You spend thousands of dollars a year on advertising, trying to get your phone to ring…but what happens when people DO call? Are you maximizing your investment and creating a positive caller experience?

While there is no guaranteed recipe for converting calls into sales, there are several obvious reasons as to why you may be unsuccessful. What are the 3 biggest mistakes you can make when answering inbound calls?

Mistake #1: Not Having an Inbound Call Strategy

How you handle your inbound calls directly impacts how each and every customer views your business. Imagine you are a customer calling your business. Will your call be picked up by a designated receptionist or by the person who is least busy at the moment? If you have a designated receptionist, has this person been properly trained or scripted in call handling etiquette or will he/she simply answer and say whatever comes to mind? Perhaps you utilize an automated answering service or IVR auto attendant recording? If this is the case, is the messaging clear, brief and recorded by professional voice talent or did you randomly draw straws as to who was going to get stuck with the task?

Whether you prefer an actual person answering your phone or an IVR service provider it is imperative to have a standardized system in place to field your initial calls. Without it, you run the risk of making a negative first impression which in turn can lead to loss of repeat business.

Mistake #2: Not Properly Leveraging Wait Time

For most businesses, hold time is inevitable. Studies have shown callers that hear silence or beeps while waiting “on hold” are three times more likely to hang up before you can get back to them, so a lack of action here can massively impact sales opportunities and result in business lost to your competition.

Generic music is commonly included on modern phone systems as an alternative to dead air. While it is an improvement as it lets callers know that their call is still connected to the business, it is more of a courtesy and doesn’t provide any actual value.

On hold messages for business are a proven method of keeping your callers on the line by engaging them with compelling, informative content that is relevant to their call. Whether in the form of sales advertisements, customer service, business related information, or light entertainment such as humour, an on hold messaging service is the smartest choice for any businesses looking improve their sales and caller experience. Listen to some examples of on hold messages here.

Mistake #3: Not Respecting the “Caller Experience”

Studies show it takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience. From the time you answer the phone to the time you hang up, you have to ensure your callers feel valued. Not by telling them they are, but by showing them. Thanking them for their business and ensuring them that you are doing all that you can to connect them to their desired party or solve their issues quickly can go a long way.

Have you ever called a big service company and sat there for minutes on end or been transferred from department to department? Ever gotten so turned off by the experience that you’ve actually considered switching providers? A lot of your time has been wasted because not enough thought was put into call volume analysis, call routing & handling and nurturing callers through the process.

The caller experience can determine whether or not a customer will continue to do business with you in the future so it is vital that every experience be a positive one.

Give your business a call right now. Are you making any of these mistakes?