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Drive Up Sales for Your E-Commerce Business with Outbound Calling

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 10th April 2020 Tips

Maintaining the sales growth rates can be overwhelming as businesses of different kinds go through high and low periods. But as an owner, you must ensure that your e-commerce business has the right tools to keep the rate steady, if not growing. Outbound calling is one such communication service that can help you reach and maintain the standards you set for the business.

Why Your E-Commerce Business Should Consider Outbound Calling

Outbound calling service is a virtual communication service offered by Global Call Forwarding. This service works to boost your outgoing call rate and supports your sales strategy. It enables you to call potential, recent, and recurring customers to offer customer support. Therefore, businesses that already have a large outgoing call volume or want to increase their outbound calling rate should consider this service.

If you get outbound calling alongside your virtual phone number plan from a cloud-based communications provider like Global Call Forwarding, then you will be able to route calls over the internet instead of traditional phone lines. This lets you expand your e-commerce business’ reach and connect with neighboring cities, states, and countries without having to worry about long-distance calling rates. You can interact with international customers without having to relocate.

Customize Your Caller ID

Global Call Forwarding offers this service with a customizable caller ID option. This means that you can display matching caller IDs of areas you are calling. For example, say you want to expand your business to Dubai, Mumbai, and London. If you purchase local or toll free numbers for these cities, then you can display their specific caller IDs when calling them. And so, when individuals receive your call, they will recognize a local or toll free number instead of a random international or “unknown” number.

Prospects are more likely to answer calls from numbers and calling codes they recognize. Additionally, they won’t hesitate to call back because they won’t be charged extra for calling a local number. And, they won’t be charged at all for calling a toll free one. This is how outbound calling can help you connect with new target groups, pitch your product, and generate more sales.

What Can You Achieve with this Service?

Besides merely selling to new prospects, you also want to satisfy your existing customers. Believe it or not, these are the customers that have the potential to form a fanbase for your service and recommend it to others. And, they can become recurring customers who use your service time and again because of good customer service and credibility. So, what are some ways your e-commerce business can use outbound calling to provide customer support?

Increase brand awareness
Welcome new customers
Generate leads through warm and cold calling
Verify customers and sales
Follow-up on purchases or inquires
Offer membership programs
Offer specials and promotions
Follow-up on abandoned carts or failed orders
Send out reminders for renewals and payments
Collect surveys and feedback

Get Outbound Calling

Getting outbound calling for your e-commerce business is simple. Find a provider that offers the service for a price that matches your budget. Watch for any additional features or tools that they provide as well. Global Call Forwarding offers outbound calling with call recording with each of our plans for a small additional fee.

To get the service, simply sign up for a new business number or port your existing number on our homepage. From the optional features, choose “Outbound Calling” and add it to your plan. Finalize your purchase and you can activate the service in less than a day. To learn more about our outbound calling service, call us at 1 (888) 908 6171.

Inbound Sales vs Outbound Sales: What Does Your Business Need?

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 11th March 2020 Learn, Tips

One of the early choices a new start-up or small business needs to make is whether to adopt an inbound sales or outbound sales model. And in order to make the right decision, business owners need to understand what the difference is between the two sales approaches.

Inbound Sales vs Outbound Sales

Businesses vary in the type of products and services they offer as well as how they make sales. Some rely on interested prospects or website visitors who reach out to the company to make a purchase. While others rely on reaching out to potential target customers to sell the product to them. This, essentially, is the key difference between inbound sales and outbound sales.

Inbound sales and outbound sales—or inbound and outbound calling—differ based on the origination of the lead. Inbound sales refer to sales made when interested customers take the first step. On the other hand, outbound sales refer to selling attempts made by the company where they reach out to potential customers.

Inbound Sales

Often referred to as “warm leads,” inbound sales occur when an interested party initiates the selling process. That is, they’ve come across your product or service through ads or your website, and have now contacted you to make an inquiry or a purchase. Sales representatives have an advantage with inbound sales because they have a general idea of the customer’s need as well as their interest. And so, inbound sales have a better conversion rate.

At the same time, it should not be assumed that every inquiry or call will convert immediately. Interested individuals want more information or are in the market to research and compare products, and may not move forward in the buying process. The way to increase inbound sales is by making it easier and convenient for interested customers to call you. Toll free business numbers give callers a free way to call while click-to-call widgets on websites let callers connect with you with fewer steps.

Outbound Sales

Inhouse and outsourced sales teams use outbound sales to reach out to a predetermined list of individuals, in an attempt to sell your product to them. This list is usually created based on market research and in collaboration with marketing and sales teams. Individuals included in the list represent the ideal customer or buyer persona for your product. And so, it prevents your employees from connecting with weak leads.

Outbound sales take longer. Reps have to engage with clients over and over again, educate them about your services and present your business as the solution they need. Outbound sales are much harder to achieve than inbound sales and so are often underrated. Outbound sales do, however, help your business and sales teams expand their network and tap into new markets. Most businesses use an outbound calling solution to boost their sales calls. Outbound calling is a cloud-based communication service that lets an organization call local and international contacts in an inexpensive way.

Which is More Suitable for Your Business?

While one may seem better than the other, the general consensus is that having both inbound and outbound sales proves more beneficial. But which do you need and when do you need to implement it? The structure of your sales approach depends on your business’ growth stage. Have you promoted your business enough? Do customers know it exists and can easily understand the products and services offered? Could they use a guiding hand?

It helps to have a variety of communication channels that support both inbound and outbound sales. To encourage inbound sales, use social media, content and email marketing, and paid ads to attract viewer attention. For outbound sales, purchase local numbers in the cities and states you plan to target. Individuals are more likely to answer calls from numbers that are familiar, as opposed to unknown, random numbers.

Communication Features with Global Call Forwarding

Boost your business’ communications with business numbers and advanced features like Outbound Calling, Call Recording, IVR, and more. For more information and to learn more about what we offer, contact us at 1 (888) 908 6171.

How to Start an Order Fulfillment Company for E-commerce Business

Magaly Fuentes 2nd October 2019 How To's

Year after year, an increasing number of retailers take their businesses online. Recent data indicates e-commerce accounts make up close to 10 percent of all retail sales. However, research anticipates growth around 15 percent annually in this sector. In other words, the precedence of the Internet has customers worldwide shopping online. So, to keep customers happy, a business owner must ensure accurate fulfillment of orders, quickly, and efficiently. Optimizing e-commerce fulfillment strategies is the key to success.

To clarify further, this means order fulfillment companies are in-demand and the demand will increase. Below are steps explaining how to start an order fulfillment company for e-commerce business and what to expect in the process.

What is Order Fulfillment?

Order fulfillment refers to the method that is used to fulfill customer orders. For e-commerce, companies may choose to manage their order fulfillment in-house, while other companies may choose to operate using drop shipping or third party fulfillment. For third party fulfillment, some companies are solely dedicated to fulfilling the orders of their clients (other businesses). This offers businesses the ability to devote more of their time other aspects of the business, while still being able to access data regarding inventory and sales. Third-party fulfillment is often chosen because it decreases costs related to packaging and shipping.

Deciding Which Type of Fulfillment the Company Will Offer

There are a number of roles your fulfillment company can play. A business owner decides whether the fulfillment company holds responsibility for storing, packaging, shipping, tracking, and more. Based on this decision, a business owner will make other decisions regarding equipment, facility, and staffing.

Phones and Communication Systems

Most notably, a fulfillment company is a high-tech business. This means there is a strong need to respond in a high-tech fashion. A business owner must understand this is not the place to cut corners. The right access to websites, operational equipment, and phone systems is critical.

Staffing a Fulfillment Company

A business owner can launch a fulfillment company with two or three people. A business owner will name a fulfillment manager, a warehouse manager, and a fulfillment specialist. The fulfillment center manager should have the ability to make sales calls. A fulfillment manager will also be responsible for walking clients through the initial setup. The warehouse manager is responsible for installing any warehouse management system. Furthermore, this person is in charge of writing all back end procedures and training personnel.

How to Start an Order Fulfillment Company — Source: DepositPhotos.com – O#190330960 ID#27446420

Sales

It is imperative that a fulfillment company makes a consistent effort to market and sell its capabilities. A business owner must focus on sales efforts to add more customers and grow. One method is to use sales personnel to generate leads and then have the fulfillment manager drive the sale moving forward. A larger fulfillment company may need a specialist to come in and provide advice including selling skills.

Marketing a Fulfillment Company

A business owner must provide a basic marketing campaign to take an order fulfillment company’s messaging forward to the current client base as well as potential clients. A business owner should not solely rely on existing sales personnel to develop accounts. Sales representatives are, at times, reluctant to offer new services to their clients. Because of this, marketing campaigns can prove to be very useful.

Pricing Matrix For Order Fulfillment Services

Establishing a pricing system for the fulfillment company may present challenges at first. The company’s pricing system must include all services that are completed. Therefore, fees may include storage, customer service, and more. Some pricing options may include:

Storage charged at a price per pallet, per month
New product set up fee
Warehouse fee
Receiving services fee
Order receipt fee
Shipping materials cost
Reporting fees
Customer service
Initial set up fee

Challenges Faced by E-commerce Businesses

E-commerce businesses face challenges, which include competition, finding the best products to sell, reaching a target audience, generating traffic, retaining customers, choosing the right technology, and achieving long term growth. Understanding these challenges will help you run a successful order fulfillment company.

In Closing

In essence, order fulfillment is the backbone of an e-commerce business. The strategy for order fulfillment for customers directly affects everything from customer satisfaction to profit margin. Therefore, a business owner must consider this carefully. Another thing to be considered carefully is scalability. A business owner who starts a fulfillment company has a goal to grow. Likewise, having a plan in place that outlines how you will grow and keep up with the growing needs of clients as well as adding new clients is very important. As a result, providing customers with the best value through order fulfillment is key to an effective operation. Above all, a business owner that helps clients to maximize profits and efficiency is destined to succeed.

FreedomVoice vs Grasshopper Phone Number Provider, Service, and Pricing

Becki Meerbeek 26th August 2019 Reviews

Phones in the business realm aren’t going away anytime soon; instead, more and more businesses are populating as a result. But, with all of these providers, choosing among them to fit all of your needs is difficult. Additionally, competitive pricing is very important. Two of the top-rated VoIP phone service providers in the nation include Grasshopper and FreedomVoice. But, what are the differences between these two companies? And, which should you choose for your business phone service needs?

Pros of FreedomVoice as a Business Phone Provider

The most notable and highly reviewed aspects of FreedomVoice’s business VoIP service is that it’s easy to use. Since it doesn’t require any additional software, you can purchase the service, install it, and have it running in just a few minutes. Plus, once it is set up, most reviews note that the software application is quite easy to use and operate. Furthermore, you can pick and choose from any additional features you may need. And, set these up before you make your first call, right from your smartphone device. Some of these features include customizable greetings, simultaneous ring, and call transfer.

Cons of FreedomVoice as a Business Phone Provider

While FreedomVoice boasts ease of use, there are some cons to choosing this phone provider for a VoIP phone number. For starters, they don’t offer as many features as other competitors, including the virtual phone numbers from Global Call Forwarding. For example, you can’t send team messages or conduct conference calling from the VoIP numbers through FreedomVoice. Secondly, with this company, there is no ability to merge integrate VoIP lines with business software systems. These are systems that are used every day like your business CRM (Salesforce, Asana, etc.). Finally, with rates starting at $9.95 for one cloud phone number, there are certainly more inexpensive options available.

FreedomVoice vs Grasshopper Phone Number Provider — Source: Depositphotos.com O#S-4820344 ID#204678092

Pros of Grasshopper as a Business Phone Provider

Just like FreedomVoice, Grasshopper is a virtual number provider. Benefits of choosing this company include ease of set up and the ability to add features to business VoIP numbers. This organization also provides the option to include other, additional features. Some of which can make doing business much easier. This increases overall customer satisfaction when it comes to doing business over the phone.

Cons of Grasshopper as a Business Phone Provider

Unlike FreedomVoice, Grasshopper requires you to have an already established business phone system. A multi-line system or a physical VoIP unit are both examples. This means that choosing FreedomVoice for VoIP management could mean having to fork over money to pay for phone units. Would you rather have the ability to make calls from any device you want, including mobile devices? And, not have to purchase brand new equipment just to make these types of calls? If so, Grasshopper is not for you. Finally, with a starting price of $26 a month, even FreedomVoice is cheaper than this option. So, if money is an important issue for your business endeavors, it isn’t the best choice.

A Better Choice: Global Call Forwarding

Still not sure if either FreedomVoice or Grasshopper is right for your business? That’s because there is a better option available! Global Call Forwarding is more competitively priced than both of these competitors. And, it’s just as simple to set up and use and doesn’t require the purchase of additional equipment to start. Finally, it is competitively priced (with the lowest priced plan starting at $7.95 a month).

Choosing Global Call Forwarding for Cloud Telephony Needs

There is a more affordable way to conduct business without the headache. To set up cloud telephony services with Global Call Forwarding, contact us today.

Best Sales Strategy for an International Finance Bank

Tom Senkus 5th August 2019 Learn, Tips

Do you work as part of the marketing department for an international finance bank? Whether you’re employed by a national finance company or corporation bank, boosting sales through optimized advertising is key.

In this guide, however, we won’t be talking about the typical ways of increasing the number of leads through having a well-honed sales team. Nor will we cover the in’s and out’s of crafting clever advertising that gets results. Instead, we will take a look at a relatively simple concept: how virtual phone numbers can impact the success of your international finance bank.

How Virtual Phone Numbers can be Beneficial for your International Finance Bank

Virtual phone numbers have been evolving with the latest developments of telecom and modern computing. Thanks to their enhanced functionality over traditional communication solutions by phone, virtual phone numbers can greatly benefit your international finance bank.

Broad Access

While we live in a modern era of telecommunication, not every caller can reach your international finance company. By accommodating every customer regardless of their ability to communicate from outside of their country by phone, you exponentiate your sales results.

The best way to remove barriers of communication is by incorporating virtual phone numbers in your business model. Virtual phone numbers enable callers to call your international finance bank without incurring long distance fees and service blockages – two factors that can influence how likely a customer is to transact with you.

Professionalism

Businesses that deal within finance can’t afford to appear out-of-step with technology – particularly if your competitors are dedicated to appearing more professional. By using toll free phone numbers, your international finance bank gains two advantages of professionalism: First, your organization pays for each call made to the number. Second, numbers with a toll free prefix immediately impart a professional aesthetic that customers associate with high-volume professional enterprises.

Selecting Your Target Markets

Being able to directly call your leads and prospects with outbound calling is a pivotal sales strategy. However, you’re probably aware that broad cold-calling campaigns can bring less-than-stellar results. The secret lies in narrowing the scope of your intended target market by appealing directly to your potential customer. How? With local access numbers from Global Call Forwarding.

Global Call Forwarding offers virtual phone numbers in over 140+ countries around the world, with innumerable cities and regions included. This means that your international finance bank can target hyper-specific target markets with virtual phone numbers that have the same country/area codes customers are familiar with. This aids in the localization process, particularly when your customer base may only want to do business with domestic entities – or organizations that they perceive as “local.”

Virtual Offices

The days of having multiple branch offices spread out around the world are no longer necessary. Thanks to the advent of “virtual offices,” customers simply aren’t required to handle their business in-person. Virtual offices are simply a method of approximating the same level of service that a brick & mortar location offers by leveraging Internet-based technologies.

This is especially true for big-name corporation banks and national finance corporations. Customers that want to open up accounts and get loans at these institutions can do so without stepping foot inside a brick & mortar location. Of course, speaking to your international finance bank’s representatives directly over the phone is still an important part of doing business. And virtual phone numbers are the key to driving sales and taking care of customer concerns, all in one solution.

Sales Strategy for International Bank — Source: Stockphoto.com – O#100204681922ID#100186088462

The Best Virtual Phone Numbers for your International Finance Bank

As you’re probably wondering, what makes Global Call Forwarding such a great service provider for international finances banks? Especially when there are literally hundreds of companies offering what appears to be the same basic service, Global Call Forwarding sets its service apart with top-tier features and add-ons. These include:

Extensive Experience: For more than two decades, Global Call Forwarding has provided enterprise-level, startups, and SMBs with the best in telecommunication.
Instant Access: When it comes to sales, the best strategy is immediacy. Thankfully, working with Global Call Forwarding enables your business to start using virtual phone numbers quickly. The subscription process only takes a few minutes to select a business phone number for your international finance bank.

How To Improve Lead Generation Services with Virtual Numbers

Tom Senkus 5th August 2019 Learn, Tips

Growing your business is directly linked to the strength of your lead generation services. With no new leads, your company must rely on a well-established customer base. This is something that’s unlikely to be sustainable in today’s fast-paced economy. Whether you outsource your lead generation services to a company or use an in-house sales team, there is a solution: virtual phone numbers.

Virtual phone numbers can improve the quality and quantity of your leads in a number of ways. This is thanks to the versatility of cloud-based communication technology available through Global Call Forwarding. In this article, we’ll cover a number of methods to improve lead generation services, including

Tracking Where Your Leads Are Coming From
Better ROI for Marketing Campaigns
Testing New Markets
Dedicated Phone Lines for Customer Types

Tracking Where Your Leads Are Coming From

Knowing where your leads are coming from is important to determine where your marketing efforts should be focused. After all, if your lead generation is only providing low-volume or poor-quality leads, what’s the point? Conversely, if your lead conversion rates are better through certain methods, delegating more effort can grow your business.

Virtual phone numbers offer the option of tracking the metrics of inbound call data. This can be done through the virtual phone number provider’s interface/ dashboard. Similarly, using a virtual phone number dedicated to only one type of marketing campaign (ex. social media) can help you pinpoint accurate data.

Better ROI for Marketing Campaigns

The more you market, the greater the reach for your brand. To get a better ROI,

Global Call Forwarding offers affordable payment plans and services geared towards businesses of all sizes. However, considering there are no unlimited marketing budgets, virtual phone numbers can be a creative marketing tool for your business with low overhead costs. Furthermore, virtual numbers are simple to implement, can be used on nearly any device, and require minimal training.

In essence, virtual numbers enable your business to gain a wider audience at a lower cost than other advertising methods.

Testing New Markets

Like it or not, but improving lead generating services requires risk through trial and error. After all, if you knew exactly which methods worked to improve your sales, you can make better organizational decisions. Virtual phone numbers cost little to begin using. Also, they can be ready to use within 24 hours or less. For these reasons, your company can try out new target markets instantly. And if you discover potential in a market, you can scale your efforts. And vice versa, for poor-performing markets, your company gains the knowledge of where its brand presence is weak.

Lead generation with virtual phone numbers. — Source: Stockphoto.com – O#100080152424 ID#100186088462

Dedicated Phone Lines for Customer Types

Virtual phone numbers are available in a wide variety of types. These include geographic numbers, toll free numbers, ITFS numbers, DID numbers, UIFNs, vanity numbers, and more. Similarly, Global Call Forwarding offers a wide variety of add-ons that enhance how inbound and outbound calls are processed. Let’s look at a couple examples, as each organization is different and can use its creativity to improve lead generation:

If you want to dedicate a direct line for your international and domestic sales teams, this is possible with virtual phone numbers.
For directories of your business’ departments and individual staff members, using a PBX is a smart solution. Short for Private Branch Exchange, a PBX can enable customers to self-select through a directory system by phone. This helps customers find the person or info they need to guide themselves down your sales funnel.
Depending on whether a caller is a previous customer or a new one can help improve your sales. Based on the type of callers, you can offer private customer-only lines for troubleshooting and account advice. For new customers, you can assign a virtual number dedicated to nurturing new contacts. To boost the quality of your leads, you can offer a private line of virtual phone numbers for more dedicated service (i.e. B2B, large enterprise contracts).

How ITFS Numbers Can Bring International Leads

Becki Meerbeek 18th July 2019 Learn

International toll free service (ITFS) numbers enable callers to make free phone calls to the ITFS subscriber. ITFS numbers are a very effective tool for marketing to international leads because our service makes any business more reachable in other countries.

One of the greatest benefits of ITFS numbers is that customers from abroad can call your business without a charge. Your business can be physically located anywhere because ITFS numbers forward calls internationally. With an ITFS number, your company will be charged for the service, while customers benefit by calling a “toll free” number.

Benefits of Getting ITFS Numbers

Global Call Forwarding offers ITFS numbers in more than 140 countries. This allows businesses all over the world to take advantage of expanding into specific markets and testing others to see the most profitable markets for their companies and services. With an ITFS Number, you can finally gather international leads using your ITFS Number in your current marketing strategy.

ITFS numbers are a critical tool for many international businesses. They enable your business to be more reachable in foreign markets, and this can contribute to increasing your customer base. The service also makes your business available at all hours, with multiple features designed to manage incoming calls. Imagine, having a Facebook or Instagram Ad – targeted in the country of your choice with a phone number to reach your business, which is essentially the main perk of ITFS numbers. It builds a bridge between the customers or marketing leads you want, in any country you want.

ITFS Numbers with Free Business Features

Global Call Forwarding provides ITFS numbers with a wide array of different business features. When you get ITFS numbers, you will have access to a suite of advanced features such as time-of-day forwarding, advanced IVR, call recording, long-term storage of recorded calls, blacklisting, whitelisting, and others.

Account settings are easily manageable from your ITFS provider’s online portal. Global Call Forwarding offers a very user-friendly dashboard that enables you to access all of your account details, and you can manage all aspects of your ITFS numbers using it. You may also configure your ITFS virtual numbers with an interactive voice response system (IVR) that will greet callers and direct them through a series of prompts. IVR can help your business manage incoming calls more effectively and project a more professional brand as a result of having your communications streamlined so efficiently.

Having these numbers can also boost the productivity of employees and virtual call center representatives. When a customer calls your ITFS phone numbers, he can immediately get access to critical information before speaking to an actual representative. This IVR facility directs all callers to the appropriate department, agent or service representative at the onset of the call, and saves valuable time. The IVR is not only easy to set up but makes use of audio prompts for requesting information based on voice input or touch-tone. This, in turn, also makes way for easy input of authentication information and caller identification.

Getting the Best International Leads using ITFS Numbers

When you get ITFS numbers, your business is taking the first bold step to enhance customer relationships. Global Call Forwarding offers ITFS numbers in over 140 countries so your company can offer free calls in almost any market. Customer relationships will be improved because their calls are handled more efficiently and routed to the appropriate department without unnecessary hold times. This, along with the calls being free, leads to enhanced customer satisfaction.

ITFS numbers can also enhance customer relationships. The call recording feature helps you maintain productivity standards and agent quality, while also being of great benefit to settle disputes faster from credit card companies or customers. You can not only record all incoming calls for reference and security purposes, but you can also listen to the calls on demand and download recordings for quality assurance and training purposes.

An Affordable Cloud-Based Business Communications Tool

International toll free service numbers from Global Call Forwarding are a cloud-based service, and they do not require any expensive equipment for operations and maintenance. Incoming calls can be answered on your mobile phone or landline, and the number of settings can be managed online. This makes it easy for you to run your sales team almost anywhere. Remote teams are a very popular and affordable solution for international call centers and are used commonly for businesses like Apple call centers or Xfinity call centers.

Your company can also test various markets with minimal risk using ITFS numbers. Global Call Forwarding does not charge activation fees and you will not be asked to sign a contract. Your ITFS numbers can be canceled at any time if you find the service does not fit your needs. Global Call Forwarding can provide you a free consultation to better determine the cloud communications needs of your business. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you get ITFS numbers for your business.