Royalty-Free Music Keeps You and Your Customers Singing a Happy Tune

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Royalty-free music in your on-hold messages is a great way to keep callers happy and keep you out of copyright trouble. (iStockphoto)

Your small business is unique. It has its own special look, its own feel, and even its own sound. Did you know that creating that special sound can get you in big trouble if it’s not done the right way.

BMI recently filed lawsuits against 12 bars and restaurants across the country for not paying the proper licensing fees for music performed in their establishments. In the lawsuit, BMI is seeking damages of up to $150,000 for each violation. That could add up to bankruptcy for many small business owners.

It doesn’t matter whether the music comes from a live band, a jukebox, or your favorite CDs. And playing the radio is not a viable option, either. Not only are you violating the copyright laws, you also risk letting customers hear a competitors ad inside your business.

Did you know the same rules apply to them music you play on your telephone systems when you place someone on hold?

Not only can playing CDs or the radio through your telephone’s hold button get you in a lot of trouble, it really costs you a prime marketing opportunity with some of your hottest prospects. After all, the people you place on hold are the ones interested enough in your products and services to call you for more information.

A custom on-hold message from Hold for Less is a great way to keep those callers engaged, and to keep you out of trouble.

We have a vast library of royalty-free music options for your on-hold message. You can choose from a variety of genres that are sure to match the personality of your business. You can even hear samples before you decide. And when you buy your music at Hold for Less, you pay one low price with no annual fees attached.

Combine that royalty-free music with a custom marketing script for the perfect on-hold messages for your business. Contact us today to learn how to get started.

Don’t Forget Important Customer Connections

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The telephone remains a primary way for customers to connect with businesses. Stay connected when you can't answer the call with custom on-hold messages and voice prompts from Hold for Less. (iStockphoto)

You put a lot into launching a new business. You took a dream and poured your time, effort and energy into seeing that dream come to life. You tackled many big challenges along the way: raising capital, securing a location, uniting with the right partners. But don’t forget the small things you can do along the way to share that dream with others.

Yes, making your business a success means connecting other people to the dream. And  modern technology opens lots of doors for you to connect to others through a website and social media outlets. But despite all the techno-social-mobile channels, most customers still prefer to begin a business relationship with a tried-and-true method: a telephone call.

Hold for Less can help you convert more of those callers into customers, even when you can’t take their calls right away. This special offer includes voice prompts, on-hold messages and a music on hold player.

Custom on-hold messages reinforce your brand when you have to put callers on hold. Studies show callers will hang up within 30 seconds with silence on hold, but they will stay up to 3 minutes longer with messages on hold. And almost a quarter of businesses that use on-hold messages say they contribute directly to the bottom line.

Voice prompts help callers navigate your telephone system to find the person or department they need. You can record up to six prompts, including a main greeting, an after hours message, your employee extension list, or a list of department extensions.

You also will get a USB music-on-hold player to deliver your on-hold messages and voice prompts. These players attach easily to any telephone system, and updating the message is easy. Simple insert the USB memory stick included with your player into a computer where the messages are saved. Copy the message files onto the USB stick, then remove it from the computer and plug in into the music-on-hold player.

New Product: ProDigital PD-USB 50

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Prodigital's PD-USB 50 music and message on hold player, now available at Hold for Less.

The new product rollouts continue at Hold for Less. Today’s featured product is the ProDigital PD-USB 50.

This compact, state-of-the-art on-hold digital audio player is built with advanced electronics for great sound quality. The industrial designed extruded aluminum case is rugged for years of dependable service. And the unit comes with a 5-year warranty on parts and labor.

Installation is easy. The unit can be wall-mounted or shelf-mounted, and it comes with all of the necessary hardware. Once the PD-USB 50 is mounted, simply connect the power supply to a wall outlet and connect the unit to the MOH port on your telephone system.

Loaded the on-hold message onto this MOH player is easy, too. Just plug the included USB flash drive into the computer where the on-hold message is saved. Drag the MP3 file or files onto the flash drive and remove any unwanted files from the flash drive. When the transfer is complete, safely disconnect the flash drive from the computer and insert it into the PD-USM 50. The new message will begin playing in 5 to 10 seconds. The unit has a speaker you can activate to preview the message. Be sure the unit speaker is turned off for normal operation.

Hold for Less will help you get started with a PD-USB 50 from ProDigital today. We can even record a custom on-hold message for your business that will come pre-loaded on the USN flash drive with your unit. Contact us today to learn more.

New Product: Synectix MOH 1200 USB Player

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The Synectix MOH 1200 USB Player connects easily to any business telephone system.

At Hold for Less, we strive to bring you the best technology to satisfy your on-hold messaging needs. We are proud to introduce the Synectix MOH 1200 USB music-on-hold player.

This new player is simple to use and installs on any business telephone system. As with any player from Hold for Less, you can install it yourself, or we will be happy to schedule a technician to install it for you.

The Synectx MOH 1200 plays on-hold messages from a USB Flash drive and supports MP3 files up to 32 GB. Loading your on-hold message onto the MOH 1200 is easy. Simply save the MP3 audio file onto any Windows or Mac computer. Connect the USB Flash drive included with your player to the computer and drag the file onto the Flash drive. Then remove the Flash drive and connect it to the MOH 1200. Within seconds, your telephone system will be playing your update message on hold.

Right now, purchase a Synectix MOH 1200 from Hold for Less and you can get a generic on-hold message free. We will load the message on the USB Flash drive, so your player will be ready to use right out of the box.

And if you do not have a business phone system, we offer adapters that can connect your music-on-hold player to a standard 2- or 4-line telephone. Just tell us what telephone you have, and we will find the right adapter for you.

Change Your Tune for More Effective On-Hold Messages

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If you have not changed the background music in your on-hold messages lately, your callers might be tuning out. (iStockphoto)

You probably have a favorite song. We all do. It’s that song you sing along to in the shower. Or the one you always get caught playing air guitar to in your office. It’s your favorite because it triggers a positive emotional response as soon as you hear it.

But if you heard that song every day, it would begin to dull your response. In time, overexposure can turn a favorite song into an annoying noise, like fingernails on a chalkboard.

And if you haven’t changed the background music in your on-hold messages in a while, your regular callers can feel the same way.

The music in your on-hold message serves several purposes. First, the style of music you choose casts a reflection of the personality of your business in a caller’s mind. Second, it is the interlude that gives each paragraph in your on-hold message room to breathe. But if it hasn’t been updated, the music can have the third, albeit undesired, effect of causing callers to tune out.

On the other hand, a new music selection can make entire message seem brand new. Even regular callers will listen closely again to your on-hold marketing.

Changing your background music is easy, too. Hold for Less has a full catalog of royalty-free music to choose from. Search from a wide variety of genres, and even listen to samples before you decide. We’ll remix your custom on-hold message with your new music selection and send it to you.

If your on-hold message is sounding like a worn-out record, updating the background music is a simple and economical change that will strike a new chord with callers.

Messager Duo Adds On-Hold Messages to Virtually Any Phone

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The Messager USB Duo can add hold capabilities to virtually any business telephone. (Nel-Tech Labs)

On-hold messages are an effective and proven way to help your business. They boost revenue by promoting products and services. They keep callers engaged and on the line when you can’t take the call right away. And they reinforce what sets you apart from your competition at a critical connection point with prospects.

If you are a small business owner looking for a solution to your on-hold messaging needs, Hold for Less has a new product you might be interested in.

The Messager USB Duo can add hold capability to virtually any standard telephone, thereby eliminating the need to install an adapter between the message-on-hold player and the telephone.

The player installs easily between the incoming telephone lines and the telephone. A standard unit includes one Duo Wireless Adapter to be placed next to a telephone. As your business adds more telephones, the systems can expand with additional Duo Wireless Adapters.

To place a call on hold, simply press the appropriate line button on the adapter. The caller will hear the on-hold message loaded onto the on-hold player, and the line button will flash on all of your wireless adapters. A call can be taken off of hold from any adapter by pressing the line button again.

Hold for Less can help you get started today with a Messager USB Duo and your own custom on-hold message.

On-Hold Messaging Reinforces Customer Experience

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McDonald's is reportedly taking measures to improve customer service at its restaurants. Custom on-hold messaging is an easy way for any business to improve the customer-service experience. (via Flickr user NNECAPA)

When corporate giants like McDonald’s start reconsidering the way they handle customer service, you know it’s a big deal.

It should not come as any surprise, though. The choices available to consumers today have grown exponentially. And the modern business doesn’t compete just with the business down the street. The Internet has put competition for customers on a truly worldwide scale.

As a result, brands cannot focus on having the lowest price or the best product to earn business. Customers today are looking for the best overall experience. If you reward them with a great experience, they will reward you with great word-of-mouth marketing on their favorite social media outlets. But customers share their bad experiences, too, and those can spread like wildfire.

For McDonald’s, creating a better experience means creating a friendlier experience. What would it take for you to create a better experience and loyal customers?

Many businesses need to remember their telephone when answering that question. Regardless of online research or social media reviews, many prospects still prefer to call before doing business. And surveys show more than half of business calls will be placed on hold. A custom on-hold message creates the right experience for callers even when you have to press the “HOLD” button.

A custom on-hold message is the best opportunity to deliver your message to a captive audience of your hottest prospects. It’s your uninterrupted time to speak directly to them about your products and services. And when you blend the perfect script with the right voice talent and background music, it give callers a true sense of who you are and why they should do business with you.

Hold for Less has everything you need to get started with on-hold messaging today, from music-on-hold players to adapters and full-service production. We will work with you to approve a script. Then you select the voice talent and royalty-free background music, and we take care of the rest. Let us help you create a complete customer-service experience for your business.

On-Hold Messaging Shows Might as Customer Service Tool

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Incorporate on-hold messaging into your customer service strategy for a comprehensive approach to addressing customers' needs.

Incorporate on-hold messaging into your customer service strategy for a comprehensive approach to addressing customers' needs. (iStockphoto)

There are many approaches to training employees on matters of customer service. Some say you hire the right people with the right personalities, and the rest will take care of itself. Some have extensive training for all employees on handling issues for customers. And some keep customer service contained to one group of employees manning a phone bank.

Customer service should not be left to chance. Too much is at stake. With more customers taking to social media to air their dirty customer-service laundry, one customer’s issue can snowball rapidly beyond your control. Great customer service happens intentionally.

A custom on-hold message is a key component to strong customer service. Here are a couple of ways you can use on-hold messaging:

Be proactive: Use part of your on-hold messages to address common customer-service matters or answer some frequently asked questions. Sometimes that will resolve a caller’s issues before you can even take the call. And it shows you are aware of and concerned about callers’ needs.

Promote all channels: Your on-hold message can spell out all the other ways customers can share their concerns: through your company website, Facebook, Twitter or coming into your business.

But on-hold messaging can do much more than help answer callers’ questions. An on-hold message is also a prime opportunity to speak directly to your most faithful customers and hottest prospects alike. Make sure they know about all the products and services you offer. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to give them a taste of the values and “personality” that sets your business above your competition. Reassure them about why they chose to do business with you in the first place.

Hold for Less has everything you need to get started with custom on-hold messaging for your business. Check us out today.

Don’t Put All Your Marketing Eggs in the Social Media Basket

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When it comes to marketing, don't put all of your eggs in the social media basket. (iStockphoto)

Social media has become the new gold standard in marketing your business. From Facebook to Pinterest in Vine, every new social media channel sets the business world all a-twitter (pun intended) about the new marketing potential.

But here’s the real stinger for businesses: most consumers don’t trust your social media efforts.

The Forrester survey shows that consumers trust the information they seek out themselves more than they trust the information you push to them. Recommendations from family and friends rate as the most trusted product promotions. Others that rate highly include professional reviews, consumer reviews and organic search results.

That’s not to say that you can ignore social media channels. But social media works best when it is a two-way street. Joining the conversation there can endear you to your fans and followers. Interrupting the conversation with your commercials is a real turn off.

Besides, social media is only one element of good marketing. Today’s business climate demands a multilayered approach. And each layer needs its own strategy and objectives. If you cannot define your strategy and objectives for one of your marketing efforts, then it is time to reconsider your efforts.

One marketing effort that is easy to strategize is on-hold messages for your business. After all, most companies spend 96 percent of their marketing budget trying to get the phone to ring. On-hold messages help close the loop on all of those efforts by keeping callers engaged when you have to press the “Hold” button.

Here are more facts to consider in developing your on-hold marketing strategy:

  • Callers who hear silence on hold usually hang up within 40 seconds. Many to not call back.
  • Callers will stay on the line up to three minutes longer with messages on hold versus silence.
  • Sales of products and services mentioned in on-hold messages rise as much as 12 percent.

Hold for Less has everything you need to turn an on-hold marketing strategy into on-hold marketing success.

Keep Competitors Off of Your Home Turf

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LG put up this billboard over one from rival Samsung to upstage festivities surround the release of the new Galaxy S IV. (via CNet)

Whether you are in sports or business, you better protect your home turf.

As Samsung prepared for the launch of its new Galaxy S IV smartphone, the company’s aggressive promotion before the unveiling left it open to a preemptive strike. It wasn’t arch rival Apple this time, though; it was LG.

If you use the radio on your business telephone instead of an on-hold message, then you are leaving a door open to your competition on your home turf, too.

If you have a prospect on your telephone line, that’s your best chance to hook them and reel them in. But if you have to place them on hold and have the radio playing, you run the risk of letting that caller hear your competitor’s commercial while they wait. That gives the prospect the chance to reconsider why they called you over them in the first place.

Not to mention the fact that playing the radio violates copyright law and opens you up to fines and other penalties.

The hold button on your telephone can be one of your most effective marketing tools to convert more callers into customers.

Hold for Less has a variety of on-hold messages to choose from:

Generic messages: This entry-level form of on-hold messaging lets you turn off the radio on hold without reverting to silence. The messages are universal and not specific to you business at all. For example, generic on-hold messages include greeting like “Thank you for holding; we appreciate your patience while on hold.”

Industry messages: These are a step up from the basic generic on-hold messages. Hold for Less has a catalog of individual paragraphs for a variety of industries, such as dental offices, accountants and locksmiths. You can combine paragraphs into an on-hold message about your business.

Custom messages: A custom on-hold message give you complete control over what callers hear when placed on hold. We work with you to develop a script, then you choose voice talents and royalty-free background music to suit your company’s image.

Get started with on-hold messaging today and stop the competition from stealing your callers’ attention.