As business owners, we are constantly told that first impressions matter the most. And of course they 100% do! But that’s not to say that the second, third, tenth or one hundredth don’t matter just as much. So how do you keep up the momentum of leaving a lasting impression on your customers? Telephone Introductions. That’s how.

Think about the last company you called. Did they have a Telephone introduction? If so was it formal and generic or was it charismatic and informative? If you can’t remember, then it’s probably the latter because it clearly didn’t leave a lasting impression on you. And that’s the point we’re making. Your telephone Introduction can either make your business memorable or forgettable!

The business value of telephone introductions.

If you consider that a professional telephone introduction is a mere hello to your customers then this article might make you think again. Because the marketing potential in that one little recording is something that no savvy business person should ignore!

Telephone introductions allow you to,

• Strengthen your customer’s perception of your company
• Make your customers feel valued
• Improve customer experience & staff productivity

So how does this relate to marketing? Well…

Convey your brand’s unique personality.

The more people know about and understand your brand, the more trustworthy you will become. So installing a greeting that aligns with your brand’s overall tone will ensure consistency and give your customers reassurance. This alone could compel them to talk about and even recommend your business to friends, family and the internet.

Give your customers much-needed updates.

Your telephone introduction is the perfect opportunity to let your customers know about offers, sales, new products or relevant company information. By delivering news this way, your customers will feel like you care enough to ensure they’re up to date. Making them feel respected and maybe even just a little bit special. And as we all know, customers who feel appreciated are more inclined to return when they need what you’re selling. They might even spread the word about how customer-focused your company is, eliciting brand-new leads for free.

Deliver an exceptional experience.

A concise telephone introduction can help your customers understand what steps to take to resolve the reason for their call. Giving them options for departments within your company or even telling them alternative and quicker ways to find resolutions (such as a web page) makes for an exceptionally efficient service. Allowing your customers to find what they’re looking for swiftly shows that you respect their time. This gives kudos to your company. Plus, your staff will be more efficient if customers can problem-solve themselves or get straight through to the right person. Efficient staff will save you money in the long term.

If your customers find that interactions with your business are both brief (but not rushed) and satisfactory, they won’t hesitate to give you a glowing review. Plus, potential customers will automatically trust you if you’re seen to value customer satisfaction above all else. This means that they will not hesitate to buy from you if you’re selling what they need.

Bring on the bonus beats!

Of course, your customer’s experience wouldn’t be complete if you failed to supply them with decent on-hold music! And let’s face it, we all hate being put on hold, but sometimes we have no choice.

If your customers choose to wait for one of your team, why not make the wait as pleasurable as possible?

Choosing the right music can be comforting, inspiring and even mirror and cement your brand identity. It’s also a great way to differentiate yourself from your competition and make sure your business is memorable.

Free with SwitchboardFree

Both telephone introductions and on-hold music are completely with SwitchboardFree, yet are a completely underutilised feature by our customers.

In respect of telephone introductions, you can record your own or choose from some we have created. If you really want to maximise the power of your introduction our experienced team of voice artists and audio technicians can help. They will work with you to create something that suits your brand perfectly at a small additional cost.

SwitchboardFree’s on-hold music offering is unparalleled. You can choose from new album releases from your favourite artist, up-to-date chart music, seasonal sounds and festival playlists. And all completely free. You can update your on-hold music as often as you wish. Plus you don’t have to worry about an expensive PRS licence, as we pay that too. This saves you more than £100 a year!

We’re always open to new playlist suggestions so please contact us if you have any.

So don’t waste any more time! Make your business stand out from the rest and take advantage of these free marketing tools from SwitchboardFREE.

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