All businesses were small before they got big (some stay small, of course) but to land the big clients, any business has to sound BIG.
So how to do that while still staying within budget?
Brandi Cummings, Co-Founder of Telecentrex and www.Freedom800.com, a virtual PBX provider / site, gives us her best tips.
"The fastest and most cost effective way for a small business to upgrade its image is to upgrade their phone system. With advances in technology, even the smallest businesses can sound like a Fortune 500 company.
By using a virtual PBX (Private Branch Exchange) small businesses can take advantage of the benefits of advanced telecommunications previously only afforded to large companies. A virtual PBX gives small businesses features such as a professional main greeting, multiple extensions, voicemail, integrated Internet fax, live call forwarding to any local phone number, voicemail and fax messages delivered to email to name just a few.
The professional main greeting and multiple extensions give a small business a bigger image. Even if all of the extensions are forwarded to the same place, it is unknown to the callers and they are left with a feeling that they are dealing with a larger business.
As an added image booster a small business should consider a toll free number. Right or wrong, consumers see a company with a toll free number as being bigger, more professional, and more established.
The best thing about these virtual PBX systems is that they can be found for between $10 and $40 a month so they fall nicely within the small business budget."
Yes, we finally find out what PBX stands for. And $10 a month? Considering what I'm paying for my cellphone, very reasonable. If you'd like to find out more, definitely check www.freedom800.com. I love the overview page detailing how the systems work (in plain English, no telephoneze required).
Comments (2)
That sounds very cool. I work with a lot of vendors and some succeed at this while others don't.
What's worst, however, is an automated phone system that doesn't work. There was this one which told me to dial a certain extension for service but then tells me it's the wrong extension. I gave it a try for all the other options and they didn't work either. "0" had a message and my call was never returned. I'd rather get a home answering machine and get called back than not be able to get through at all. I ended up having to e-mail the company and let them know.
I guess the lesson from that for small businesses is that it's important to get a phone system and then make sure it actually works. This company lost our business for other reasons, but I wouldn't be surprised if the underlying cause of both was related.
Posted by Mrs. Micah | November 27, 2007 9:46 AM
Posted on November 27, 2007 09:46
I love virtual pbx's and all the options they provide small business owners like us. After all, credibility is not established just by our by our website or our business card. The impression someone gets when he/she calls our business number is just as important.
My blog is all about telephony technologies for the home office. Check it out at www.homeofficetelephony.com .
Victoria Santiago
Posted by Victoria Santiago | December 4, 2007 6:49 PM
Posted on December 4, 2007 18:49