On Hold Company salutes small businesses. We help businesses of all sizes stand out with creative and effective on-hold marketing. (iStockphoto)
It’s Small Business Week, and On Hold Company celebrates with the small businesses around the country that make their own unique marks on their cities, their states, this country and even the world.
We appreciate the challenges small business owners face every day. The competition in today’s business climate is fierce. Big-box stores and national name brands shout for customers’ attention with seemingly limitless resources. Small businesses, meanwhile, seem to always be scrambling to catch up. Indeed, many of today’s innovators are small business owners applying their moxie and their creativity in order to steal away some of that attention. Sharing the Passion that Drives Your Business
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We all have our favorite music we love to listen to. But playing music overhead in your business without properly licensing it can add up to big trouble. (iStockphoto)
As a business owner, you have invested a lot in your business. And we’re not just talking about financial investments, either. You have invested your time, talent, effort, energy, passion and even your personality into it. We get it, because we are the same way. It doesn’t surprise us when we talk to business owners who want their establishments to reflect who they are as people, whether they run a restaurant, a clothing store, or a pet hotel.
One of the most common ways for a business to “set a mood” for patrons is with music. Musical choices reflect our individual personalities and also provide important cues about a business “personality” as well. Our favorite songs have the power to evoke powerful memories and set just the right mood. But music also is what can get a business owner in big trouble. Avoid Trouble with Licensed Overhead Music
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LG, maker of the Nexus 4, said recently it will not create the follow up Nexus 5 cell phone.
Every business we know is looking for marketing success. Well, every company except LG, according to a recent article:
LG, which made the Nexus 4 flagship for Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, was rumored to be the manufacturer of the follow up “Nexus 5.” Apparently, that will not be the case. Speaking to Dutch technology publication, All About Phones, LG’s VP of mobile in Europe, Won Kim, said, “The Nexus 4 was a great success despite the production problems for us and Google. However we do not need such a marketing success again.”
So, LG overcomes production issues to create a popular cell phone, and the company does not want the chance to at least recreate, if not build on, that success? Maybe something got lost in the Google translation. Think about the irony of that for a second. On-Hold Messaging is a Winning Strategy
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Businesses should examine all of the costs to doing business before considering switching to VOIP telephone service. (iStockphoto)
Small business owners face lots of challenges. Many of those challenges seem to center around staying on top of the latest technology and keeping costs in check. While any cost-cutting idea is worth considering, owners must consider more than just the bottom line when making decisions for their businesses.
Take telephone service, for example. Hosted IP Telephony, also known as Voice Over IP service, is growing in popularity. But VOIP telephone service raises several issues business owners need to consider. What to Consider Before Switching to VOIP
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On Hold Company's CEO Bryant Wilson was elected vice-chairman of the On Hold Messaging Association's board of directors.
We are pleased to announce that our CEO, Bryant Wilson, has been elected vice-chairman of the board for the On Hold Messaging Association for 2013-2014.
The On Hold Messaging Association is our industry trade organization that ensures member companies maintain the highest standards in all aspects of their audio marketing businesses. On Hold Company is proud to be a part of this elite group of providers. Wilson said the board is looking forward to growing its membership in the coming year.
“OHMA members are the top providers in the industry,” Wilson said in a news release. “We network and share ideas about how to use new technologies to increase the quality and value of audio marketing.”
At the annual OHMA conference earlier this month in Nashville, Wilson gave a presentation to fellow members on technology tools that can boost efficiency and collaboration within their companies. He featured applications such as DropBox for file sharing, SalesForce for CRM and a host of mobile apps to help boost productivity.
“They’re great options for smaller companies that can’t invest in expensive infrastructure,” Wilson said. “Managing a growing business is never easy, but new technologies make the task easier by streamlining operations without breaking the budget.”
Read the full press release here.
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Online reviews from customers can build trust in your business. Be sure to include some of those reviews in your on-hold messages as well. (iStockphoto)
From movie producers to your employees, everyone loves receiving positive feedback. Besides just boosting your ego, positive reviews from your customers can be a boon to your business, if you know how to take advantage of them.
In today’s business climate, you don’t have to wait for JD Power or Consumer Reports to endorse your product anymore. The Internet, and especially social media, gives anyone and everyone a platform to share their experience with your products and services. And they are sharing their opinions, making customer reviews free and plentiful. Customer Reviews Help Build Trust in Your Brand
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Just like a good fitness routine doesn't focus on one body part, a good marketing and customer service strategy takes a well-balanced approach. (iStockphoto)
When you go to the gym, you don’t just work on building your biceps. Well, maybe you do, but it’s not the best strategy to achieve total fitness.
No, a good fitness routine needs a well-balanced approach to the entire body.
In the same way, a company’s marketing and customer service need a well-balanced approach to reach customers and clients at all possible touch points.
Mobile seems to be eclipsing even social media as the latest marketing and customer service trend. And why not? Everyone is doing just about everything with a smartphone these days. Take an ‘All-Over’ Approach to Your Marketing and Customer Service
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Leaders at more companies should follow Marissa Mayer's example of paying close attention to their on-hold marketing.
When Yahoo’s new CEO, Marissa Mayer, complained that her company’s on-hold music was “garbage,” she got results. Yahoo’s callers now hear a specially recorded ditty from New York’s Jingle Punks:
“You’re on hold, hold on Yahoo, gimme a second while I patch you through . . . The CEO didn’t like da’ hold music, so I wrote this jam for you” and, “Yes, it’s Yah – Yahoo!”
Mayer approved, as did contributors to tech blogs and readers at Yahoo’s forum. But what does a company do when it can’t command that sort of high-level talent? Find a full-service on hold service provider with the expertise to create custom on-hold messages that meet your marketing objectives and build a positive audio brand for your company. Bad Music Is A Customer Service Problem
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