Are you ready to jump into the exciting world of voice blasts? This question is not meant to be sarcastic or ironic. No matter what other technologically-backed formats come to provenance, there's nothing quite like talking to someone on the phone. Phone calls remain an excellent way to connect with information-seekers and even potential customers. Establishing a personal connection with these people is key to providing great customer service and what's more personal than using your own voice? Luckily, there is online software that will help you automate your voice blasts so you aren't stuck on the phone all day.
Here are three tips you can use to ensure that people are immediately interested, and maybe even excited, upon receiving voices blasts from you.
Establish a connection immediately
Absolutely everyone hates getting a phone call where they pick up and are told they are being connected to an agent. Why are they being connected? They didn't opt in to receiving a product or service merely by picking up their phone. This approach can lead to customer resentment and an increasingly lower rate of potential success. By introducing who you are and the reason for the message at the very beginning of the communication, you establish transparency in the relationship and your audience may be more willing to listen to your message. A good rule of thumb is to focus on the first five seconds of voice blasts; this is where all of the extremely important information should be put, but not to the detriment of clarity. Make sure you include a number or other way you can be reached if the call is disconnected. By putting your best foot forward and demonstrating the human element of the call right away, you form the basis of a strong relationship right off the bat.
Brevity is key to success
You may have the best marketing plan in the world, but unless you can concisely tell the people you're reaching out to why they should be interested, they're going to hang up on your call. This may not be due to lack of interest, but instead due to lack of attention. Maybe they're otherwise engaged. Put yourself in their shoes; would you really want to get an offer for a product or service while you were in a movie theatre or at the gym? Think about leaving a non-automated phone call with an employee and focus on the highlights. In fact, it's a good idea to listen to the message you've recorded, identify unnecessary pauses or technical jargon, and find a way to streamline your message. It may take additional effort on your voice blasts, but it will yield a better result.
Follow best practices for voice blasts
There are things that you absolutely have to do when you send out a voice blast. Some of them are federally mandated through organizations like the Federal Communications Commission or the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, but others are just common sense:
- Only make calls at certain times of the day. Look at your country's laws to find the time window in which it is acceptable to call. It's always a good idea to make your call when your target audience is most receptive. You wouldn't expect to be able to reach a business after-hours, would you? You should also avoid making calls on weekends and holidays.
- Be patient and professional. If someone's not interested In your message, it's as simple as that. Don't badger people, but always follow up with calls that didn't go through; if someone chose to connect to an agent, but there was no response on the other end when the call came through, maybe they become unexpectedly busy.
- Create and manage your own Do Not Call list. The federal Do Not Call lists are not intended for companies that provide marketing automation software, and so they don't apply. If someone opts out of your communications, respect their wishes and keep track of them internally. Make sure you include a keypad option for someone to opt out.
By following these important tips, you can transform the way your contacts see voice communications and they may come to love hearing your voice on the other end of the line. Like all broadcasting technologies, it's important to exercise restraint regarding the frequency of messages – don't send the same message out repeatedly as that's the fastest way to ensure a negative reputation. If you respect the time and attention of your contacts, voice broadcasting can become a powerful tool to add to your marketing and communications repertoire.
Interested in getting started with voice broadcasting automation? SimplyCast offers it as one among a suite of platforms as part of our integrated communications platform, SimplyCast 360. Contact our knowledgeable sales team to learn more about this platform and what it can do for you.
