| A company projects its brand in many ways: its logo, | | | | line, voicemail and online voice assets. Consider what |
| Web site, advertising, office and even employee attire. | | | | you want your customer to experience and |
| Yet with such an emphasis on developing an | | | | accomplish at each of these touch points. With a plan |
| appropriate small business marketing strategy, it is | | | | in place, you can design or redesign your small |
| surprising that one of the most active customer touch | | | | business marketing messaging and call flows to create |
| points is often ignored. | | | | a positive customer interaction. |
| The phone call still reigns as the primary mode of | | | | For example, the medical field frequently uses call |
| interaction between small businesses and their | | | | forwarding and redirecting services so patients can |
| customers. If there is a problem, most entrepreneurs | | | | speak with someone 24/7. If handled correctly, the |
| will pick up the phone to quickly fix the problem rather | | | | system may ask if it's an emergency, give you the |
| than use a channel, like e-mail, that requires them to | | | | option to immediately speak with a healthcare expert |
| wait for a response. As a result, your company's voice | | | | or provide information about where to receive |
| brand is an important aspect of maintaining the image | | | | immediate care. During business hours, a person would |
| you want to convey. | | | | provide this information, but during non-business hours, |
| Everyone has experienced the call. You pick up the | | | | physicians still need a professional solution that |
| phone to call a business and immediately wish you | | | | provides the necessary information. |
| hadn't. Whether being met with an inept staff member, | | | | Choose a Persona |
| a shockingly foul-mouthed representative or someone | | | | How you speak with your customers is just as |
| who provided grossly inaccurate information, odds are | | | | important as what you say. Oftentimes, automated |
| you've experienced an ignored voice brand. | | | | phone systems sound mechanical, distant and even |
| What Is a Voice Brand? | | | | unprofessional. Think of your voice persona the same |
| Simply put, your company's voice brand is the image it | | | | way you think of your staff when they are speaking |
| provides through the spoken word. Marcus Graham, | | | | to your customers. |
| author of Voice Branding in America, provides a more | | | | Is your company represented by a man or woman, |
| in-depth account of establishing an optimal small | | | | someone young or old? Do they have an accent? |
| business marketing message: | | | | What is their attitude? A consistent persona, that |
| "It's the unique combination of voice talent, words, call | | | | reflects your company's personality and culture, will |
| flow and spirit that greets and guides callers. The voice | | | | help establish the voice brand your customers will |
| brand is largely experienced over the telephone today, | | | | associate with your business. |
| but that's changing. With the telephone, computer and | | | | Regardless of the persona your company takes, |
| television morphing into similar multi-function devices | | | | consider hiring professional voice talent to record the |
| due to digital convergence, a company's voice brand is | | | | messages your customers will encounter. There are |
| being heard on Web sites, multimedia CD ROMs, | | | | many companies that work exclusively with small |
| kiosks, cards, point of purchase devices and who | | | | businesses to create a voice brand; consider using one |
| knows what else." | | | | to help you. |
| Crafting Your Company's Voice Brand | | | | Bring Your Small Business Marketing Message |
| With the evolution of how businesses engage their | | | | Together |
| customers and prospects, we have also seen an | | | | Executing your vision for a voice brand will take |
| increase in the number of small business marketing | | | | planning and consideration of available tools. Most small |
| channels companies need to manage. Fifty years ago, | | | | business phone or PBX systems include basic IVR |
| the letter may have been the most common and most | | | | functionality that lets you customize voice prompts. |
| cost-effective form of direct communication with | | | | Take advantage of this capability to ensure your small |
| customers, whereas today the Web site is the default | | | | business marketing message is used throughout all |
| source for general company information. Now more | | | | automated responses your customer can have with |
| than ever, businesses need to ensure they are using | | | | your phone system. |
| the same voice brand across all channels. | | | | For example, a Virtual Receptionist application is a |
| The first step is to determine the small business | | | | great tool to effectively convey your voice brand. |
| marketing message you wish to convey. To | | | | Virtual Receptionist offers easy and powerful |
| effectively do so, a company needs to examine not | | | | management of inbound calling for your business and |
| only its current brand, but the brands of its customers | | | | uses text-to-voice functionality that allows companies |
| and prospective customers. | | | | to create a customized script to answer and direct |
| When examining these brands, review a number of | | | | calls. With an intuitive interface, small businesses can |
| attributes: are your company and your customers | | | | create and update their phone menus on the fly to |
| extremely professional or casual, highly educated or | | | | change how callers interact with the system during |
| plainspoken, in a "white-collar" or "blue-collar" industry? | | | | and after business hours. |
| Once you've identified some of these attributes, you | | | | Your small business marketing strategies send a |
| can better identify the small business marketing | | | | message every time your phone rings; your Web site |
| message that will achieve success. | | | | is hit and your employees speak. It is important that all |
| Inventory all of your voice communications touch points | | | | these messages point to a consistent small business |
| with an understanding of the brand your company will | | | | marketing message that embodies your organization. |
| create. A touch point consists of any channel through | | | | Taking the time to create the brand, using it across all |
| which a customer could interact with your company, | | | | channels and leveraging readily available voice |
| such as your receptionist, interactive voice response | | | | solutions will ensure your small business isn't creating |
| (IVR) system, tech support line, advertising response | | | | an experience your customer would rather forget. |