Having a phone is crucial for any business. In a wired world, it is important to have constant communication with all the people that contribute to your business. These people include your employees, your customers, and investors. You need a good phone system to help establish your business and to provide clients with efficient services.
A business phone also establishes the credibility and image of your company. It is important that you have a good business phone system so that people will see your company as professional and trustworthy. There should also be a ready customer service personnel in your business to answer queries from callers.
The following are some tips for setting up your business as a startup:
Table of Contents
1. Decide On Which Phone Technology To Use
- Key KSU-Less System
If you have few employees, the KSU Systems can give you the basic package. You get to harness the necessary tools that can get your business up and running. You will have services, such as call transferring, conference calls, and multiple extensions.
However, the maintenance of phone services depends on you. If you are well versed in maintaining a phone service, this can be a good option for you. Remember that most telephone vendors do not support KSU Systems.
- PBX System
Businesses and companies with more than 75 employees can fare well with a private branch exchange (PBX). The PBX system has advanced features and flexibility. However, the downside is that it costs more in terms of setup and installation. PBX is recommended for medium to large businesses because they may be able to save in the long term. However, a cloud PBX system offers more flexibility and can be beneficial even for just-founded startups.
- VoIP System
VoIP Systems use the Internet to make and receive calls internationally and even domestically. However, using the Internet can pose a lot of problems, and you need to be tech-savvy in order to maximize this technology. A piece of good advice would be to use a hosted service for your VoIP system. Getting a host will require you to pay a monthly fee, but it may be worth it in the end if it will satisfy your business interest and your needs.
2. Sign Up And Pick Your Business Number
You have to choose your business number carefully and decide whether you want a toll free number. Toll-free numbers can be vanity numbers to help with better recall. For example, you can have an 800 number that goes like 1-800 cupcakes.
Toll-free numbers are great if you want an established brand identity. They are also great marketing tools that will help establish your company in your community. If you so choose, you can use a number that uses your local area code. However, a local area code will not have a vanity number.
The good thing about a local area number is you will be easily identifiable to customers in your area who may want to purchase from somewhere local. You have to decide what you think will work for you and what will generate profits and revenue for your business.
3. Record Your Main Message
Once you have chosen a business phone number and it is open and running, the next crucial part is to record your message greeting. This message will be the first thing that customers will hear, so you have to make sure that it resonates with your brand and that it comes off as professional and friendly.
You have to choose a team member or employee with a voice and diction that you think is representative of your company. Use voice prompts in order to come up with a good message. If you can’t find anyone in your team to do the voice message for you, you can employ the services of voice actors.
4. Add Extensions
You can add extensions for each department and for each individual in your company or business. Setting up an extension can organize your phone system, thus contacting the person of authority becomes easier and more efficient.
Set up an extension for your executives, employees, and customer service. Make sure that these extensions are shared in your phone’s voice message. This way, customers will be able to know which numbers to dial so they can get their queries answered by the exact and most knowledgeable person in your company.
5. Set Up Your On-hold Music
You can modify your on-hold music as well. Your on-hold music should be much like your greeting in the sense that it should reflect your company’s image and brand. It is advisable that you record your own music.
You have the freedom not to use music if you so choose. You can use the on-hold feature on the phone to tell customers about ongoing promotions and sales that your business or company offers. Because of this, the on-hold feature can also be used as a marketing tool.
Final Thoughts
A business phone is absolutely necessary for any business or company to succeed. You should get a phone system for your business that provides flexibility and good service.
You have to make sure that your greeting in your business phone should be professional and reflect the identity of your brand. You should also make sure that your extension numbers point to the necessary services so as not to confuse your customers.
About Carson Derrow
