Google Helps Manage All Your Numbers

If you're like most people you have a cell number, a work number, a number for your side business and maybe you still have a home number. It's hard to manage all those numbers and remember which one you gave to who. Google has a product for that. Yes, Google does it again. It's called Google Voice and here's an article to help you best use all the great features.

Tips and Tricks for Google Voice

The Search Has Ended

I've been trying for years to build a relationship with a phone repair company. From time to time I need repair expertise on a phone system for one of my clients, something that goes beyond my expertise. It would be valuable to me to have someone I could call and have them do the service call for me. A paid service call. In return if they ever had a client that was interested in an on hold message they could pass that lead to me. Seemed to make sense to me. However, I never could find anyone who was interested in this arrangement. That was until I did a search on line and called Lance Zaal. Why Lance Zaal. To be honest because he was close to a client that needed some service on their phone system and their service tech was not returning their calls. I set up the call and Lance goes by and he takes care of the issue in no time. This one call has led to others and I'm sure there will be more. It's turned out to be the best random search I've every done. Even if it never leads to any referrals from Mr. Zaal, I'm already satisfied. Thanks Lance. Contact me if you're looking for a quick, reliable, knowledgeable phone tech in the Rancho Cucamonga area. I'd be glad to share his information.

Perseverance Pays Off

Phone systems seem to be like that old adage about opinions, everyone has one, blah blah. The point is they're all different and have different needs and requirements. I can write, voice and produce a message with no problem. Then deliver in whatever format you want. But the technical requirements of each phone system are varied and overwhelming. I just knew there were people out there that had this expertise. And you would figure with the internet they would not be that hard to find, but I was having a certain degree of difficulty. In the last couple of weeks I hit the jackpot. First it was Greg Powers at Powers Productions who took the time to work with me and answer my questions and find the device that would allow me to serve a customer with a two line phone. Next was the need to find a device to deliver a quality message over the phone consistently with good volume. I not only found that but also found a device that would restart automatically when the power was restored after a failure. Skutch Electronics fills the bill nicely. Again, customer service that is outstanding. Please Hold Marketing has have been looking for years for these resources and now I feel I can deliver service for my clients with much higher confidence.

PHM Demo

Here's a brief video with an audio demo from ProDougTions of what we can do for your business.

Cost or Investment

If you own a business you would never think of doing without a phone. It's a tool that earns it's keep everyday. But, are you getting the most out of your phone system? When you put someone on hold are you using that time wisely? Are you using that time to give a customer or client who already has an interest in what you do by the fact that they called you in the first place more information about what you do? With a custom "on hold" message you can tell your qualified customer about the many things your business excels at besides what they called to ask about. It's another powerful tool in your bag of tools that can add to the success of your business. And it's very cost effective. For the price of a movie with popcorn, candy and drinks for a couple each month you can have a message custom written and produced for you. Please Hold Marketing has been providing this service for over 15 years with a background in audio production for more than 30 years. Call or email Please Hold Marketing for more information. You can even listen to demos at www.prodougtions.com.

First Impressions

I got to thinking about how important a phone is to the success of a business. Obviously, you use it to keep in touch with your customers, clients, colleagues, etc. You could make a case that it's the heart of your business. There is so much communication that flows through it everyday. Not only is it the first contact many of your customers have with your business, sometimes it's the only contact. It becomes a crucial lifeline to your vital clients, not to mention suppliers and vendors. We've all heard it before, "Make a good first impression". It applies to your business too of course. I found this article at About.com and I thought I would share. Read more by clicking here.

Sick and Tired

Judging from the number of people who are sick these days it's that time of year again. The flu's, colds and sniffles are going around. Getting a little help around the office can be a challenge sometimes. I have a solution. Your on hold message. That's right, an on hold message never gets sick. For that matter, it never takes a break, never goes on vacation and you never have to pay overtime. The pluses don't stop there. Your on hold message only says what you want it to say and how you want to say it. There's never an "attitude." It's an up sell expert too. You have a slow moving item going on clearance, your on hold message never forgets to remind the caller about it. How about your new hours? The on hold message can mention that too. And you feel a little embarrassed telling everybody about that award the Chamber of Commerce gave you? Let your on hold message do it. If you can imagine it, your on hold message can say it.

Now all you have to worry about is keeping yourself healthy.

I Can Do That...

I've been in radio for years. It's where I learned the skills to write, voice and produce on hold messages. You often hear people saying what a cool job it is. "Sitting around playing music, answering the phone, that's great" is something you hear a lot. Just for fun sometimes when someone says that I'll just start walking towards the door and tell the person, "When that song is done just start the next one for me..." Have you ever seen someone turn white in an instant? It happens under this scenario in a heartbeat. The "apprentice dj"starts to stammer and stumble and say things that are unintelligible for the most part. All of a sudden it's not so much fun I guess. The best story was one time a buddy of mine was on the air and the janitor came in to do his rounds and he had a guest or trainee with him. My friend overhears the guy say "See, he just listens to music and reads the paper". The point of all this is when someone does something well, you feel like it's so easy you could do it too. It's not until you're faced with the prospect of really having to do it that you realize that you're ill prepared to take on the task.

When I'm producing an on hold message the delivery is a result of many years of reading countless thousands of pieces of copy and interpreting it the way it makes the most impact. When someone hears it they don't give that a thought. However, if I was to have them read it the difference would be highly noticeable.

And don't even get me started on all the other tricks of "sweetening" the voice track and mixing the music to sound just right. Many of the little things that give your message the polished sound it deserves. Nobody really gives it a thought, but hears the difference in an inferior product.

Now, excuse me, but I have to get back to listening to some music and reading the paper...

National On Hold Month

I guess this means there really is a month for everything. March is "National On Hold Month." What does this mean? Well, officially it's a month to recognize everyone who has been placed “on hold” after calling a place of business, and to honor those businesses who make this hold time more enjoyable by supplying informative messages and music for their waiting callers. One thing i would like to clarify, an on hold message and a phone tree are 2 different things. Sometimes I've heard them interchanged in conversation. What's the difference? An "on hold message" is a way for the business to let you know you are still on hold and have not been disconnected. At the same time many businesses use this time to tell you a little bit about their business, maybe some things you didn't know but would like to know. Where as a "phone tree" is that device where you get a myriad of options (sometimes they don't fit your situation) to help the business route calls through an automated human free system. And as we've all learned, you sometimes can end up going in circles and the ultimate destination too often is a little place I like to call frustration. So, enjoy National On Hold Month, in some circles the traditional way to celebrate is with a trip to Las Vegas. Sounds good to me. For you would like more information about a business building on hold message for your business, call 909.226.1375.

Doug V.

Sounding good!

If you're like most businesses you spend a lot of time and money making sure your business is professional. You do your best to be knowledgeable about whatever it is you do. Your showroom or shop or dining room is laid out to optimize every job or order or meal you deliver. The business cards and letterhead look sharp and the staff has been instructed on the proper way to address your customers. In all that attention did you remember your phone system?

Beyond what is said when you answer the phone, what happens when you put a customer on hold. Is it silent? Is it the radio where they could hear about your competitor? Does it make the best use of that time informing that potential client about what you do? They may have called about one service you offer but didn't realize there is something else they might want to take advantage of but didn't think to ask. This is a great opportunity to tell them.

An on hold message let's the caller know that they are still connected. It doesn't take long before they begin to think they've been disconnected if all they hear is silence. Studies have shown that people hang up sooner when they are on "silent hold" and over a third of those callers don't call back . These studies have also shown that customers will utilize other services you offer if you teach them about them.

Also, research has shown that callers like an on hold message better than the radio and are less agitated when you get to the call.

In a perfect world nobody would ever be put on hold. But, since we can't get around it, why not make the best of it. You're business deserves the best.

Silent Hold... It's a killer

Silent hold is a killer, a business killer. I did some surfing on that good old world wide web and found some interesting research. AT&T found this in their study, 70% of business callers are put on hold, 60% of callers put on "silent" hold hang up, 30% of the first-time callers who hang up do not call back. And Teleconnect magazine learned that 93% of callers placed on "silent hold" estimated their on-hold time to be longer than it actually was, 88% of callers prefer on-hold messages versus dead silence or radio and 16-20% of callers made a purchasing decision based on information they heard while on-hold. Your phone is a powerful tool when it comes to adding value to your business. It's my mission to put an end to the silent killer, silent hold. improving your bottom line is just a plus.

Learn more at www.prodougtions.com

On hold message as easy as 1, 2, 3...

it's a fairly common question. What does it take to get started with an on hold message for my business? It's easy really. Just about as easy as 1,2,3.

First we get to know a little about your business, what products you offer, your services, how you position your business in the marketplace, how much phone traffic you get, those kinds of things.

Next we put together a script incorporating all the things you've told us about your business. Once we've completed it we let you look it over to make sure it meets with your approval.

Now, we get an idea of what you want your message to sound like, the feel, what kind of music you would like, etc. Remember, this is a custom message just for your business. Now we produce the message and get it installed and working on your system.

Wasn't that easy?