In industries like healthcare, financial services, and legal, there’s a tendency to sound overly formal. Meanwhile, the caller is waiting. Checking email. Watching the clock. Half-listening. We recommend following the “50-Word Rule,” which we will explain in this Message On Hold Script Guide.
By Julie Brown, CEO, Easy On Hold®
I was in the recording booth recently, reading an on-hold script that sounded like it had been lifted straight from a brochure. Long sentences. Passive voice. Phrases no one ever uses in everyday conversation.
About halfway through, I stopped and thought, “Who are we talking to here?”
There’s something that happens in certain industries—especially healthcare, financial services, and legal—where marketers begin to worry that if they don’t sound formal and polished, they won’t be taken seriously. So the language gets bigger, the sentences get longer, and the tone gets stiffer.
Meanwhile, the caller is already waiting, hoping the time will be worth it. They’re checking email, watching the clock, and half-listening to the on-hold audio. The wordier the message, the less they’re likely to absorb.
That’s why, after nearly 30 years of writing and recording on-hold scripts, we’ve consistently kept individual messages to about 50 words. Not 150. Not 95. About 50.
This isn’t a trend. It comes from our background in broadcast and audio production. When you work in audio long enough, you develop a feel for pacing, breath, cognitive load, and how quickly listeners disengage when they’re overwhelmed. Spoken communication has different rules from printed text.
And when we’re on hold, attention is divided.
Why 50 Words?
Fifty words is not magic—it’s discipline.
At roughly 25–30 seconds of spoken delivery, the 50-word rule forces you to focus on one idea. Not three. Not a laundry list. One clear point.
That constraint improves:
- Clarity
- Pacing
- Listener retention
- Message rotation
- Production flexibility
When a message is limited in length, you naturally remove filler by tightening up the phrasing. Consider “active voice.” Eliminate unnecessary transitions. Stop trying to say everything at once.
And when you stop trying to say everything at once, people actually hear something.
Writing for the Ear Is Different Than Writing for the Page
One of the biggest mistakes we see is copying website language or printed pieces directly into an on-hold script.
What reads fine on a website or in a brochure can feel heavy and overly formal when spoken aloud. On a webpage or in print, a reader can skim, scroll, reread, or jump ahead. On hold, once a sentence is spoken, it’s gone.
That changes everything.
Spoken language benefits from
- Shorter sentences
- Active voice
- Conversational phrasing
- Clear subject–verb structure
- Contractions
- Direct “you” language
For example:
Instead of: “We are committed to delivering high-quality services designed to meet the needs of our patients.” Try:
“We’re here to help you feel better — and we take that seriously.”
Instead of: “Our patients are encouraged to utilize the online portal that is available…” Try:
“You can schedule your appointment anytime through our online portal.”
Professional doesn’t have to mean distant. Clear doesn’t mean casual. Human doesn’t mean sloppy. It means intentional.
The Power of Message Rotation
The 50-word rule becomes even more powerful when paired with proper message structure. Instead of stacking multiple ideas into one long, uninterrupted track, shorter messages can be built into a library and rotated during hold time.
Why does that matter?
Because callers rarely experience hold in a linear way. They may:
- Enter and exit the queue
- Be placed on hold multiple times
- Hear only part of a segment
- Re-enter the system later in the day
When everything is bundled into a single long file, important information gets buried. When shorter messages rotate, each idea stands on its own. This structure reduces repetition fatigue and increases the likelihood that each message lands. It also allows you to update, replace, or schedule messages without rewriting an entire track.
The Cognitive Reality of Waiting
Waiting changes how people listen. When someone is on hold, they are not leaning forward in focused attention. They are multitasking. Their brain is partially engaged. They’re deciding whether to stay on the line. In that state, longer, denser messages create friction. Shorter messages reduce it.
The goal of on-hold messaging isn’t to overwhelm. It’s to:
- Inform
- Reassure
- Guide
- Reinforce
The fifty-word rule keeps you honest about that.
A Practical Test
First, if you can’t read your message comfortably in one breath, it’s probably too long. In other words, think, “How would I say this in a normal conversation?” If so, and you find yourself using phrases like “in order to,” “that are,” or “utilize,” tighten it. After all, the goal isn’t to sound trendy. Instead, the goal is to sound clear.
Is 50 Words Always Perfect?
Of course, it’s a guideline, not a law. Occasionally, a message may run slightly longer to explain something important. However, in our experience, when you discipline yourself to aim for about 50 words, the result is almost always stronger.
Not Sure Where to Start?
If you’re still unsure and wondering whether your current on-hold message strikes the right balance, you don’t have to guess. Instead, send it over. Then we’ll review it, tighten it up if needed, and help you shape it into something that works for the ear—not just the page.
