Get the Best Tech Publications at Global Call Forwarding

Home » Archive by category 'Tech' (Page 3)

What is Average Call Duration? (How to Measure & Optimize)

Vasudha 23rd July 2024 blog

Even though digital communication channels are growing, a surprising 65% of potential customers still prefer reaching brands by phone. This makes phone calls a critical touchpoint for businesses. However, lengthy …Read More »

How Healthcare Organizations Use Virtual Numbers (9 Use Cases)

Vasudha 25th June 2024 blog

A staggering 88% of healthcare appointments are booked by phone, indicating that calling remains the preferred way of scheduling appointments and receiving other assistance. Because of this, healthcare organizations need …Read More »

Offering 24/7 Global Support as a Travel Company

Vasudha 24th June 2024 blog

24/7 customer support for a travel company

Are you in the travel and hospitality business, striving to enhance global support? Imagine offering round-the-clock assistance to your global clientele, leveraging the latest in cloud telephony. Travel companies face …Read More »

Calling the Middle East (Everything You Need to Know)

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 5th June 2024 blog

Making outbound calls to the Middle East.

If you do business with the Middle East often, you’ll have noticed that certain communication services (like VoIP) and apps (like WhatsApp, Skype, etc) are restricted across GCC regions. This …Read More »

4 Key Problems with Multi-Carrier Phone Services

Vasudha 4th June 2024 blog

4 problems with using multiple carriers for business phone service

Having multiple phone service carriers catering to various global communication needs sounds like a good idea, right? But it is a complex landscape, especially for organizations operating across diverse regions …Read More »

Importance of Reliable Voice Phone Services for Businesses

Vasudha 3rd June 2024 blog

In business, where every interaction counts, the role of reliable communication cannot be overstated. At the heart of customer trust lies positive customer experiences, and your business phone service serves …Read More »

Toll Free Numbers for Social Media Marketing

Magaly Fuentes 15th May 2019 Tech, Tips

If you are crafting a new marketing campaign, you may be trying to come up with new ways to affordably boost the success of your campaign and also involve social media tools. If this is indeed the case, you should consider using toll free numbers for social media marketing as a key tool in boosting the success of your campaign.

A customized toll free number fits well into a marketing campaign because it enables you to use the phone number of the company to define the brand. When you think of a vanity toll free number, such as 1-800-FLOWERS, you know specifically what the company offers when that number is dialed. If you dial 1-800-FLOWERS you are able to order flowers for any number of occasions.

Generally speaking, you can use a custom toll free number to do a number of things, including sharing the name of the business, communicating a benefit the business provides, and tracking marketing efforts for a specific campaign. Either way, whether you use toll free numbers for social media marketing or toll free numbers to advance your business in any other way, the toll free number should reinforce the brand’s image and clearly indicate how the company differs from its competitors.

Research has repeatedly pointed to the benefits of incorporating toll free numbers for social media marketing or any kind of marketing into a company’s marketing campaign plan. In addition to offering a way for the company to communicate something specific, incorporating toll free vanity numbers in a marketing campaign can provide additional meaningful benefits, including:

Increased Interest and Calls

A greater number of inbound calls and referrals. Because toll free vanity numbers are expressed with a word or words instead of a string of random numbers, vanity numbers are much easier to remember than a number that is composed of digits exclusively. This means that it is more likely that customers and potential customers will use these types of toll free numbers and also share them with their friends and family. In fact, research indicates that vanity toll free numbers have a rate of recall that is approximately 75 percent higher than the rate of recall for phone numbers that are exclusively numeric. Custom toll free numbers also generate a much higher response rate than regular phone numbers.

A Social Media Credibility Boost

Having toll free numbers for social media marketing or for all of the company’s marketing can improve a business’ credibility and enhance sales efforts. A toll free number shows customers that the business owner and marketing team have taken steps for them to contact the business with more ease and without having to incur any long distance charges for calls. Vanity toll free numbers and regular toll free numbers also make a business seem more established and larger than it actually is, which will help people to have more confidence in the company’s offering of goods and/or services.

Tracking Capabilities

When a company uses toll free numbers for social media marketing or any other marketing efforts, there is ease in tracking key performance indicators. These key performance indicators can help in analyzing the success of an ad campaign overall and allow for a company to adjust their message on an as-needed basis. Having the ability to do this is critical in aiming to generate the best results for a business. Tracking calls linked to a campaign is an affordable and effective way to identify what is working and what is not. The information that is gathered through the tracking of campaign efforts can help a business to improve in every way, whether it is social media marketing, sales campaigns, print ads, or other forms of marketing efforts.

Superior Customer Service

Depending on whether you use toll free numbers for social media marketing or for other types of advertising, toll free numbers can help a company to offer better customer service by helping the business owner determine why a customer or potential customer is reaching out to the business before anyone even answers the phone. When a company has an idea of why a person is calling, it allows customer service representatives to be better prepared to offer superior customer service.

Global Call Forwarding offers toll free numbers for social media marketing or any other type of marketing that a business would like to include in their marketing efforts. Global Call Forwarding has been offering quality products and superior customer service to each and every client worldwide for over two decades. With a knowledgeable and professional staff, GCF customer service representatives are able to best serve each client to ensure each and every business takes advantage of the most advanced services and features available to support business success.

How to Earn a Reputation Based on Credibility in Your Industry

Magaly Fuentes 13th May 2019 Learn, Tech, Tips

There are a number of traits that can help a business earn a reputation to become more successful. Credibility is at the top of that list. Credibility means others look to your company as a reliable source and if others rely on you, they trust you and do business with you, and this propels your business ahead.

Being credible means that you establish and nurture a very specific set of qualities. It really doesn’t make a difference which type of organization or industry you are in – these qualities work the same across the board.

Learning How to Earn a Reputation for Credibility: Step by Step.

If you are serious about establishing yourself as credible, here are some tips regarding how to earn a reputation based on credibility in your industry:

1. Build trust: If you are wondering how to earn a reputation based on credibility in your industry, you have to start with trust. In order to cultivate credibility, you have to build trust, earn it, and maintain it. If people like you, they will trust you and they will be more willing to do business with you. The trust you build with your market is more important than your bottom line.

2. Become an expert: Being competent within your industry means having the ability to analyze a situation and develop several potential solutions. Being confident in your capabilities is important so that others know they can count on you.

3. Consistency: Another important tip regarding how to earn a reputation based on credibility in your industry is related to consistency. Everything that your company states and does should be consistent. The messages that your organization is sending out, the actions that you take as an organization, and the things you allow in your organization should all be in complete and total alignment. In figuring out how to earn a reputation based on credibility in your industry, this should be carefully considered as people do not trust a person or company that “flip flops.” They feel safe with consistency, knowing what to expect, and whom they can rely on.

4. Authenticity: In mapping out how to earn a reputation based on credibility in your industry, you need authenticity. When trying to earn trust, you cannot rely on the “fake it until you make it” approach. This will lead to disaster. The basis for establishing yourself as a leader and your business as a leading organization is a solid foundation that offers others long-lasting stability, no matter what challenges are faced.

5. Sincerity: Being credible equals being sincere. This means that you don’t necessarily say everything that you think, but you do mean everything that you say. True sincerity requires commitment and a willingness to be unmovable and straightforward no matter what.

6. Respect: Truly considering the feelings of others could mean everything to them. Treating others with respect because they deserve it and understanding why that is important is paramount. Respect earns credibility.

7. Accountability: In order to establish credibility, you have to be accountable for your actions and decisions. When making mistakes, it is important to own up to them and correct anything that stands as an error.

8. Loyalty: Credibility is connected to serving and protecting others. When you have the best interests of others in mind, and this is clear, this tends to build loyalty and credibility.

9. Honesty: In figuring out how to earn a reputation based on credibility in your industry, it is extremely important to be honest. Total transparency is a fundamental keystone to business and it is at the core of credibility.

10. Communicate: Communication is at the core of establishing credibility. This means that you need to make sure you are effectively communicating the vision of your business, helping your market to understand what sets you apart from your competition, and helping to carry your brand message through each of your marketing initiatives. This is also important within your organization, in building credibility with your staff and other team leaders.

Earn a Reputation Woman on Laptop — Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100070154817

Credibility Builds Better Business

Credibility as a business leader allows your staff to look at you as a reliable resource for decision-making and information. A leader that is credible has gained the respect of their peers and their staff by displaying positive and strong attributes. Credibility translates into improved employee morale, improved staff performance, and the ultimate success of an organization. Credibility is essential in building relationships within your industry as a business leader and as a brand.

Whether you own a brick-and-mortar shop, a virtual consultancy, or another kind of business, all businesses need to display honesty and credibility in order to gain trust and earn a reputation based on credibility within the industry they are in. Credibility has to be earned. It takes time and consistency to establish it, along with an effort to maintain it, but it is necessary on the ultimate path to success.

How Toll Free Numbers Can Be Used to Build Customer Loyalty

Ilsa Morales 9th May 2019 Tech

As your business grows, you may notice that your current phone number can’t handle the influx of new customers. Or maybe you’re missing out on customer calls because you’re using a landline and your customers are upset that they have to pay to call your business in order to make customer service calls. Perhaps you don’t want to take business calls on your personal phone line anymore. When these thoughts begin to creep in your mind, it’s time to think about getting a separate business line. Doing so can help increase customer loyalty and business credibility.

Benefits of a Toll Free Number for Customer Loyalty

So what is the best option for a separate business line? A toll free number has several benefits for a small business. The number one benefit of a toll free number is that it is a great way to begin building a loyal customer base.

Toll-free numbers or 1-800 numbers, as you may remember them as, grew in popularity in the 90s, but they are still prevalent today. One of the reasons is that they are a free way that your customers can make customer service calls to your company with. A toll-free number also gives your business the ability to reach a national audience no matter how small your company is.

So how does a toll free number build customer loyalty?

Recognition

Toll free numbers are easily recognizable, and therefore people have an ingrained trust of a business with a toll free number. Toll-free numbers have been around long enough that people know that they won’t get charged for calling one and therefore have no qualms about making a phone call to your business when they need to.

Branding

Toll free numbers were created to serve the people of the business that uses them. It also helps to brand your company as a trustful company because a company that chooses a toll free number is associated with a larger company. You get access to an entire nation of customers, too. You can take the number and advertise it on all of your marketing materials. From business cards to billboards, when people begin to see your number everywhere, they will start to recognize your brand and associate the number with your company.

Customer Service

Toll free numbers up to the ante on your customer service. Most people prefer to interact with a live human on the phone when they have a problem with a product or service. They want to speak with someone right away, and they want their issues handled immediately. When you refer to the web for customer service there can be delayed responses. Choosing to staff a friendly customer service representative will do wonders for your business because it helps to put an angry customer at ease. Since many of the issues in a company can be solved over the phone, your customers will be happy with the swift response time and help. You can also offer support to your customers around the clock. Only with a toll-free number can you provide 24-hour customer service which in turn builds customer loyalty.

Did we mention it’s free for customers?

Again, customers do not want to have to pay to call a business that messed up their order. A customer service line should be free if you want your business to be taken seriously.

Memorable

Choosing a vanity number for your toll free line can also make your company much more memorable. Using a vanity such as 1-800-FLOWERS shows your customer base exactly what you are selling. Even if they forget the name of your company, they’re not likely to forget a vanity number like that.

It’s better than emails

When customers are frustrated with your company, no matter how polite you try to sound in an email, it is not going to come across well to an angry customer. Customer service lines are the best way to handle upset consumers. A brief email is no match for a charming human on the other line.

Trustworthy

If you are running an e-commerce website, people may be wary of your business. Many of these e-commerce sites are untrustworthy and sell damaged products. When your e-commerce company provides a customer service phone line, a person is more inclined to trust your company because you have provided them a way to get in immediate contact with your business in case something goes awry.

Important Things to Know When Starting A Business

Global Call Forwarding 21st March 2019 Learn, Tech

Starting a new business is an exciting venture and a constant learning experience. Undoubtedly, there will be lessons learned and mistakes made along the way. Still, there are rules every new business owner should follow, regardless of their industry.

Read on to learn five important things to know when starting a business.

You Need A Business Plan

This is first in the list of important things you need to know to start a business because it will be the foundation of your decisions and success. You know you will start a business, but your business plan will give you a specific outline of deadlines you need to hit, financial goals, and advertising strategies.

Some new business owners think a business plan is only necessary for financial support from outside sources, but this isn’t the case. A business plan is an invaluable tool that helps you sort out the big and small details that, if overlooked, could be detrimental to your business. Your business is your passion. Analyzing that passion strategically will pay off financially and strengthen with your branding.

Word Of Mouth Will Always Be Valuable

While various forms of advertisements are effective, word of mouth will never lose its popularity or value. This is one of the most important things to know when starting a business because people trust the word of people they know personally.

We all see up to 5,000 ads daily aimed at influencing our purchasing decisions. This constant exposure to advertisements means that businesses must be creative and show the human side of their brand.

If you use traditional ads, compliment them with behind-the-scenes stories, user-generated content, or vlogs. You could also share customer testimonials to prove the positive impact your business has on customers and in your market.

You Must Evolve With The Market

As a new business owner, you shouldn’t feel compelled to know it all from the start, but it is important to know the basics and to keep up with the ever-changing landscapes of business and technology.

When you’re starting a business, you can’t live in the past. Tactics that worked in 2015 may not be effective today. The business world is fast-paced and marketing strategies are always changing to meet the desires of customers. Research your industry frequently to learn the latest trends works so your business won’t be stagnant or left behind.

Remember these key pointers:

Keep your website updated
Invest in digital marketing
Make sure you have the right tools to keep you and your team organized
Use reliable phone services and email to stay in contact with global customers

lady start running — Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100022150697

Pick A Niche You Enjoy

There are numerous reasons to attribute to the fact that 50% of small businesses fail after 5 years. One of those reasons is burnout for solopreneurs. But this burnout doesn’t always occur because there’s too much to do it in too little time.

Burnout sometimes happens when new business owners enter a niche for the money or convenience without enjoying the work. One of the major benefits of owning a business is doing what you love while serving as a valuable resource for customers.

Here’s another important thing to know when starting a business. Is the industry you’re entering personally fulfilling? Before starting your business, take the time to find out what you would love doing every day and dedicate yourself to making that business a reality through your business plan.

Make Things Convenient For Customers

There are many things that can make a business unrelatable, such as confusing messaging, inconsistent branding, or poor customer service. Your business will not be successful if people can’t relate to you.

If your business becomes known for poor customer service, it’s unlikely that you will continue to profit. Avoid this by letting your business be a safe space for customers to express their concerns and issues without hassle or long delays.

Of the most important things to know when starting a business is that having a virtual phone number can give you a competitive edge. A virtual phone number allows you to work from remote locations while retaining full communication with your associates and clientele. Remember: you and your team should be should be knowledgeable and patient to provide solutions that add value for customers.

Also, recall that one of the most important things to know when starting a business is word of mouth marketing. Customers always appreciate quality service and are more likely to give personal referrals. This will help your small business to grow quickly.

Delegate Tasks Accordingly

Scalable solutions are important for every business. Being a new business owner means your business won’t stay the same size as you implement strategic growth methods.

As your business gets bigger, you won’t be able to handle everything without support. Everyone you hire will serve as a representative of your brand. Therefore, it’s imperative to establish a team with the same vision and work ethic.

As we conclude the list of important things to know when starting a business, we recommend automating small, repetitive tasks and allowing trusted staff members to use their innate skill sets to contribute to the company’s success.

Types Of Digital Marketing For Your Small Business

Global Call Forwarding 21st March 2019 Learn, Tech

Small businesses are known for being creative and finding organic approaches for expanding their company. Most times, those small companies became big once they harnessed the power of digital marketing and shifted their focus to the worldwide web to build a loyal customer base.

The return on the investment of time and money into digital marketing is highly favorable when considering the reach and affordability of digital marketing services in competition for new clients.

In the following article, we’ve listed four digital marketing avenues every small business should explore. You can substantially reduce the time you invest into these methods by teaming up with digital marketing experts.

Not only are these types of digital marketing for your small business affordable, they are also scalable, which means everyone should be taking advantage of them!

An Optimized Website

A website is the most critical aspect of digital marketing. Your website is how you share the most details about your business and products. A fully integrated website also serves as the source of your blog posts and should link to your email marketing campaigns.

But your website needs to act as more than an information source. Many times, small businesses make the mistake of creating a website without optimizing it for consumers. The internet offers an endless source of information. It would be difficult (and almost impossible) to bring a high amount of traffic to your website if you relied solely on word of mouth.

Another valuable type of digital marketing for your small business is search engine optimization (SEO). Search engine optimization is a strategy that ranks your company higher in search engine results based on your industry and specific keywords. When your company shows up on the first page of Google, you’re likely to get more leads and close more sales. Reaching out to industry and expert bloggers is another effective strategy to improve your website’s reach and build a network. By connecting with influential bloggers, you can drive more traffic to your site and enhance your online presence. Just be sure to avoid common blogger outreach mistakes.

Optimize your website for viewing based on current technology and consumer trends. Tablets, cell phones, and personal computers are the primary sources for web browsing. Personal computers are still a mainstay, but 63% of people are now visiting websites from their cellular devices.

This means your website must be fully functional for mobile browsing because you could lose business if your website is only compatible with laptops and desktop computers.

Social Media

Social media is one of the most popular types of digital marketing for your small business, and research continues to prove that it is much more than a fad. Today, business marketers working to stand out in the digital space must take social media seriously and acknowledge the fact that most consumers are now online and using social media to research brands. Customers are also sharing personal experiences with businesses on social platforms.

With a strong social media presence, you’re more likely to inspire new customers to reach out to you. Being active on social media also allows you to research your company name and see how consumers feel about your products and services. Build loyalty by directly sending offers and thank you’s to users mentioning your business. Likewise, you can generate more positive feedback by publicly responding to customers with problems or questions. This shows that you are willing and ready to help.

Pay-Per-Call Marketing

Pay-per-call marketing is similar to pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. The only difference is as a business you pay for every call made, instead of every click. Pay-per-call ads have call buttons giving viewers the option to call the business. The goal of this marketing strategy is to drive phone calls directly from digital campaigns. In other words, to quickly connect with interested customers on the phone. You can even use a toll-free number for this marketing campaign to make it even easier (and free) for callers to contact your business.

Success in pay-per-call marketing requires a clear understanding of target audiences, strategic ad placement, and crafting compelling calls to action that prompt immediate phone responses. Furthermore, it is vital to track and analyze call data to optimize campaigns continuously. Pair this with strategic outbound calling to connect and follow up with prospects and customers, providing responsive care and support.

Free Webinars

Ebooks and guides are well-known for attracting quality leads, but webinars continue to move to the forefront. Webinars are valuable types of digital marketing for your small business because they allow viewers to learn valuable information quickly at no cost. Furthermore, webinars help you stand apart as a thought leader in your field. Furthermore, a webinar can place you above competitors because potential customers will appreciate that you were willing to provide them with value at no cost.

You don’t have to share valuable information for a fee online. Just inviting newcomers to learn something new can inspire them to learn more about your business. Provide real value and you’re far more likely to gain email subscribers who look forward to updates from your company. Keep them engaged after the webinar with email newsletters, blog posts, and insider deals.

Email Marketing

Email marketing has picked up where traditional mail brochures left off and offers much more convenience. Email marketing is among the most effective types of digital marketing for small businesses. The average return on investment into email marketing is 122% and more than 20% of people check their emails more than five times each day. Add your company email to marketing business cards and share at networking events, conferences, and exhibitions.

Combine email marketing with a webinar or email course series to keep readers intrigued and looking forward to the next email. Let emails serve as an outlet for readers to get to know you. Further engage them with personal stories and business-related lessons. These tactics will increase the likelihood of purchases when new products are announced.

Not sure if you‘re ready to invest in digital marketing? We’ve got a solution: there are usually interns who are looking to learn by working for recommendations or as a trial for a long-term position. Another option would be taking the time to learn the fundamentals of digital marketing and try it without assistance.

Call To Action As An Art Form

Global Call Forwarding 20th March 2019 Learn, Tech

Whether your main advertising platform is the internet, television, or printed publications, a call to action (CTA) is necessary to inspire audiences beyond viewing your materials to becoming active participants who are willing to make a connection with your brand.

When you think of a call to action in its simplest form, you likely think of terms like:

“Call today”
“Click this link”
“Buy now”

These calls to action are well-known, but a CTA has to be much more to be impactful. Business owners can’t rely on CTA’s with a cut and dry approach because the internet now connects competing businesses on a global scale. Your business is unique and every element of your messaging must stand apart from your competitors.

We should view the call to action as an art form instead of treating a call to action as a command or instruction. To help you along the way, we’ve compiled some of the most valuable tips to note as you strive to approach your call to action as an art form.

Humanize The Language

Advertisements are everywhere, and many are ignored. The ads with call to actions that go viral and gain organic traction share common traits. The content is interesting and doesn’t rely on robotic language.

Treating your call to action as an art form means it should resonate with viewers. Strike an emotional chord by adding the human element of personality through your wording because consumers are more likely to take action when they can relate to a brand.

For example, instead of saying “BUY NOW,” change the wording to “GIVE US A CALL. WE’RE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP.” No one wants to feel as if your primary purpose is to profit by selling them a product. Buyers want to know you have something valuable to offer. The way you use your words relays that message.

Paint A Picture With Your Content

Buyers must believe your business is worth the investment before they take action to support your company. The CTA should be part of a body of content that translates beautifully through words, imagery, or video. If your call to action is an art form created for your target customers, it can be effective on any advertising platform.

Are you looking to sell a new product? Don’t just say how valuable your product is, show it. Review written content and scripts to find the strongest adjectives and replace them with full descriptions. When using television or coverage radio, let personality, design elements, and quality lead the way.

call to action — Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100091094362

Embrace Transparency

Some of the most iconic artists lived a life of mystery and intrigue. But today’s artists and business owners must display their artistry through their social prowess. The art of business requires high-quality services and transparent business owners. One of the best ways for a business owner to show transparency is by being accessible.

Potential customers shouldn’t have to work to find you or connect with you. Strategically using your call to action as an art form should always include convenient means of communication, such as your phone number and email address.

Will you be prepared to quickly respond when someone takes action and contacts your business? Always make sure your hours of operation are clear for callers and respond to written inquiries and voicemails within 24 hours. If you’re working with a team, ensure that they are well-trained and have the necessary tools to assist customers.

Viewing your call to action as an art form is the first step to connect with customers. Exceptional customer service is what will lead to sales and business expansion. This is so many small and large businesses use virtual phone numbers.

Business owners can forward virtual phone numbers to mobile phones and create extensions for team members, allowing everyone to work remotely and in an organized fashion. The response rate is even faster through additional options such as transcribed voice to email service.

When using your call to action as an art form, know that everyone who contacts won’t be in your local calling area. Consider a phone number that is not specific to one area code. Using a local phone number often results in fees and confuses long-distance customers, deterring new callers from contacting you.

Have A Consistent Style

When famous artists releases new work, their fans can spot it before the name of the artist is announced. Such artists have a strong presence through their recognizable style. Your call to action must also have a style of its own, but that style must be in line with your branding.

Consistent branding will keep your business relevant – even when your brand is not the star of the show. Being recognizable will naturally attract new clientele and maintain the interest of your loyal customer base when partnering with another company, attending events, or working with sponsors.

Why Does My Business Need A Toll Free Number?

Global Call Forwarding 19th March 2019 Learn, Tech

A toll free number is a number that allows business professionals in companies of all sizes to connect with customers. These numbers are virtual, meaning that it doesn’t require additional hardware to function or expensive packages for set up. Toll free calls are also free for the incoming caller.

Before purchasing toll free numbers, the first question business owners often ask is: Why does my business need a toll free number? The short answer is your business needs a toll free number because these numbers are critical for appealing to customers and increasing sales.

Having a toll free number indicates to customers that you are professional and value customer service, and you look forward to being of assistance because you’ve made your business easy to reach. Furthermore, toll free numbers can be made even more memorable than a traditional phone if paired with a vanity line.

Want more info on why your business needs a toll free number? Here are some additional facts that explain the importance of toll free numbers for businesses.

Why does my business need a toll free number if I don’t have a large company?

When you dial a toll free phone number to connect with a business, what do you envision? Typically, a large company filled with professionals. Even if this isn’t the case, your professionalism will outweigh the fact that you’re a startup business. Your customers won’t consider that you may be working from home, which is a good thing because they will be more willing to learn about your services and give you a chance to prove that your business services are worth the investment.

Why does my business need a toll free number if I can use my cell phone instead?

Before doing business with your company, most customers will question if your company is trustworthy and an ethical business, especially if they’ve had bad experiences with other companies in the past. A toll free number is just one little facet that adds to your credibility.

Additionally, there are multiple things customers will look for to determine your credibility, including your website, online ratings, and what’s being said about your business on social media. It’s highly likely that a potential customer will be more inclined to buy from you if you have favorable online results.

Yet, positive reviews may not be enough if your personal cell phone number or a long-distance number is provided as your business contact information. Sharing your personal phone number is considered unprofessional – not to mention that it can put your personal information at risk.

Furthermore, most customers will be discouraged from paying to make a phone call to a business, so a toll free number just makes sense in all of these scenarios.

If I’m relocating, why does my business need a toll free number?

Callers prefer a business rooted in stability. A toll free number gives you the freedom to relocate at any given time without alerting your customers. If you’re traveling, forward your toll free number to your cell phone or destination location. The call forwarding feature maintains a level of consistency, which keeps callers from focusing on your personal endeavors and on your business services instead.

If marketing is my main focus, why does my business need a toll free number?

Business owners using toll free numbers often recommend them because they help customers meet their business goals.

When you are marketing your business, it’s likely that you will be using multiple advertising forms including the internet, print publications, and local directories. Each avenue of marketing is likely to attract a different type of customer. Some marketing outlets could bring you more business than others, while some may not be worth the investment.

The only way to know the best marketing strategies for your company is by tracking each campaign. Tracking various marketing techniques can be done easily with a toll free number by assigning multiple toll free numbers to each marketing campaign. The phone number that receives the most calls will let you know the advertisements that are most effective.

Why does my business need a toll free number to be more competitive?

The costs of relocating are expensive and require a large investment of time. Toll free numbers eliminate the need to physically relocate to conduct business in certain regions. Some business owners may purchase only one toll free number, but purchasing multiple toll free numbers is recommended. Testing various numbers allows companies to find the messaging that best resonates with clients – especially when connecting toll free numbers with a vanity phone number.

Remember to research your vanity keywords before purchasing them. Your first choice may be catchy, but a similar idea may already be in use by a competitor. This can be confusing to customers and decrease your sales if new callers reach out to another company by mistake.

Review other numbers that are already in use. Then, find unique keyword phrases that will inspire consumers to call your business.

Note: Know that your toll free number will never be passed on to another business. Once you buy a toll free phone number, it will be yours exclusively, so there’s no need to worry about your business calls being redirected to another company in the future.

Improve Your Call Center Productivity With Call Recording

Global Call Forwarding 19th March 2019 Learn, Tech, Tips

Improving call center productivity will require knowing your employees and customers on a deeper level. You may have customer service employees on payroll, but are they well-trained? Maybe they are, but their experience may be in a field completely unrelated to your business. At the same time, some team members might want additional training and input, but may be afraid to ask directly.

Whatever the case may be, business owners can use call recording to break the ice with employees while helping them to better assist customers. Caller behavior can also be complex, but it’s equally important to understand caller preferences.

Consider these four additional benefits as you focus on maximizing your productivity and achieving set goals at your call center.

Motivate Employees

Make call recording part of the training process and review calls with employees on an individual basis. As you discuss methods of improvement, acknowledge their strengths and contributions. This will inspire confidence and paint a clearer picture of how to communicate with customers.

There’s another benefit that’s often forgotten when you improve your call center productivity with call recording. As employees strive to be better, knowing that their calls are being recorded encourages staff to give it their all and do a commendable job.

Micromanagement tends to have a negative impact on employees, but when call recording is part of the supervisory process, it eliminates the tension that can build when managers are directly questioning and overseeing employees.

Learn More About Your Callers

How do customers respond when asked specific questions? What is their reason for choosing specific products more frequently than others? These are the types of questions to consider as you perfect your business strategy because you’ll want to ensure that you’re attracting your target callers and properly connecting with them over the phone.

If you want to improve call center productivity with call recording, use the recordings to compile data that will answer a lot of the questions that will help you to set future sales goals and craft more efficient approaches when speaking on the phone.

Answer Frequently Asked Questions

You can improve your call center productivity with call recording because the recordings can be used to create customized greetings and voice menus that give callers the answers they need.
There are frequently asked questions at every call center. Knowing what those questions are in advance will increase productivity by saving time. Use the playback from recorded calls to find the most frequently asked questions. Then, find the best way to answer those questions automatically.

Responses to frequently asked questions can be posted as information on your website and answered in customized messages that customers will hear while on hold. However, these aren’t the only options. Another approach would be to have an interactive voice menu that allows callers to select a number to hear the answers to frequently asked question such as operating hours and extension information to reach specific departments.

Know that as you work to improve your call center productivity with call recording, setting up an automated system isn’t complicated when using virtual phone numbers. Much of the process can be self-guided. Your virtual phone number provider can also walk you through the setup process from start to finish if you need assistance, or the process can be completed for you upon request.

While some business owners believe that pre-recorded menus are too impersonal, the contrary is often true. Automated options and responses are valued by customers because many callers don’t want to wait to connect with someone just to ask a basic question.

Note The Length of Calls

One of the biggest things call center supervisors must recognize when analyzing call center productivity is how long it takes before the call ends favorably. This information is critical because it will help employees who may be struggling to build relationships with callers. When you improve your call center productivity with call recording, it removes much of the guesswork involved with selling techniques and interacting with customers.

As most call center professionals know, working at a call center does not mean simply taking phone calls. There are other strategies that employees should be implementing to ensure that their time is utilized wisely during their shift. Decreasing the amount of time it takes to end a phone call with positive results gives employees the time they need to handle other tasks.

In Conclusion

Using virtual phone numbers to operate and grow your business will provide numerous advantages for internal business operations and callers. Furthermore, you can vastly improve your call center productivity with call recording.

Managing or working at a call center isn’t an easy task, but it doesn’t have to be difficult if you use the right tools. Knowing the right ways to improve call center productivity while having a well-organized business structure can make the job easier for managers and employees.

Call centers operate for a variety of reasons, but their common focus is attracting new callers and maintaining customer loyalty. By increasing productivity, callers will have a more favorable experience when dialing into your caller center without a long wait or confusing process.

How To Keep Your Customers Close

Corinna Underwood 18th March 2019 Learn, Tech, Tips

In these days of rapidly changing, competitive business markets, customer retention is crucial to business success. The way you treat your customers, could, in fact, be one the of the key factors which differentiate you from your competitors. Here is a rundown on some of the best strategies for keeping your customers close no matter what type of business you run.

Reward your customers: Loyal customers deserve something in return. Send them a gift, offer them a discount, make purchasing with your company a continuously pleasurable experience. If they are business owners, give them a lead.

Use their services: If your customers are business owners too, use their services or buy their products. This is a great way to build loyalty.

Show your thanks: Make sure you show your appreciation to loyal customers by sending them a thank you note on a regular basis.

lady holding shirt — Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100213196672

Be prompt: Don’t beat around the bush when it comes to returning calls. Call your customers back as soon as you can.
Be true to your word: Don’t make promises you can’t keep. If you state you’re going to do something, do everything possible to follow through.
Don’t be tardy: Always do something when you said you were going to do it. If, for some reason, you can’t stick to the arranged schedule, let your customer know as soon as possible.
Be accessible: Show your customers that you are always available if they need to communicate with you. You should always be open to meeting with your customers if they wish to see you.
Be trustworthy: It’s important that you establish your credibility straight away. Otherwise, potential customers will drift over to your competitors.
Stay in touch: Bear in mind that your best customers are the ones you have now. Don’t take them for granted. Stay abreast of their wants and needs.
Be able to apologize: Sometimes things unavoidably go wrong. Always be ready to apologize but saying sorry isn’t enough. Have a gift you can send to customers when you make a mistake.
Make business a pleasure: Make it easy and pleasurable for your customers to do business with you. Make sure your business practices are for the convenience of the customer, not just your own. The more enjoyable it is for customers to do business with you, the more business you will have.
Get to know your customers: A great way to do this is to set up a customer advisory team. The team can collect and collate information about your customers’ needs and wants so that you can develop a more customer-oriented business.
Be a solid resource: Whatever your customer needs, make sure you can get it. This applies even if it is something unconnected to your business.
Speak your customers’ language: Don’t fall into the trap of using jargon or terms that your customers will not understand. Keep things simple without talking down to them.
Maintain a good attitude: Always be kind and patient with your customers, this will increase customer loyalty. Never be indifferent towards them.
Maintain a mobile state of mind: Remember, these days, customers interact with businesses on mobile devices more frequently than ever. Make sure that you provide your customers with a positive mobile experience.
Offer limited time promotions: This is a good way to keep customers coming back, especially if you’re discounting products that they buy frequently. You can highlight promotions at the checkout stage.
Stay social: Social media offers unique platforms for staying in touch with your customers. You can keep them posted about sales and special offers, as well as new products and services. You can also get feedback from them.
Engage relevantly: Your company must be able to engage relevantly with your customers. Otherwise, your brand will be letting you down. For example, in the case of cart abandonment, you can send a follow-up email to encourage the customer to complete the purchase and also set up recommendations for future purchases.
Celebrate occasions: Don’t just celebrate holidays with your customers, try to find out when their birthdays are, even if you are in different parts of the world. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are also good times of the year to send a personal note if your customers are parents. As well as a note, a gift card is a nice sign of appreciation.
Create a VIP program: Achieving status can be a big motivator for customers. A VIP program enables customers to collect loyalty points and use them to get special offers. Because buying products increases customer rewards, your customers will do business with you more often; they are more likely to shop.

Developing close relationships with your customers is something you should be thinking about 24/7. There are many opportunities for you to strengthen the bonds between new and existing customers. It’s good for business, and it’s good for morale. Try these tips, and you can’t go wrong when building a strategy that keeps your customers as the top priority.