The advent of smartphones has made communication more convenient and accessible to everyone. This powerful tool allows people to call, send an SMS or email, and use apps to chat through the web.
Knowing this, businesses should maximize technology to reach their target audience. Since most marketers are using email and text blasts to promote their brands, some may form the misconception that calls are already obsolete.
However, companies should still prioritize having professional phone service, preferably a hosted PBX with a combined UC&C, or unified communications and collaboration, feature. This type of system provides basic to advanced solutions for your business. Plus, it’s scalable enough to grow with your brand.
Here are the areas in your company that can benefit significantly with cloud-based business phone services with hosted PBX options:
1. Customer Service
Whether you’re selling a product or service, calls are still the best way for your clients to reach you when they encounter problems with your merchandise. Having a business phone service improves your customer service by making communication accessible and convenient.
The system provides people with a universal number that they can call. Some service providers even allow you to customize your toll-free number for better recollection.
On your team’s end, they can answer calls in a timely and organized manner, which is valuable during peak seasons. You won’t miss a call from anyone when you invest in this system.
Moreover, there’s also an enterprise directory option, which notifies your staff who should be answering particular inquiries. This way, you and the customer save time by avoiding constant back-and-forth.
2. Sales
Your sales representatives would also be more productive with a business phone service. This is because they can easily retrieve prospects’ contact numbers directly from your information management system, which can be integrated into the PBX system or included right in the software.
Cold calls may have become notorious for disrupting people’s day. However, you can still take advantage of this tactic through personalization.
For instance, you should only call your clients during the times of the day when they indicated that they’re available. This may seem like more effort on your part, but this act of respect for their time shows that you care about their comfort.
Other cold-calling sales tips that can help you:
- Read Notes — This is particularly valuable for leads that have received multiple calls from your company but still haven’t turned to customers. Reading the notes on the system ensures that you don’t reiterate the same script to them. It’s a chance to finally make that sale by offering a fresh angle or perspective.
- Create an Outline — Instead of memorizing a script, it’s better to have an outline that you can refer to for the details that you should relay. The latter gives you a bit of freedom when talking to a prospect, which makes the conversation feel more natural.
- Have a Strong Opening Line — Your opening line is crucial to the success of your cold call. As with everything else, it should be personalized according to the data that you have on a client.
- Smile While Talking — Although you’re making calls, the sound or lilt of your voice is actually different when you’re smiling or not. Knowing this, you should give your prospect a smile during your conversation.
- Don’t Be Afraid of Rejection — In the world of sales, rejection is a given. You shouldn’t take it personally, though, because the prospect isn’t rejecting you, but the product or service that you’re offering. Instead, use these instances to figure out how you can improve your cold calling technique.
3. Marketing
The primary value of this type of phone system for your marketing team lies in branding. Having a separate phone number for your business gives the impression that your company is serious about providing solutions to customers. It’s what separates you from side hustles by many enterprising professionals who are just looking for extra income.
Your customers won’t have any problem trusting a brand that’s invested in professional tools to serve their clients better. Meanwhile, your team also wouldn’t have any qualms about representing your company to prospects.
4. Operations
As mentioned above, a PBX system with UC&C is ideal for businesses since it improves internal and external communication as well as collaboration. Even if you still have a few departments in your company right now, it’s best if you prepare for growth and use a business phone system to avoid operational growing pains in the future.
Conclusion
A business phone system is valuable for any type or size of company. It can significantly improve your customer service, sales, marketing, and operations departments by boosting communication and collaboration internally and externally. This way, you won’t encounter any problems when speaking to your employees and customers. Invest in this tool now so that you can provide better service to your target audience.
