Creating the caller journey: First impressions

The creative audio opportunities it introduces allow us to fine-tune the caller experience to something that’s not just more efficient, but more engaging.

To help us really understand how to make the most of this caller experience, it’s useful to view it as a journey. This begins by picking up the phone, with typical pit stops coming when we’re connected to different departments or directed to various individuals, and our final destination usually being when we’re able to speak to a representative or hear a message that satisfies our requirements.

Cloud telephony gives businesses real creative freedom throughout this entire process – and nowhere is this more important than in creating and delivering the very best first impression for every single caller.

The first contact

Cloud phone systems allow custom content to be heard from the moment someone picks up the phone. The nature of your business will dictate how you use it, but at this point, your caller is searching for key information – and you can deliver that in the form of a simple welcome message.

You could choose to go straight into the Auto Attendant, giving callers a menu of options to choose from, and making both your and their life easier. Or, you could really optimise this golden audio moment to make a real impact on your caller with sounds that capture the very essence of your brand.

Creative engagement

Cloud telephony gives you the flexibility to introduce content here that really pulls your callers in and encourages them to take action, much like a TV or radio ad would. And here, you have the added benefit of zero competition. Depending on your business model, you might take this opportunity to increase brand consistency. If this is your goal, now is the time to showcase exactly what your brand is about with a mission statement or a powerful strapline that the listener will really remember.

If, however, your focus is more open to change, you might opt for messages that are more topical and campaign based – showcasing a popular product or letting people know about a recent award, for example.

The overall aim behind your creative messages may differ, but consistently ingenious copy that reflects your tone of voice has to underpin everything. With that in place, you can be confident of capturing your callers’ imagination and creating the ultimate first impression.

Sonic assertion

Creative copy is key in starting the caller journey off on the right foot – whether you’re conveying essential information or building a brand. But it’s not the only tool at your disposal when it comes to asserting your identity and engaging callers.

One component that’s often overlooked is a sonic logo. At its most basic, a sonic logo is a series of notes or a short melodic sequence that represents a brand in the same way a visual logo does – some of the most iconic examples include McDonalds’s five-note whistle and the familiar sound you’re greeted with when starting up Netflix. These sounds work similarly to an initial brand statement – they instantly assert your identity, are highly memorable, and in time will become synonymous with your business.

You can’t just string together a few notes on a piano and hope to reap all the benefits of sonic logo, though. To get the full effect, a business needs the guidance of an audio branding specialist; they get to the heart of a business’ identity to understand what really makes them unique, before distilling this into a melody.

The most effective way to do this is to first compose a complete and exclusive music track – which can then be used in its entirety at various key points throughout the caller journey – and then highlight a distinct melodic sequence as the basis.

Sonic logos can be heard at any audio touchpoint, but the beginning of the call represents the perfect opportunity for deployment. As soon as a caller hears it, they’ll know to expect the excellence you’re renowned for – marking the start of an effective brand experience.

An unmissable opportunity

Greeting content is something every caller to your business will hear, regardless of how their call is directed. So overlooking this potential to connect with your audience and assert a positive brand identity is a significant missed opportunity. Businesses only get one chance to make a first impression with their caller, and creative audio content will maximise this impact in the right way.

Get in touch with our team today to find out more.