When starting a business and planning for growth, often the smaller things get forgotten. This can include incoming phone call management. Answering the phone effectively and efficiently is incredibly important. Not only do you want to make sure to provide your customers with a quality experience in contacting you, but you also want to come off as professional and competent. In this article, we’ll learn how can small businesses manage inbound calls more effectively.
On top of that, having an effective inbound call management process will help with your own productivity. It ensures that everyone gets the calls and messages they need at the right times, and nothing is missed. The last thing you want is to lose a sale because of a missed phone call or message. Here are some ways that you can effectively manage inbound calls for your small business.
Why Inbound Call Management Matters
Inbound calls are often a direct line to your customers, potential clients, or stakeholders. They offer insights, highlight pain points, and pave the way for potential sales. Efficiently managing these calls can lead to:
- Enhanced customer satisfaction
- Improved brand image
- Increased sales opportunities
- Operational efficiency
Have a Documented Routine and Policy to Manage Inbound Calls
If your staff don’t know how to manage calls, then you can’t expect them to know what to do when they get one. Make sure that you have a clearly defined policy for answering calls and taking messages. Everyone must know what to do when a call comes in, how to transfer it to the appropriate extensions, and the process for ensuring that messages get where they need to go.
Without this process, you may have some people who take messages by paper, and others who send text messages or emails, and others who have a completely different process. If there are too many methods, then it can be confusing, and you may end up searching your desk for note papers with phone numbers scrawled on them.
They should also know when it is appropriate to take messages, or send to voicemail, or to transfer a call right through. Confusion can lead to a frustrating experience for the customer. If everyone is on the same page and consistent, then your workplace will function to manage inbound calls more efficiently.
Have a Process for Follow-up
The last thing you want is for a lead to slip through the cracks and get missed. This can happen if there are calls coming in that are not directed to a specific person or department. Assign someone to handle follow up calls every day.
They will monitor messages in your prospect and lead file and make sure to reach back out to those people. That way you will capture every lead and have more opportunities to convert sales. If you don’t call them back, then you can bet that a competitor will.
Use a VoIP Phone System
Using a voice-over internet protocol (VoIP) system will ensure that you can do whatever you need to do with your business phones. VoIP does not work like a landline phone. The audio converts to a digital format and deliver through the internet.
VoIP phones have many features that will help to make sure that not only do you not miss calls. But that your staff can work more efficiently and effectively. VoIP services have features and functionality that will make it easy for you to have an effective business phone system. Here are some of the benefits of going with VoIP.
Advanced Call Forwarding to Manage Inbound Calls
This feature is call-forwarding on steroids. No longer do you need to manually forward calls to the appropriate person or department. Advanced call forwarding will automatically forward certain calls to where they need to go. You don’t have to lift a finger. The only one in your office who has to deal with the call is the person for whom it is intended. Everyone else can go about their day.
Visual Voicemail
Checking your voicemails can be time-consuming. You need to log into your voicemail service, and then listen to all of the messages that are there. As you listen, you need to write down any important details. Too often you probably miss a digit of a phone number, or mishear a name to manage inbound calls.
With visual voicemail, your messages are automatically transcribed into text, and sent to you as an SMS or an email. That way you will have all of the information displayed to you, and there’s no need to re-listen to any messages. Or log into your voicemail service.
Email Delivery
This is a similar service to visual voicemail. Except instead of transcribing your messages, it saves them in digital files and emails them to you. You can then listen to your voicemails on your laptop or any other device. Even if you delete those voicemails from your system. They will still be available as local files on your device and in your email account. That way no messages are out. So, you can hear them as soon as they come in, no matter where you might be.
Remote Features to Manage Inbound Calls
There are more people working remotely than ever before. Your phone system needs to be able to keep your team connected to your customers, no matter where they are. Instead of confusing your customers by having several phone numbers for everyone on your team.
In addition, VoIP makes it possible to continue using one number and routing calls wherever they need to go. Customers never know that they are calling somewhere outside of your place of work. This creates a seamless and simple experience for them.
Never underestimate the value of having a good phone management system and process. Missing calls, or offering a negative experience for your customer will cost you sales and revenue. Follow these tips to make sure that nothing gets out. Finally, invest in VoIP technology to have the best business phone system possible.
