Expert Insight - Nell Sanderson - McGirvanmedia

Nell Sanderson, Creative Director at McGirvanmedia, joins us as this month's Expert Insight guest. Nell, along with the team at Mcgirvanmedia are experts in the audio solutions industry and have worked with some of the largest brands in Australia.

Nell, you’ve been with McGirvanmedia since 2002. That’s a considerable achievement. Can you tell us how it started?   

Yes, almost 22 years in now!   I started out as a part-time temp in 2001. My daughter was only young, so the hours suited me– My job was to call and conduct quality checks and to run diagnostics, making sure the correct message was playing at the right volume levels– We still conduct regular quality checks to this day!  Hard to believe, but I also remember sending out productions on a cassette tape along with a tape player!!   Being here for so long, it’s safe to say McGirvanmedia is a great company to work for.

Who are some of the brands that you have been lucky enough to work with? 

We have the most amazing clients across a mix of industries, from large corporates to SME’s, that we are lucky to work with– Many clients have been with us for 20 - 30 plus years because they simply trust us to get things done!  We have over 2000 clients, including Qantas, Suncorp Stadium, Ampol, Bupa, Minor Hotels and Cleanaway to name a few.  Would also like to list a few clients who we have worked with on some recent new Contact Centre voice implementation projects for a suite of call flow prompts, including, Clearview Wealth, Manheim, Aware Super, Alex Bank, Wesfarmers and Team Global Express. We provide a fully tailored service to some clients, from IVR call flows and message on hold productions, right through to venue/event announcements, video narrations and radio ads – If you have an audio project that needs a voice, then we can help.

Is there any campaign, or case, that you have worked on that has been particularly memorable?         

Language recordings are always fun to work on, as well as re-brands and swapping text to speech for a real voice after a system install – One of the ways we learn about our client’s products and services, is through the content we work on.  A few months ago, one of our female voices was selected to read 7 video narrations for the brain injury organization, Synapse. As I worked on the script content, I learned so much about the great things they have achieved.  They support the Australian community, connecting people to various resources and services, not only to people with brain injuries, but to everyone impacted by brain injury, including carers. Synapse does such fabulous work.  Very timely as I’ve just discovered that it’s Brain Injury Awareness Week from 21^st to 27^th August.

What would be your best advice for a company that is looking to refresh its message on hold? And, is there a set time when you say that companies should refresh their messaging? 

I would say, update the music and content at every opportunity.  That could be every month or every quarter depending on events and changes happening within your business.   Phone generated music (the same music track already programmed into the phone system) is very beige and lacks originality; ideally, you want your brand to stand out.  Promoting your business with Message on hold content is such a valuable marketing tool–It’s always important to let customers know about new products, significant dates, events and promotions, website navigation, instructions to view products and services online and so much more! –Be different, make it interesting, and most importantly, our voices really know how to deliver in the voice booth and will represent your brand beautifully.   We can supply in any audio format you might need for your VoIP system/project – the most common being MP3 or various WAV formats.

Should businesses look to do their music on hold in-house? (Yes, this is a trick question;😊 )

Yes, let me think about that one Ha Ha!!! A mish mosh of internal voice recordings on a business phone system ALWAYS sounds complicated and disjointed.  You’ve got Rob in accounts voicing a quick change to the menu of options directly into the phone system, then Lisa in IT wants to record a last-minute message about reduced hours and a shutdown over Christmas. These audio components are then added to a number of other voices who are still live on the system. Combine all the voices together, and you’ve got chaos!

Some companies might think it’s time consuming to coordinate a professional recording, but I can honestly say it’s a simple process when we are on hand to help every step of the way.  We know what works and we’re here to help every step of the way including writing scripts and suggesting edits, voices, and music to suit your business brand.  We can also liaise with IT and voice technicians on your behalf when it comes time to upload the recordings.  If you’re worried about getting your audio recording in time, we work to strict deadlines and can turnaround your audio within 24 hours and more often than not, the same day.  If you’re looking for a professional audio solution, give us a call, we would love to help.  mcgirvanmedia.com.au