Voice branding is not just for Fortune 500 companies. Every business, large and small, can create a “sound”. Though a company’s visual image is vital, what consumers hear is equally as important. Do you think the simple red “CNN” logo would have the same lasting imprint without the resounding bass of James Earl Jones’s accompanying audio tagline? You don’t need to buy airtime or hire celebrity voicing to create an impressionable audio brand. It can start with your voicemail greeting, on-hold program or website audio. Choose a voice that reflects precisely the image you want to convey to your callers and web visitors. Mellow, authoritative, comforting and energetic are styles that say very different things about a business. Next, always use a tagline in your voicemail greeting. You “brand” yourself each time a caller hears, “Thank you for calling Richmond Dental, giving Portland brighter smiles since 1995″. Regional accents can galvanize a brand, too, (think Jimmy Dean Sausage) but be careful not to alienate potential customers outside the region. Finally, call your business and listen from the perspective of your callers. Is the voicemail voice delivering the right image? Is the on-hold system relaying your brand to waiting callers through a marketing message script and voicing style, or simply entertaining them with music? Will your web visitors get a better sense of who you are if the site had a voice? Don’t miss these affordable audio opportunities to bring a “sound” to your company’s branding efforts.
I recently called my printing company to check on the status of my business card order. The customer service rep put me on hold, and for the next few moments I was serenaded by a local radio station playing country music. An avid jazz fan, I would have preferred the relaxing, tender tones of a sultry sax but, nevertheless, I continued to wait patiently for the customer service agent to return. The country song ended, followed immediately by a 60 -second spot for the national printing chain, Kinko’s. Not only was Kinko’s promoting a special sale on business cards, but the ad also went on about other discounts and services, website info and location information. My printing company had my rapt attention and just gave its biggest competitor a full minute of free advertising! I mentioned the radio ad to the owners, and within days the station feed was replaced with a custom marketing message.
This incident may be rare, as not every business opts for a radio station to entertain their callers on hold. But even those businesses using a simple music on-hold program are losing out on an inexpensive, yet powerful marketing opportunity. If your business has invested in an on-hold system, think beyond the ordinary music track. The average hold time for a customer is 84 seconds. Consider the many ways you could promote your business if you had a minute-and-a-half with a captive audience! Create a catchy recording that unabashedly promotes your company’s products, services, special events and promotions. A Memphis orthodontist uses her on-hold message not only to promote her practice, but to promote community events for local charities. A hospital near Atlanta has recorded patients, young and old, thanking doctors and staff members who cared for them during their stay at the facility.
Like a radio spot, an on-hold recording has the power to personalize and promote…and with very little stress on your advertising budget.
While extracting the daily stack of letters, bills and flyers from my mailbox recently, my eyes fell upon a beautifully designed multi-page mailer. The graphics popped off the rich, glossy pages and the text was situated perfectly among the images. To my surprise, the sender was not the savvy marketing geniuses at Neiman’s or Saks, but rather the neighborhood dental practice a half mile from my house. Clearly, this office had taken a serious approach to crafting an image that would attract potential patients.
A week and one cracked filling later, I found myself in need of a dentist. Remembering the impressive booklet I’d received earlier, I phoned to schedule an appointment. The after-hours voicemail greeting came on, and what I heard on the other end left a distinctly different impression on me. Yikes!!! Could this possibly be the same dental office with the smiling, knowledgeable staff and pleased-as-punch patients featured throughout their pamphlet? I hung up the phone wondering why a business would invest so much in what their clients see then sabotage their image by dismissing the importance of what their clients hear.
It is possible that your potential customers are having the same experience when they hear your company’s voicemail greeting? The reality is callers quickly form an opinion of a business by what they hear on the other end. Here are the five great tips for creating ear-catching voicemail greetings:
DO look at your phone greeting as a marketing tool. Include your company’s tagline when announcing the company name. (e.g., “Thank you for calling the office of Bell Dentistry – making Orange County smile brighter since 1985″.) It peaks the caller’s interest.
DON’T use conventional voicemail language. Give your message a personality. There are many creative ways to say “our office is closed” that will incite the customer to call back during business hours.
DO “cast” a voice that best represents your company. Whether you choose to use a professional voice talent or your secretary, the phone message must be recorded with a clear, articulate, energetic and expressive delivery.
DON’T overload your main greeting with too much information. Put street directions, fax numbers, employee extensions, etc. into your system’s announcement mailboxes, if available. Callers can then retrieve only the most relevant information.
DO call your own company from an outside line to listen to the greeting from the caller’s perspective. Does your customer have to listen to an excessive amount of rings before the greeting is initiated? Does the greeting provide clear instructions for accessing other extensions within the system?
Every business, from major corporations to home-based operations should take time to carefully consider their phone image. A well crafted greeting takes very little time and money but it’s as critical a marketing tool as business cards, websites and glossy mailers.