How a Virtual Telephone System Works For Your Business

Big businesses have always used a telephone system to make their communication stronger and more effective. When you call a big business, you are usually given a list of options of how to direct the call. This is a great advantage. The call is easily directed to the right person or department thereby minimizing the chances of call lost. Research has shown that 85 percent of new customers do not leave a voice mail. When they call, they want to speak to someone. Big businesses know the importance of answering calls. When you are first starting out in business, a normal land-line or a mobile phone can serve as the best mode of communication but as the number of calls increases, the need for a phone system also increases.
 
Make Your Phone System “Virtual”

A virtual telephone system is the best option for small businesses, medium businesses and also for home based businesses. It helps small and medium businesses project a professional appearance to their existing and prospective customers. A virtual phone provides a flexible and cost-effective approach to managing calls and fax services.  A virtual phone or a virtual PBX gives small business owners and mobile professionals the flexibility that they never had before. “PBX” is an acronym for Private Branch Exchange. A virtual phone works like a hosted PBX connecting the internal telephones of an organization to a public switched telephone network. It makes the communication system of an organization incredibly easy in a cost effective way.

Enjoy All the Features of a Phone System

Getting a standard PBX system for a business is an old option. First, it is expensive and second you have to maintain a fleet of people for managing the system. A virtual telephone system is the apt alternative. It has all the advanced features of a phone system and then some. Using a small business phone, you can easily use features like call forwarding, voice mail, auto attendant and another very significant feature of a small business – online fax.

Auto Attendant and Call Forwarding

The auto attendant of a virtual telephone system answers your calls and forwards them to the respective department/person. It works 24/7 without any human interference. An auto attendant replaces the human receptionist of an office and provides a cost effective and efficient solution for small and mid-sized businesses. The script of the auto attendant can be changed according to your business needs.

An auto attendant forwards the call to a person/department. If there’s nobody to answer the call, it forwards the call to voice mail. The callers can leave a message in the voice mail box. Since a virtual telephone sends out notification of a new voice mail message to your email and cell phone, there are fewer chances of voice messages going unanswered.

Online Fax

Online fax is another very significant feature of a virtual telephone system. It allows all virtual phone users enjoy faxing without a fax machine. You no longer need a fax machine, ink, paper, or separate phone line for faxing – now it can be done via an online interface. It makes you environmentally friendly and is the cost effective and faster way of faxing.

A Virtual Phone System is Essential for Budding Entrepreneurs

A virtual phone system is a prerequisite for small business owners who wish to present a professional image, advertise using a branded number, manage calls effectively, and save money. The rewards for using a virtual phone for a small business include: enhanced productivity, better customer service and reduced overhead costs.

Enhanced Productivity

One of the important reasons for using a virtual phone is that it allows small businesses to operate more professionally. Features like auto attendant completely eliminate the need for a receptionist. Businesses no longer need a receptionist to stay tied to the telephone answering and routing callers. An auto attendant can work independently 24/7 without the need for a receptionist. The advanced call forwarding feature of a virtual phone system, Follow-Me-Find-Me, allows you to forward calls to more than one telephone number. So on days when you are working from home, or on a client meet or vacationing, it allows you to maintain close contact with your employees and other customers using this advanced call forwarding feature.

Fax online allows customers to send and receive fax almost instantly using an online interface. This virtual fax feature completely removes the need for a fax machine and its associated paraphernalia. It is faster, smarter and more cost effective than traditional faxing.

Reduced Overhead Cost

The auto assistant feature alone will account for a substantial cost savings for any business using a virtual phone system. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. A virtual phone accounts for other significant cost reduction. The virtual fax feature also helps you to save money and space. Moreover, it also makes your communication more effective. You can also use features like advanced call forwarding and voicemail with a virtual phone. These are improved features that can normally prove to be expensive. But with a virtual phone you get these features for free. You are not separately charged for these features. Now this can be a very significant cost reduction for any business.

Better Customer Service

Customer service is an important factor for all business. How well a customer’s call is handled can be an important factor in determining whether a customer will be a repeat customer or a lost opportunity. A good customer support experience begins with an exceptional communication system. A virtual phone ensures that every call is answered and forwarded to the right department. With an auto attendant you can accomplish this quite easily.

An auto attendant promptly answers all the calls and greets the caller with a custom message.  Here the caller has an option either to reach out directly to the department/person simply by pressing the right extension or wait for the assistance of the auto attendant.

Simple to Use

A virtual phone system is very simple to use. You simply integrate it with your existing telephone connections – cell phone or landline. You do not need a dedicated connection. These phone systems are hosted much like websites. So you do not have to spend time migrating from your old telephone system to a new one. You also do not need any software or hardware installation.

Analyzing a Virtual Telephone

A telephone system has always been at the center of a company’s communication system. Businesses now have the luxury of choosing from a wider range of phone systems but there was a time when businesses hardly have any choice, other than the age old PBX system. Since today is an age of choice and alternatives, it is important that you choose the best telephone system for your business - a phone system that is reliable and yet not expensive.  Businesses must also ensure that they are able to be contacted at all times. A virtual telephone perfectly meets all the needs. It is not expensive, it is reliable and dedicated to keeping you in contact with customers without interfering with your busy schedule.

Works Seamlessly without Human Intervention

A virtual telephone is in reality nothing but a virtual PBX that has all the features of an advanced phone system with a few extras. You can use a virtual phone number, which again allows you to create extensions for every employee or department. When a customer calls your virtual phone, he is automatically answered by the auto attendant, who then forwards the call to the respective department or employee.  It works seamlessly after business hours and during weekends. You can edit the message of an auto attendant so that it perfectly greets callers after business hours or on weekends.

Economically Better than a PBX

Economically, a virtual telephone is a better option than a PBX. It does not need any expensive hardware, software or installation. It also does not need a separate telephone line. It can work with any of your phones. It can be used with a standard landline at home or office, or with a normal cell phone connection. It allows employees to go mobile and yet be contacted in the most professional way. It also allows users to screen a call before answering it. Calls can be forwarded directly to the voicemail box, if you do not want to answer them right away. Many businesses prefer to answer business calls using a virtual phone because it allows answering calls in the most professional way. It also helps businesses create an illusion of being a big company.

Allows Using Online Fax

The advantages of using a virtual telephone are not limited to this. It also allows you to do other important business work seamlessly while you are away from the office or on the go, for example, using online fax. An online fax, also known as virtual fax, allows faxing without any fax machine. It helps you to send and receive fax from a laptop or from a smart phone or tablet from home, car or from a hotel. It is reliable, faster and cost effective.

Maintains the Same Professional Tone

Using a virtual telephone, you can forward business calls to cell phones or to office phones. Since the auto attendant greets the caller in the same professional manner and forwards the call to your cell phone or home phone, the caller gets the same professional feeling as when he calls an office number. This is a big bonus for mobile workers.

A Virtual Phone Helps You Function Like a Fortune 500 Company

With all the new technologies that we are using today, it makes a telephone seem quite irrelevant.  You can send an email to your colleague or an IM. You can also call and talk to your colleagues over Skype or Gtalk. But what about your customers? Would you talk to them over Skype or Gtalk? Would you sound professional if you did talk to them over Skype or Gtalk? A telephone plays an important role in making a business sound and function like a Fortune 500 company. Why look tiny when you have every chance of looking big and professional?

A virtual phone can make you sound as big as any multi-national company and it can be done within your budget. A virtual telephone has features that can make even a small business sound quite big and professional.   Why not appear larger and attract more sales? Following are a few ways that a virtual phone works to make a business look big:

Professional Greetings

Whenever a customer dials your virtual phone he/she is always greeted by a professional who presents him a list of options and he can choose the best option. The auto attendant works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without any human intervention. So it does not matter whether customers are calling after business hours or on weekends, there will always be somebody to receive the call and guide the caller properly.  An auto attendant makes a business look big and professional without any extra cost. It is, in fact, a very important feature of a virtual telephone.

Extensions for Every Employee/Department

You can also use a toll free number with your virtual system. A toll free number can prove to be equally beneficial for a business. A toll free number allows you to create extensions. So now you can have dedicated extensions for every employee or every department. This is another important feature that larger companies employ. They usually have extensions for every employee or department.  Using a virtual phone you can create multiple extensions even though your company may be so small that all calls are directed to one person. The callers will have an impression that they are calling a big company.

Using a Voicemail Box

A missed call can prove to be disastrous for a business. A virtual phone allows you to forward calls when you are not available to answer them. Callers can leave a message in the voicemail box and you can call them back at your convenience. This drastically reduces the chances of lost business opportunities. As soon as a caller leaves a message in your voicemail box, the phone system sends you an alert. This makes sure that none of the voice messages go unnoticed. Alternately, you can also set the phone in Do Not Disturb mode until you are available which will forward calls directly to your voicemail. 

Smart Faxing

No matter if you are a big business or a start-up, faxing is an important form of communication for your business. Though other forms of business communication have emerged, faxing still dominates the landscape of business communications.  A virtual phone allows you to send and receive fax without a fax machine. Your tablet or smart phone can work as a faxing device and you can successfully send and receive fax.  This is known as virtual fax or online fax. It is cost effective, efficient and faster than normal faxing.

A Virtual Phone System is the Lifeline of a Customer Service Professional

Business would have been far easier if you did not have the hard task of convincing and attracting customers. But customers are the most important part of a business. They bring sales and help to keep a business growing. Once you have customers, it’s a full time job to attend to them, listen to them, understand their needs, and address them in the best possible way. There needs to be a team who can take care of customers. You also need teams for marketing products and services that will bring customers to the door.

A modern call center with a phone system is the best way to address both existing customers and prospects. It provides multiple options to customers and they can choose according to their need. But what if your business is small? If you cannot afford a phone system – no matter how small your business or budget is, a virtual phone system is just apt for all businesses.

Needs No Physical Existence

No matter if a business is big or small, every business struggles to reduce its expenses and increase its profit. A virtual phone system is perhaps the most appropriate choice for such efforts.  It is just perfect to cut the expensive physical realms and move to a more virtual realm. A virtual phone does not need any software, hardware or installation. It does not need a separate telephone connection and can work with any phone connection – residence phone, cell phone or office phone.  It is actually hosted by the service providers, much like the websites.

Enhanced Customer Support

A virtual phone system can also play a crucial role in enhancing customer service and satisfaction. It has such advanced features like voicemail, call forwarding and auto attendant that not only portray businesses as big and professional but also improves your services to a great extent. Missing a customer call can be fatal, especially if you are a customer service professional.  Moreover, whenever the customer calls you, day or night he wishes to be treated professionally. The auto attendant of a virtual PBX allows you to record professional greetings. You can also change or edit it according to the hours of operation, season or festival.

Helps in Taking a Professional Approach

Whenever customers call, you can be sure to greet him professionally. A virtual phone system also allows you to forward calls to more than one phone number. If you are not available on one number the system can try forwarding it to another number. This drastically reduces the chances of calls going unanswered. If you are not available on any of the numbers then the call is forwarded to the voicemail box. Callers can leave a message there. The system will send out alerts as soon as there’s a new message. You can reply to these messages at your convenience.

Supports the Lifeline of Call Center 

Answering calls is important for every business, but it has more significance for a call center or for a customer service professional because their business starts only after getting calls from customers. Missing a call is equivalent to a missed business opportunity. A virtual phone system is a boon for these people. It assures them to keep their customers close.

How a Virtual Telephone Can Help Your Business

A virtual telephone is undoubtedly one of the most exciting innovations of the telecom industry. No wonder businesses are clamoring to acquire a virtual phone because they feel it can change the way of their business. A virtual phone system does not need any hardware, software or installation.  In fact, there are quite a few service providers of this phone system and you can have a free trial with most of them. This gives you an opportunity to assess the phone system before using it for business. You can also determine whether this phone service is suitable for your business or not.

Helps to Grow Business

Once you start using a virtual telephone (http://www.itelecenter.com/Virtual-Phone-System.aspx), it will be easier for customers to reach you and this can help in expanding the customer base and boosting sales. You have to dedicate all your time in finding ways to grow the business, meeting customers and prospects. Your time is precious and it can hardly be wasted in such unproductive jobs as answering unimportant calls received on the business number. But that is also important. After all, telephone is the most common communicative device and customers will prefer to dial it.

Makes You More Productive

Hiring a receptionist might prove to be expensive especially for a small business. The best alternative is to use a virtual telephone. The auto attendant of this phone system will answer all the calls and direct it to the right person or department. You can also set a customizable business greeting that will greet anybody who calls your business number. The phone system also allows you to screen and answer the phone calls, so that no unimportant call can take a share of the precious time.

Allows You to Work from Anywhere

Another major advantage with a virtual telephone is that it allows to work from anywhere. There’s no need to remain glued to the work desk indefinitely waiting for a phone call or for a fax message. Incoming calls can be routed to your cell phone (of course by using a virtual phone) and voice mails can be delivered to your inbox. Fax messages can also be forwarded to emails with a link to the attachment in PDF format. You can do work seamlessly away from office and yet remain connected to colleagues and customers.

Reduced Chances of Losing Business

Call screening (http://www.itelecenter.com/Call-Screen-Call-Announce.aspx) of a virtual telephone helps to keep you away from unimportant calls. If you do not want to receive an important call when you are busy, simply forward it to the voice-mail box. This minimizes chances of losing a possible business opportunity. It is also possible to set the day and time when you are available on each number. The phone system actually hunts you down to deliver the call.

Scalable

Another very important feature of a virtual telephone is its scalability. A virtual phone system can actually grow with a business. Whenever you need an extra connection, just add it to your account. Each of the employees can also customize the features of the phone system like call forwarding, voicemail, etc.

All these help to boost the image of a business and also its sales.  It also helps to improve employee productivity and quality of customer service.

A Virtual Phone Helps Small Businesses Do More with Small Budgets

These days making the most of your business budget is more than a priority and the challenge is greater for small businesses. Small businesses have to find solutions that best suit their budgets and also their needs. Finding a communication system that connects your customers, employees and partners is not easy especially within a tight budget.  A virtual phone system is perfect for companies in this situation.

Hosted Phone Service

With mobile workers becoming more and more common, every company is looking for tools that can connect not only their customers but also their employees. No matter what the size of your workforce is, a virtual phone can easily cater to your needs. It is equally relevant for small and big businesses. Since a virtual telephone does not need much investment, it is affordable even for a start-up business. It does not need any hardware, software, installation or dedicated telephone connection. It is hosted by your service provider much like your website. You do not have to be concerned with its maintenance though you have the flexibility to manage it.

Perfect to Maintain Connectivity with Customers

A virtual phone (http://www.itelecenter.com/Virtual-Phone-System.aspx) allows you to transfer calls among colleagues sitting geographically apart or right next to each other in the same office. Maintaining constant connectivity with your customers is very important but it can be a huge challenge especially if you are running a small business and are wearing many hats.  You might be busy in meetings or doing accounting work and it might not be possible to always answer your customers. But with a virtual phone there’s no need to panic. It forwards your customer’s calls to your voice-mail box, if you are not able to answer your customers. Your customers can leave a message for you at the voice mail box and you will reply back to them at your convenience. A missed call does not necessarily mean a missed business opportunity.

Using Modern Fax

Being the owner of a small business, you also need to fax documents to your customers. Though there are several modes of business communications like email, faxing still continues to play a dominant role. But faxing is not only expensive but can also be time consuming. You need to have a fax machine for sending and receiving fax, a dedicated telephone line for faxing, scanner, paper, etc. Moreover, you have to stand by the fax machine while feeding every page to the machine to watch for paper jams. When you use virtual phone, you can send and receive fax to your customers via an online interface. This is known as online fax. It is cheaper, faster and more effective than traditional faxing. You neither need a fax machine nor a telephone connection or paper.

Giving Your Business an Extra Edge

Another important tool that can draw more customers to your business is a toll free 1 800 number (http://www.itelecenter.com/1-800-Number.aspx). Using a toll free number with your virtual phone helps your customers across the U.S and Canada reach you for free, even when they are calling from somewhere far. Your free availability across the nation can give your business an extra edge over your competitors. Your customers will prefer to call you because they will not have to pay anything for that.