The Perfect Music On Hold Message

Music on hold is mostly art and partly formula. Getting the right mix between the two is key to producing a music on hold message you AND your callers will love.

First, write a great script, written for the ear not the eye, that explains what problem you solve, what makes you unique and other pertinent product or service info your callers want to know. Do not blather on about how great you are (see my last post below on this topic). It's self-indulgent and earns you no points with your callers.

Second, hire a voiceover talent(s) who reads conversationally, not mechanically. You can spot an amateur announcer a mile away because they put emphasis on unimportant words and read in a sing-song pattern. Listen for someone who is having a chat with your callers, not talking at them.

Third, use great licensed music. What will make music on hold sound like old-fashioned Muzak is synthesized music (where instruments are "faked" by electronic keyboards) to a beat that tries to sound funky and hip but comes across as, um, dorky. A quality music on hold provider will have a modern, fully licensed music library for you to peruse at your leisure via a music on hold jukebox.

Take those three elements and carefully balance them out between talking and music. For a four-minute production, keep your script to under 400 words. We prefer about 360-375, with a combination of 'meaty' content and 'thank you for holding' caller-retention phrases, with about 15 seconds of music between each section.

This careful blends gives your caller time to listen to your content, have a music break to digest it mentally, and then be ready to learn more about how you can help THEM.

And there you have it--the formula for a perfect music on hold message.