![\"\"](\"https:\/\/easyonhold.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/julie-brown-ceo.png\")
<\/figure>By Julie Brown, CEO, Easy On Hold\u00ae<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n About halfway through, I stopped and thought, “Who are we talking to here?” <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s something that happens in certain industries\u2014especially healthcare, financial services, and legal\u2014where marketers begin to worry that if they don\u2019t sound formal and polished, they won\u2019t be taken seriously. So the language gets bigger, the sentences get longer, and the tone gets stiffer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, the caller is already waiting, hoping the time will be worth it. They\u2019re checking email, watching the clock, and half-listening to the on-hold audio. The wordier the message, the less they\u2019re likely to absorb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why, after nearly 30 years of writing and recording on-hold scripts, we\u2019ve consistently kept individual messages to about 50 words. Not 150. Not 95. About 50. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This isn\u2019t 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\u2019re overwhelmed. Spoken communication has different rules from printed text. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And when we\u2019re on hold, attention is divided. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fifty words is not magic\u2014it’s discipline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At roughly 25\u201330 seconds of spoken delivery, the 50-word rule forces you to focus on one idea. Not three. Not a laundry list. One clear point. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That constraint improves:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And when you stop trying to say everything at once, people actually hear something. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the biggest mistakes we see is copying website language or printed pieces directly into an on-hold script. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s gone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That changes everything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Spoken language benefits from<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of: \u201cWe are committed to delivering high-quality services designed to meet the needs of our patients.\u201d Try: Instead of: \u201cOur patients are encouraged to utilize the online portal that is available\u2026\u201d Try: Professional doesn\u2019t have to mean distant. Clear doesn\u2019t mean casual. Human doesn\u2019t mean sloppy. It means intentional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Why does that matter? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Because callers rarely experience hold in a linear way. They may:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019re deciding whether to stay on the line. In that state, longer, denser messages create friction. Shorter messages reduce it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal of on-hold messaging isn\u2019t to overwhelm. It\u2019s to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fifty-word rule keeps you honest about that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First,<\/strong> if you can\u2019t read your message comfortably in one breath, it\u2019s probably too long. In other words,<\/strong> think, “How would I say this in a normal conversation?” If so,<\/strong> and you find yourself using phrases like \u201cin order to,\u201d \u201cthat are,\u201d or \u201cutilize,\u201d tighten it. After all,<\/strong> the goal isn\u2019t to sound trendy. Instead,<\/strong> the goal is to sound clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course,<\/strong> it\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re still unsure<\/strong> and wondering whether your current on-hold message strikes the right balance, you don\u2019t have to guess. Instead, send it over. Then we\u2019ll review it, tighten it up if needed, and help you shape it into something that works for the ear\u2014not just the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Most companies spend hours perfecting their website copy, social media posts, and email campaigns \u2014 yet overlook one of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5252,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,12],"tags":[9,46,22],"class_list":["post-5248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marketing-tips-1","category-on-hold-messages","tag-message-on-hold","tag-on-hold-message-scripts","tag-tips-for-music-on-hold-buyers"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy 50 Words?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Writing for the Ear Is Different Than Writing for the Page<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cWe\u2019re here to help you feel better \u2014 and we take that seriously.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou can schedule your appointment anytime through our online portal.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Power of Message Rotation<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Cognitive Reality of Waiting<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A Practical Test<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is 50 Words Always Perfect?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Not Sure Where to Start?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n