Growing your eye care practice is about using every opportunity to engage potential patients with reasons why they should consider scheduling an examination or purchasing eyewear. The utilization of an on hold message campaign is often overlooked. On hold messaging is a low-effort way to enhance your brand and customer service experience.
If you only play music for patients, they won’t be engaged if they are put on hold, nor have you given them any valuable information other than some garbled and grainy Mozart. It’s something we have all experienced and don’t enjoy.
By broadcasting engaging and informative on hold messages, you can change the experience from one of malaise to an informative and engaging one. Here are ways you can use professionally produced, pre-recorded messages to help grow your brand.
Know Who You Are, What You Do, And How You Are Different
The first step is to understand what sets your practice apart. This is essential to any marketing effort and can help focus your messaging. Think about:
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What sets you apart
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What you and your team are passionate about
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What you do that other practices in your area do not
For example, if you are always investing in the latest diagnostic and examination technology, talk about those tools. Tell your patients the benefits of those devices, what they discover, and what they can help cure.
By focusing on the benefits, you can help differentiate your practice quickly and easily to patients.
A few more ideas for on hold messaging include:
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New and exciting lens features that have been recently released
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What you are capable of doing for patients/what types of exams or solutions you can provide
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Invite patients to view your website and promote other social media channels
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Your credentials and why you are excited to work in optometry
Show the Value
It’s easy for patients to think that eye care is about finding a prescription, picking between numbers, and then buying eyewear. Show them how what you do is more than that. Talk about the benefits of a comprehensive eye exam, the benefits to their health, and call out specific conditions.
Today more connections are being made between chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease and vision problems than ever before. On hold messages that quickly educate about this can help inform your patients about the true need for annual eye examinations.
Answer Frequently Asked Questions
On hold messages are no replacement for talking to patients and answering their questions, but you might be able to answer a few of those questions in an on hold message. Convenience is key to customer service. An effective on hold message campaign can be as simple as spending a couple of seconds mentioning how you can adjust any pair of glasses, what your credentials are, and that you are happy to perform a child’s first eye exam as young as six months of age.
Keep It Short to Keep Patients Engaged
One of the easiest ways to annoy patients is a lengthy on hold message that never ends. You really don’t want to keep anyone waiting long enough to say anything that isn’t short and to the point. When creating an on hold production, develop short paragraphs of messaging with musical interludes between each paragraph.
Working With a Partner
If you aren’t sure where to start when creating on hold messages, working with a professional partner ensures you meet best practices with a high-quality recording. From scripting about existing popular products to concisely explaining what sets you apart in the marketplace, we work with our partner Eyes on Hold, and you can too.