Almost everything in our world is turning digital, and the ability to order products and services and communicate with businesses quickly is not only important, but expected. Even if your business is a one-person operation, you need to do your best to offer your customers some means of contacting you 24/7 whether it is through phone calls or emails.
Online communication through email and bots can be a good solution, but customers can find those means frustrating and impersonal, and instead choose to call if they want to talk to a real person as soon as possible. If you aren’t providing your current and future customers with a way to call your business, you are missing out on sales.
Fortunately, you don’t need to be at the computer and by the phone at all hours of the day and finding and using the right tools will have a major impact on your business. Read on to discover 5 reasons why phone calls are still vital to your business, and how you can get a phone system to manage your calls so you don’t have to.
Reason #1: A Business Phone Number Gives Your Business Credibility
Ever searched for a service or product (especially a high-value one) and found a company has no phone number? Did you stick around? Probably not. When you offer your customers a contact phone number it gives your business legitimacy and credibility, before your prospect even picks up the phone.
Without a phone number customers worry that if anything goes wrong, they’ll be stranded at sea with no recourse or opportunity to receive immediate help, and they’ll go to a competitor to get what they need.
Reason #2: It’s an Extremely Effective Way to Handle Customers
Sure, a bot may be able to answer those questions that you’ve heard a thousand times and are also answered on your FAQ page, but nothing beats the effectiveness of talking a real person through a problem, both for you and the customer.
You can’t ignore customer experience, and when a customer calls you have the opportunity to give them an experience, they’ll remember for all the right reasons. If you get it wrong, they’ll remember that too.
Reason #3: Customers Who Call Are Often Worth More
Prospective and current customers who are willing to pick up the phone are invested in their product or service and your company. They have or are willing to put their money where their mouth is if you tell them what they need to hear. Cold calling is a staple for sales teams for a reason.
When someone is on the phone with a member of your team they are much more likely to convert, so capitalise on the opportunity.
Reason #4: It Builds Relationships and Brand Loyalty
People develop better relationships with your brand when they have a positive experience talking to someone on the phone.
When your prospects and customers call you have a unique experience to have their undivided attention and make an impression that may cause them to recommend them to their friends, family or colleagues, and come back to you for their needs time and time again.
Everyone can remember a time they spoke to a customer service representative and felt unimportant or uncared for and having a business phone number will give you the opportunity to do the opposite.
Reason #5: People Are Always on Their Phones
How often are you without your smartphone? According to Google, 91% of smartphone users have their phone within arm’s reach 24/7. Most people nowadays will grab their phone to search for something they need and will call if it’s easy to do so.
Google says that 48% of local mobile searches end with a phone call, and 47% of people said they would go to a competitor if they didn’t see a phone number on an ad.
People are always on their phone and can simply click through to call a provided number immediately, so providing a “call us now” button on your mobile site can be effective, especially if you rely on a lot of local business.
The great thing is that it’s easier than ever to get a professional telephone system in place, even if you are just a one-man or woman business.
Instead of having a work phone that can ring at any time, a cloud phone system can be hosted by a provider and offer you all the features you need and give your business the professional touch it needs, with no need to hire someone to sit by the phone.
Omni is a cloud phone system that gets a landline number routed directly to your mobile phones through a virtual receptionist and extensions. It functions completely through an app with no hardware installations needed and no contract attached, from only RM 60 per month.
Learn more about Omni and sign up here.
