By Jack Burke
I love sound! Be it the music of a symphony, the harmonious tones of a well-trained voice, or the descriptive narratives of a veteran storyteller, nothing stimulates my mind and my imagination more than sound.
Years ago, when everyone said radio was on its last leg, the Radio Advertising Bureau unleashed
a massive advertising campaign that defined radio as the “theater of your mind”. Either the doomsday experts forgot to tell the public that radio was dead, or that campaign really worked, because radio continues to break all records in advertising power, prestige, and revenue.
In my book, Creating Customer Connections, I delineate numerous ways that audio, or sound, is critical to maintaining client relationships--from the voice on the telephone to advertising on radio. In this article, I would like to review the intrinsic value of audio to the ongoing growth and success of a business.
Rather than laboring philosophically on the concept itself and research statistics, I hope to cite specific ways that audio can enhance the level of education, provide continual motivation, increase your marketing power, close prospects, increase suspects, and generally help “power up” your business.
Before getting into the different ways audio can benefit your operation, I did mention the word “time” in the subtitle. How many of you have extra time in your working day? If you’re anything like me, you not only don’t have any extra time--you’re trying to find more. 24 hours just doesn’t seem to be enough time to get everything done. As business owners and managers, there are twice as many demands on your time as there are minutes on the face of the clock.
Letters and brochures take time from your day. Books and videos usually mean you have to take personal time at home to watch or read. Only the simple audio cassette can be popped into your car’s stereo to accompany you during the commute to and from the office and appointments. It does not take a single second away from your personal work schedule. In fact, most of the CEOs and executive managers that I know rely quite heavily on this simple medium. Now, if it works for you--why wouldn’t it work for your employees, your clients, and your prospects? It can, it does and it will--and here’s how!
Here are ten ways that audio can help your business to prosper:
1. Seminar Tapes. Trade conventions and seminars provide educational sessions specifically aimed at your particular industry. Most of these sessions are taped and available for purchase at nominal prices. Whether you pick specific tapes of interest, or buy the entire set, these programs provide excellent reinforcement and training within your industry specialty. The secret here is to share the tapes with your staff, and sometimes your “special” clients.
2. Audiobooks. Nothing beats a good book, but who has the time? From Covey to Peters to Robbins to Cecil, and everyone in between, most of today’s business mavens have audio versions of their work. The nice thing here is that the audio forces them to condense the material into the most salient points. Even if you’ve read the book, the audio is a great reinforcement. Again, have you learned to share yet?
3. In-House Training Tapes. Every department within your organization has someone who literally knows everything about that facet of your operation. In many small to medium-sized companies, and sometimes even the biggies, this person is the unofficial trainer for new staff within that department. Unfortunately that training usually is detrimental to their personal productivity--and what happens if they get sick, or worse yet, leave? Why not invest in having them record one or more “training tapes” for the newcomers? It’ll save money in the long run and, if transcribed, can become the basis for that operations manual that’s been on the “to-do” list for years.
4. Sales Training. Do you wince at the cost of bringing all those outside sales people in for those meetings? Do you delay holding product training meetings because you don’t want to pull them away from making sales? Why not make a tape and send it out to them instead? You could have product specialists, suppliers, engineering staff---anyone you want or need--to make their presentation on tape and send it out to the field. The cost is minimal, especially in comparison to the costs of a meeting--and unlike a meeting where most is forgotten within a couple of days, the tape is always there as a refresher. And, the tape just might be the key element for a presentation to a detail-oriented prospect.
5. Sales Motivation. Maybe you have a sales specialist who’s doing a highly competent job in a certain area. Have that person interviewed, or simply record what they’re doing, and send the tape out to the others as an “idea piece”. The subliminal benefit is that every sales person strives to improve their performance so they too can be featured as an expert amongst their peers.
6. Audio Marketing Cards. Most companies today have had to seek out niche markets, diversify, and add value to their product or service. It’s becoming highly unusual to find a company that can state what it does in a sentence or two. Rather than a costly brochure that is seldom read, produce a 10 to 12 minute program that tells your story. It’s a perfect introduction and enables you to take the time to really tell a prospect what you do and how well you do it--you can even have clients providing testimonials in their own words. Best of all, unlike a letter or a brochure, a tape cassette is perceived to have an intrinsic value. That means they are not likely to throw the tape away.
If they don’t listen immediately, it begins collecting dust on their desk and, believe me, the tape eventually gets played. I’ve personally received calls off such tapes a year after they were sent.
7. Product Introductions/Special Programs. As an owner/manager, did you ever want to be a fly on the wall when your sales people are making their presentations? Have you ever wondered whether they’re really telling the whole story---the way you would? Audio is the perfect way to ensure that every client hears exactly what you want them to hear when it comes to that special promotion or new product addition to your line. Send the tapes out by mail and then let your sales force follow up for the orders. By the time the sales people arrive, the client is pre-sold.
8. Audio Nurturing. As nurture marketing expert Jim Cecil asks, “When’s the last time you sent a love letter to your clients?” One of the best promotions I’ve ever produced was for automotive dealers who were trying to get their customers in a positive frame of mind for filling out the factory’s satisfaction surveys. The cassettes were sent in plain brown envelopes with no return address and the labels merely said, “Thinking of you today. Thank you.” The only way to find out who sent it was to play it, thereby hearing a two minute message from the owner of the dealership thanking them for their business and telling them the proper person to contact if they had any questions or concerns. It worked! Other ways would be to pass on (remember that sharing?) good audiotapes that you’ve found enjoyable to your clients. (You can usually get some pretty good prices if you buy a bulk quantity.) Or, instead of being one of hundreds of business cards at the holidays, I like to send an Audio Greeting Card that has a short message followed by an hour cassette of holiday music. “Little things” like that enable you to be “heard” above the roar of the competition.
9. Phone-On-Hold Audio. If your clients and prospects get placed on hold, use that time to provide them with information about your company--or just motivational messages. It’s not very expensive and it sure beats them hearing a competitor’s commercial if you’re using the radio.
10. When You’ve Got It, Flaunt It. Once you’ve invested in an audio production, send it out to your local radio stations--it may get some airtime, or get you an invite onto a talk show. But don’t stop there, send the tape out to all the print and television media too. It gets more attention that a standard news release and increases the odds of getting some free exposure for you.
These are just ten of the ways that audio can enhance your business and help nurture the internal and external relationships that are critical to your success. There are many, many more--if you let your imagination roam through the “theater of your mind”.
Jack Burke is the founder and president of Sound Marketing, Inc. http://www.soundmarketing.com, author of Creating Customer Connections and Relationship Aspect Marketing, host/producer of Audio Insurance Outlook and editor of ProgramBusinessNews. He can be reached at by phone 1-800-451-8273 or by e-mail at jack@soundmarketing.com.
I love sound! Be it the music of a symphony, the harmonious tones of a well-trained voice, or the descriptive narratives of a veteran storyteller, nothing stimulates my mind and my imagination more than sound.
Years ago, when everyone said radio was on its last leg, the Radio Advertising Bureau unleashed
a massive advertising campaign that defined radio as the “theater of your mind”. Either the doomsday experts forgot to tell the public that radio was dead, or that campaign really worked, because radio continues to break all records in advertising power, prestige, and revenue.
In my book, Creating Customer Connections, I delineate numerous ways that audio, or sound, is critical to maintaining client relationships--from the voice on the telephone to advertising on radio. In this article, I would like to review the intrinsic value of audio to the ongoing growth and success of a business.
Rather than laboring philosophically on the concept itself and research statistics, I hope to cite specific ways that audio can enhance the level of education, provide continual motivation, increase your marketing power, close prospects, increase suspects, and generally help “power up” your business.
Before getting into the different ways audio can benefit your operation, I did mention the word “time” in the subtitle. How many of you have extra time in your working day? If you’re anything like me, you not only don’t have any extra time--you’re trying to find more. 24 hours just doesn’t seem to be enough time to get everything done. As business owners and managers, there are twice as many demands on your time as there are minutes on the face of the clock.
Letters and brochures take time from your day. Books and videos usually mean you have to take personal time at home to watch or read. Only the simple audio cassette can be popped into your car’s stereo to accompany you during the commute to and from the office and appointments. It does not take a single second away from your personal work schedule. In fact, most of the CEOs and executive managers that I know rely quite heavily on this simple medium. Now, if it works for you--why wouldn’t it work for your employees, your clients, and your prospects? It can, it does and it will--and here’s how!
Here are ten ways that audio can help your business to prosper:
1. Seminar Tapes. Trade conventions and seminars provide educational sessions specifically aimed at your particular industry. Most of these sessions are taped and available for purchase at nominal prices. Whether you pick specific tapes of interest, or buy the entire set, these programs provide excellent reinforcement and training within your industry specialty. The secret here is to share the tapes with your staff, and sometimes your “special” clients.
2. Audiobooks. Nothing beats a good book, but who has the time? From Covey to Peters to Robbins to Cecil, and everyone in between, most of today’s business mavens have audio versions of their work. The nice thing here is that the audio forces them to condense the material into the most salient points. Even if you’ve read the book, the audio is a great reinforcement. Again, have you learned to share yet?
3. In-House Training Tapes. Every department within your organization has someone who literally knows everything about that facet of your operation. In many small to medium-sized companies, and sometimes even the biggies, this person is the unofficial trainer for new staff within that department. Unfortunately that training usually is detrimental to their personal productivity--and what happens if they get sick, or worse yet, leave? Why not invest in having them record one or more “training tapes” for the newcomers? It’ll save money in the long run and, if transcribed, can become the basis for that operations manual that’s been on the “to-do” list for years.
4. Sales Training. Do you wince at the cost of bringing all those outside sales people in for those meetings? Do you delay holding product training meetings because you don’t want to pull them away from making sales? Why not make a tape and send it out to them instead? You could have product specialists, suppliers, engineering staff---anyone you want or need--to make their presentation on tape and send it out to the field. The cost is minimal, especially in comparison to the costs of a meeting--and unlike a meeting where most is forgotten within a couple of days, the tape is always there as a refresher. And, the tape just might be the key element for a presentation to a detail-oriented prospect.
5. Sales Motivation. Maybe you have a sales specialist who’s doing a highly competent job in a certain area. Have that person interviewed, or simply record what they’re doing, and send the tape out to the others as an “idea piece”. The subliminal benefit is that every sales person strives to improve their performance so they too can be featured as an expert amongst their peers.
6. Audio Marketing Cards. Most companies today have had to seek out niche markets, diversify, and add value to their product or service. It’s becoming highly unusual to find a company that can state what it does in a sentence or two. Rather than a costly brochure that is seldom read, produce a 10 to 12 minute program that tells your story. It’s a perfect introduction and enables you to take the time to really tell a prospect what you do and how well you do it--you can even have clients providing testimonials in their own words. Best of all, unlike a letter or a brochure, a tape cassette is perceived to have an intrinsic value. That means they are not likely to throw the tape away.
If they don’t listen immediately, it begins collecting dust on their desk and, believe me, the tape eventually gets played. I’ve personally received calls off such tapes a year after they were sent.
7. Product Introductions/Special Programs. As an owner/manager, did you ever want to be a fly on the wall when your sales people are making their presentations? Have you ever wondered whether they’re really telling the whole story---the way you would? Audio is the perfect way to ensure that every client hears exactly what you want them to hear when it comes to that special promotion or new product addition to your line. Send the tapes out by mail and then let your sales force follow up for the orders. By the time the sales people arrive, the client is pre-sold.
8. Audio Nurturing. As nurture marketing expert Jim Cecil asks, “When’s the last time you sent a love letter to your clients?” One of the best promotions I’ve ever produced was for automotive dealers who were trying to get their customers in a positive frame of mind for filling out the factory’s satisfaction surveys. The cassettes were sent in plain brown envelopes with no return address and the labels merely said, “Thinking of you today. Thank you.” The only way to find out who sent it was to play it, thereby hearing a two minute message from the owner of the dealership thanking them for their business and telling them the proper person to contact if they had any questions or concerns. It worked! Other ways would be to pass on (remember that sharing?) good audiotapes that you’ve found enjoyable to your clients. (You can usually get some pretty good prices if you buy a bulk quantity.) Or, instead of being one of hundreds of business cards at the holidays, I like to send an Audio Greeting Card that has a short message followed by an hour cassette of holiday music. “Little things” like that enable you to be “heard” above the roar of the competition.
9. Phone-On-Hold Audio. If your clients and prospects get placed on hold, use that time to provide them with information about your company--or just motivational messages. It’s not very expensive and it sure beats them hearing a competitor’s commercial if you’re using the radio.
10. When You’ve Got It, Flaunt It. Once you’ve invested in an audio production, send it out to your local radio stations--it may get some airtime, or get you an invite onto a talk show. But don’t stop there, send the tape out to all the print and television media too. It gets more attention that a standard news release and increases the odds of getting some free exposure for you.
These are just ten of the ways that audio can enhance your business and help nurture the internal and external relationships that are critical to your success. There are many, many more--if you let your imagination roam through the “theater of your mind”.
Jack Burke is the founder and president of Sound Marketing, Inc. www.soundmarketing.com, author of Creating Customer Connections and Relationship Aspect Marketing, host/producer of Audio Insurance Outlook and editor of ProgramBusinessNews. He can be reached at by phone 1-800-451-8273 or by e-mail at jack@soundmarketing.com.