Use Telephone Hold Messages to Promote Your Firm.

A few weeks ago I was put on hold by a moving company sales rep while he tallied a job estimate for my business. Instead of hold music, I found myself listening to a prerecorded tape that introduced additional products and services. I found out about climate-controlled storage, custom crates for artwork and other things I never would have been aware of had it not been for the hold message.

The information on the tape was presented professionally. It didn't come across as a hard sell, and the message was long enough that I didn't hear about the same offerings over and over again. I was impressed that the moving service had taken the initiative to create it, and after hearing it, I had a higher opinion of the company overall.

Using hold-time to promote your business is one way to make sure you're taking advantage of every opportunity to introduce customers to all of your products and services. Fortunately, creating a custom hold message is not difficult. Many phone systems with more than one line can he hooked up to CD or tape players through a standard wall jack using a connector found at most electronics stores. Modem systems may also have an electronic hold button, which allows a message to play when the hold button is pressed.

When you record a hold message, make sure the recording is high quality and the speaker is professional. Changing your message frequently -- at least once a month -- is also a good idea so that frequent callers don't get bored or irritated by it.

Here are some ideas for how you can take advantage of phone hold-time to promote your business:

* Product and service overviews. You can use hold-time to introduce your offerings to callers. An added advantage of doing this during your hold message is that it may prompt callers to ask questions about your products and services when you return to the phone. This is the tactic the moving company used, and it certainly worked during my call. I ordered boxes and packing materials from the company after I learned that it would deliver them to my office.

* Special promotions. Announcing special deals on the products or services you offer can entice callers to buy more from your business. For example, you might announce a free gift with every $100 purchase in your message. Another idea is to offer free information to callers, such as booklets or product samples. This latter approach will also help you garner customer contact information for future promotional mailings.

* Advice. Use hold-time to establish your expertise in your field by offering tips and techniques in your message. The advice you give should be directly related to your core business. For instance, if you're a financial adviser, you might offer tax and/or investment tips. Run tips by customers before using them to make sure they provide value and are easy to understand.

* Company news. Announce upcoming events that involve your business during customer hold-time. For example, if you are speaking on a panel, announce the time and place. Likewise, if you're publishing an article, mention where and when. If your company is sponsoring a community event, promote it. You can also use this time to introduce new products or services that you will soon offer. Messages of this kind let callers know that your business is successful, growing and worthy of attention.

* Location information. By providing mailing addresses, driving directions and other contact information in your message, you can reduce the number of queries about this information. You may also provide callers with details that they need but forgot to ask about.

Alice Bredin is author of the "Virtual Office Survival Handbook" (John Wiley & Sons) and a nationally syndicated columnist.

Leasing Agreements Need To Be Checked

Corporate belt-tightening is bound to impact home-based businesses, so now is the time to look for ways to make your company's cash stretch a little further. One tactic is leasing business equipment instead of buying it.

Here are some points to consider when evaluating lease agreements.

* Total cost. Review all charges associated with a lease to make sure you have a clear picture of the costs involved. Charges might include an initial payment, a security deposit, monthly payments, repair fees, insurance charges and the cost of replaceable parts such as toner or batteries.

* Termination terms. If you think your need for leased equipment may be temporary, search for a contract that can be terminated and/or assigned to another party. Be aware that many leases that allow for early termination charge a penalty.

* Upgrade policy. If the equipment you'd like to lease relies on advancing technology, find out if the contract you're considering allows you to exchange equipment for more recent models. If you don't see an upgrade policy in the lessor's standard contract, ask about it.

* Tax implications. Payments for leased equipment can often be fully deducted as business expenses. While this can also hold true for equipment you buy, you may only get a deduction during the first year of1 ownership depending on its value. Be aware that there are leases the IRS views as purchases, which can affect their deductibility.

* Support services. Some leases come with on-site service plans. If the one you're considering offers such a plan, find out what it covers and howlong it lasts. If your con- I tract does not include support services, you may be able to negotiate with the lessor. to include them.

Alice Bredin