Ever since its emergence, cloud technology has continually
made business processes quicker, easier and more secure – and when applied to
telephony, it delivers all this and more. The creative audio opportunities it
introduces allow us to fine-tune the caller experience to something that’s not
just more efficient, but more engaging.
To help us really understand how to make the most of this
caller experience, it’s useful to view it as a journey. This begins by picking
up the phone, with typical pit stops coming when we’re connected to different
departments or directed to various individuals, and our final destination
usually being when we’re able to speak to a representative or hear a message
that satisfies our requirements. Cloud telephony gives businesses real creative
freedom throughout this entire process – and no-where is this more important
than in creating and delivering the very best first impression for every single
caller.
The first contact:
Cloud phone systems allow custom content to be heard from
the moment someone picks up the phone. The nature of your business will dictate
how you use it, but at this point, your caller is searching for key information
– and you can deliver that in the form of a simple welcome message. You could
choose to go straight into the Auto Attendant, giving callers a menu of options
to choose from, and making both your and their life easier. Or, you could
really optimise this golden audio moment to make a real impact on your caller
with sounds that capture the very essence of your brand.
Creative engagement:
Cloud telephony gives you the flexibility to introduce
content here that really pulls your callers in and encourages them to take
action, much like a TV or radio ad would. And here, you have the added benefit
of zero competition. Depending on your business model, you might take this
opportunity to increase brand consistency. If this is your goal, now is the
time to showcase exactly what your brand is about with a mission statement or a
powerful strapline that the listener will really remember. If, however, your
focus is more open to change, you might opt for messages that are more topical
and campaign based – showcasing a popular product or letting people know about
a recent award, for example.
The overall aim behind your creative messages may differ,
but consistently ingenious copy that reflects your tone of voice has to
underpin everything. With that in place, you can be confident of capturing your
callers’ imagination and creating the ultimate first impression.
Sonic assertion:
Creative copy is key in starting the caller journey off on
the right foot – whether you’re conveying essential information, or building
brand. But it’s not the only tool at your disposal when it comes to asserting
your identity and engaging callers. One component that’s often overlooked is a
sonic logo.
At its most basic, a sonic logo is a series of notes or a
short melodic sequence that represents a brand in the same way a visual logo does
– some of the most iconic examples include McDonalds’ whistle and the familiar
sound you’re greeted with when starting up Netflix. These sounds work similarly
to an initial brand statement – they instantly assert your identity, are highly
memorable, and in time will become synonymous your business.
You can’t just string together a few notes on a piano and
hope to reap all the benefits of sonic logo, though. To get the full effect, a
business needs the guidance of an audio branding specialist. They get to the
heart of a business’ identity to understand what really makes them unique,
before distilling this into a melody. The most effective way to do this is to
first compose a complete and exclusive music track – which can then be used in
its entirety at various key points throughout the caller journey – and then
highlight a distinct melodic sequence as the basis.
Sonic logos can be heard at any audio touchpoint, but the
beginning of the call represents the perfect opportunity for deployment. As
soon as a caller hears it, they’ll know to expect the excellence you’re
renowned for – marking the start of an effective brand experience.
An unmissable
opportunity:
Greeting content is something every caller to your business
will hear, regardless of how their call is directed. So overlooking this
potential to connect with your audience and assert a positive brand identity is
a significant missed opportunity. Businesses only get one chance to make a
first impression with their caller, and creative audio content will maximise
this impact in the right way.
Now the journey has begun, click here to learn how the creativity continues as they travel through their caller experience.
