What makes ADVERTISING MUSIC On-Hold STICK?
What makes ADVERTISING MUSIC On-Hold STICK? So, simple melodies and repetition make songs get in our heads. What makes them stay there has solid research behind it. The scientific name for when part of a song catches on is INMI – Involuntary Music Imagery. According to neurologist Oliver Sacks, INMI is the evidence of the “overwhelming, and at times, helpless sensitivity of our brains to music.”
This incredible sensitivity can be attributed to where it is stored in the brain: the temporal lobe – the area associated with verbal short-term memory. Researchers at Dartmouth and the University of Cincinnati have discovered that INMI thrives in the phonological loop of the temporal lobe, best described as a short loop of recording tape that continuously stores a small amount of auditory information. So, while most information is processed and forgotten or stored as long term memory, songs remain in the short term memory, playing in our head over a longer period of time. Before a song has a chance to be forgotten, chances are you’ll see, hear or otherwise be reminded of the jingle (again, I apologies), and your poor brain will hit rewind and loop right back to the start.
Here’s the bottom line: if you’re coming up with a jingle for your business, forget about Led Zeppelin-grade epics, Jazz Fusion masterworks or classical pieces that would make Mozart rise from the grave and take notice. All you need is a handful of notes arranged in a simple melody – keep it under eight notes. Then get your advertising music out there – ensure as many people hear it as often as possible. After that? Well, just let the brain do the rest!
Sounds so simple..Right? Taking that concept of music and putting it in a 3 to 4 minute voiced on hold message will do wonders for your customers sanity while they listen to interesting informative on hold messages with professionally recorded music playing in the back ground. Try the difference between nothing on hold, just music on hold or an professionally done on-hold message that is brought to your brain laid on a bed of music.
More helpful Info!
Which Provides Greater Benefits Music or Messages?
Music On Hold
As stated above, certainly music for waiting callers is far better than dead-silence, and at least lets them know their call hasn’t been disconnected. When businesses don’t put much thought into their on hold music, you may end up doing more harm than good. Here’s why!
First you want the music to match your brand image, and this is something that should be a no brainer. Secondly let’s say you’re playing a local radio. If so, odds are very likely that you’re exposing your callers to competitors radio ads. Also, in our 30 years of being in the on hold industry, not one customer has ever sold one extra penny by having callers listen to just music.
And last, but certainly not least is the fact that many businesses don’t even realize that playing music on hold requires the proper licensing rights to do so, otherwise you may end paying hefty fines in a copyright infringement law suit.
On Hold Messaging
Let’s face it. It’s inevitable. At some point you’re going to have to place callers on hold, and on-hold messaging has proven to provide for a better customer experience, and can create additional profits for your business.
Numbers don’t lie! So, let’s take a look at the many benefits on hold messages has to offer:
- 88% of callers prefer on hold messaging to canned music, radio or silent hold. (Maxi-Marketing)
- 35% of callers made a purchase based on what they heard on hold (Teleconnect Magazine)
- 40% increase in requested for additional products/services mentioned on hold. (Call Center Association)
- callers who listen to on hold messages will wait up to three times longer than with just music or silence (AT&T)
Keep in mind that repeating the same messages over and over can only irritate the customers, so allow us to provide you with a creative and yet informational script which you can use in your marketing on hold.
In an ideal world, nobody would ever have to be on hold. All of a company’s calls would be handled by one super-human with the magical ability to answer any and all questions, up-sell products and services, provide unparalleled customer service! But this is the real world, and even if you have a small company you’re still going to have occasions when you have to place callers on hold. You simply can’t avoid it.
What makes ADVERTISING MUSIC On-Hold STICK? What we’re trying to say is simple. Instead of playing canned music which may not be to your callers liking, or a radio which can advertise a competitor, instead why not use that time to promote an add-on to your caller’s service, or a special price on a product you’re trying to clear out of your stockroom, or even direct the caller to your website for more information about your company?