A great deal rests on the simple act of answering the phone. When someone calls your business it really matters that a) the calls get answered and b) the callers get the best first impression of your company. If they don’t, then they’ll call someone else. It’s that simple. Telephone answering is a fantastic solution for companies that understand the importance of first impressions. It’s easy to set up, it’s flexible and it adds value to your bottom line. Here’s how you can grow your business with telephone answering:
Technology
Phone and VOIP systems cost money. Telephone answering services have already made that investment so you don’t have to pay a penny for a phone system. This is how it works – the call comes in, it’s answered in your company name and the calls is transferred to your mobile or a message is taken. If the call is for another colleague, the call can be transferred to them. It’s the same as an outsourced switchboard. So all the money that you would spend on a system, maintenance, line rental and someone to answer the call now all goes back into the business.
People
You may already have a receptionist or your calls might be shared among colleagues. Imagine if those calls were outsourced. How much time is spent in your business answering calls and dealing with the interruption of phone calls? By controlling the flow of calls your productivity will improve. An outsourced reception will be able to manage all your front line calls, take messages and deliver them to a dedicated email and/or SMS in real time. You can then decide how and when to respond. With telephone answering there are no holidays or sick days to cover either – happy days!
Relationships
The phone is a powerful way to build relationships – people buy people. Working with the right telephone answering service means that the same small group of people will answer your calls. There are systems built in so that virtual receptionists can recognise regular callers and this helps hugely in relationship building. If your callers like you then they’ll do business with you, it’s very simple. All of this plays a part in building loyalty and longevity. With callers being looked after at the front end you will spend less time and money trying to keep them – they’re already happy.
Never miss a call
It’s an obvious one, but missed calls really do mean missed opportunities. You work hard to get the phone to ring in the first place so make sure that no phone call is ever missed. With telephone answering, your calls are answered promptly and professionally by skilled people who represent your business. In financial terms it’s impossible to measure missed opportunities, but if you are missing phone calls then you can do something about it. If you don’t want to outsource all your calls, then you can manage calls as they come in. The additional or overflow calls can be managed by a back up telephone answering service. The important thing is that you don’t miss out.
Bigger perception
You may be a small growing business that wants to look established. Telephone answering really ticks the box in terms of perception. With all your phone calls answered by a small team, your callers will have the impression that you employ a number of people and will shift their thinking about your business. It’s subtle but it works. If callers feel that you are established they will feel more confident about doing business with you. It saves time convincing them that you are up for the job. The simple fact that phone calls are answered properly will inspire their confidence in you.
In summary, you really can grow your business with telephone answering. It’s so much more than just answering phone calls, it’s adding value in a way that many businesses fail to recognise. Don’t be one and make sure you check out telephone answering. It’s one of the best business decisions you will ever make. With a free trial, there’s no excuse!!
