It was the never ending winter, wasn’t it? No matter where you read this, chances are good you felt it. But winter has finally ended and so begins a new season of reinvigorated growth and a consumer population itching to go out and spend. Be ready for a busy spring and whatever you do, don’t neglect the phone lines that are sure to stay humming as we get closer to summer.
Even the most diligent, well-meaning Messages-on-Hold users take a break from their MOH after the busy holidays and New Year. But as we get into the second quarter, it’s time to freshen up marketing campaigns and kick start new promotions. This applies to audio for food service, retail, agriculture, the auto industry, veterinarians, and a cross section of proactive operations. If you’re in hospitality, this is prime time to raise awareness of summer specials. Caterers? You know wedding season’s coming. Hardware outlets? Put away the snow shovels and start talking about weed killer and hedge clippers. MOH is a vital component because it relays the most crucial information to callers already on the line and wanting to do business with you.
If you haven’t changed your MOH in at least three months, chances are, repeat callers have begun tuning out. Shake it up and give your MOH a Spring Cleaning. Even if it’s just scribbling down basic ideas, the team at Illinois Audio Productions (IAP) can formulate a rough draft to give those callers something new to grab onto. For those who may not have as many repeat callers – dental practices, for example – it’s still a good idea to refresh MOH audio this time of year to catch the changing audience once the school year ends. You have a number of services to promote…which are best with the time parameter in mind? Let’s put them at the forefront.
The bitter winter put a dent in construction time and home sales. Expect a big rebound and use your audio advantage to reflect an increase in activity and foot traffic. Time to run a new radio campaign? This is an area of audio production where IAP excels and will no doubt save you money compared to station and agency rates. A related industry that will also benefit from both a strong radio presence and a highly topical new MOH production? Building suppliers and home DIY stores. Not just BECAUSE the season’s changing, but because of the toll winter weather itself took. Lowe’s, for example, is expecting higher than usual spring sales as homeowners begin repairing snow damage to roofs and driveways. Spring sales growth of approximately 4% is expected according to Forbes, 5% total for 2014. It’s this kind of possibility that could be in your future, too.
Wheels turning yet? Here’s another thought and maybe a lesson also learned from winter. You never know how Mother Nature can affect your business and today’s phone systems typically accommodate alternate greetings in case of closure with no remote voicing necessary. Would you like to have a professionally produced voice prompt announcing emergency closures? They were used prominently in recent harsh weather and will no doubt come into play with spring storms and hurricane season coming. While you’re at it, what voices do your callers hear with your Automated Attendant (AA) greetings and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) prompts? If they’re done in-house and leave something to be desired, get a professionally polished voicing job from IAP.
So welcome spring and a world of new profit potential. Get a jump on the competition and give your callers and radio audience the kind of info they need to place orders, set appointments, and walk through your door. It really is a golden time to explore the potential using IAP audio. Let’s talk about breathing new life into a tired radio spot and updating MOH audio along with all the phone peripherals. You can even engage in a live chat with us depending on the time you’re reading this. If not, please don’t hesitate to ask any questions…we’re always glad to help.