brief and to the point, taking
advantage
of the fact that people are calling you but being
courteous to the fact that people are busy and they don’t
want to spend ten minutes sitting on the phone listening
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to the virtues of your company. It doesn’t cost you a cent
to leave a more detailed message and if you get one extra
client per year it was worth the effort.