IVR stands for Interactive Voice Response, but even if you didn’t know that term, you’re certainly familiar with the concept. And there’s a fair chance that you really don’t like it.

In simple terms, it’s the automated voice that greets you when you call up a company. At the most basic level, that voice will let you know that your call will be answered shortly, and at the other end of the spectrum is the long list of menu options that most of us will ignore and press zero repeatedly until they just stop talking.

But the voice of your company telephone system is so much more. Remember that people don’t like speaking with machines, but their guard will come down ever so slightly if the voice of that machine offers up a human and personal touch.

There are also the acoustics to be taken into consideration. Too many companies will simply put their system onto speakerphone and record their messages. The result is a sound which is unpleasant, with lots of echo and no warmth. It immediately plants a thought in the mind of the caller that your firm is not as professional as they would like, and that’s not fair, because that’s not an accurate reflection of who you are and what you do.

In addition, if you have music on hold, think about getting that replaced with music and messages. Your callers will remain on hold for longer and you’ll have the opportunity to promote other products and services which they will ask you about once you return to their call. A well produced suite of hold music and messages is like hiring another member of the sales team, yet for a fraction of the cost.

Have a listen to a selection of hold messages produced for my clients. Many of them have seen an increase in sales by as much as 20%, simply from callers asking for more infiormation about a product that was just explained to them on hold. Incredibly, one client saw the value of a client’s order DOUBLE because of a service he learned about on hold. What’s more, he was only on hold for 12 seconds!