WHAT IMPRESSION ARE YOU MAKING?
Throughout the course of a typical business day, it is unavoidable that callers will be placed on-hold. Ever stop and think about the impression you're making while a potential or current client is on-hold? If your callers hear nothing but silence, they may not hold for very long. Sometimes they may hear a click on the line and think they've been disconnected. (We've all been there before!) If you have the radio playing, your callers may be on-hold listening to commercials and DJ chatter - or static!

"A customized recording eliminates silence and gives you control over what your callers are listening to, whether they're on-hold for just five seconds, or a minute or two. It's a great way to enhance your company's image and ultimately increase revenue," says Amir Watynski, owner of Watt Media, Inc., a telephone on-hold company that creates custom on-hold recordings for businesses throughout the U.S.

AN EFFECTIVE MARKETING TOOL
Since 1998, Watt Media has been helping businesses promote their services while clients are on-hold with this creative tool. "Your prospects and current clients have to have multiple exposures to your offerings, through different media," says Watynski. "This is an extremely effective medium which is considerably less expensive than traditional advertising." Watt Media's clients often report that their callers inquire about their services specifically after hearing a promotion while on-hold. Plus, by updating the content of their recording periodically - a feature included in all of Watt Media's packages - the on-hold recording becomes even more effective as a means to promote changes in product lines, new services, or staff members.

Besides enabling businesses to promote their services, the on-hold recordings have had other positive effects. Jack Miller, of Maniar, Miller & Wechsler, LLC, an accounting firm in South Florida, feels that his on-hold recording has also helped his firm enhance its image. "We try not to put our callers on-hold, but it happens more often than I had initially thought. Immediately after we received our first recording, our clients started complimenting us on it. It makes us look more professional, and we now make a great first impression on the phone. The updates are great and give us the flexibility to change the content and background music," says Miller.

EASY TO DO
Watt Media makes it easy by writing the script for their clients. Once approved, a professional announcer records the voice-over, which is then edited and combined with background music. A typical recording is about 5 minutes long, focusing on different aspects of the company. Watt Media's recordings are compatible with virtually every office phone system. To listen to a sample, visit Watt Media's website at www.watt-media.com.