Risk & Business Magazine Gifford Associates Fall 2015 | Page 27

Need Human Interaction 10 Considerations for Your Business Phone System BY: DAVID LEE, DIGIVIE COMMUNICATIONS People do business with people they know, like, and trust. Meeting in person with your clients is always preferable. Your telephone provides you with ‘human’ interaction the rest of the time. A good telephone system will outlast the best computer, costs less, and provides the next best thing to meeting face-to-face with your clients. Set your budget accordingly, and make good decisions in your own best interest. I often ask business owners one simple question: If you were to have either your telephone or your computer taken away from you for 1 week, which would you choose? Key points to consider: 1 Quantify the value of voice communication in your business. • How much do you and your staff interact with clients by telephone? • If you could be 5/10/20% more efficient in handling calls (inbound and outbound), will this result in more new clients? Fewer lost ones? How many? 5 Do you have effective internal messaging systems, or do your staff stick post-it notes on each other’s screens while they are using the telephone? 6 Do you have user-friendly automated attendants, interactive voice response, and outbound dialing? 7 Can your system generate reports; find you away from your desk; integrate with your email system; initiate telephone calls from your client database; or tell you if your colleague is busy, on the phone, in a meeting, or out to lunch (and notify you when they become available)? 8 Do you have virtual telephone numbers for marketing campaigns, specific lines of business, or other cities, and are they routed and answered appropriately? 10 Do you have a technology partner you can trust with both IT and telephony skills so your telephone and computer systems can be truly integrated? With so many ways to communicate, it quickly becomes a daunting and overwhelming task to sort through the techno-babble and establish a system that works for you, your business, and most important of all, your clients. A good partner can help you through this process. When you are good at communicating – both within your organization and with your clients, you instantly have a competitive advantage in helping yourselves and your clients achieve success. To learn more, give us a call at [phone] or send us an email at [email protected]. 9 Do you have ridiculous telephone bills every month (including cellular), and are you paying for 3rd party voice and not-your-brand web conferencing services? • What is the value of your average client? Over time? 2 Make a list of ALL the issues you have with your existing telephone system. ASK your key staff for their own lists. Then go back and do #1 again. 3 Do you have multiple locations or a mobile workforce and how do you manage their telephone use? Are personal cellular telephone numbers being shared with clients? 4 Do you have sales and service teams sharing inbound calls effectively? Is your receptionist overwhelmed and not making positive first impressions with your clients? David Lee is an IT professional specializing in IP telephone systems and business VoIP services. With a degree in Mass Communication and 25+ years in IT and telecom, his understanding of how people work with technology enables him to help business owners make good, informed decisions in their own best interest. TM FALL 2015 RISK & BUSINESS MAGAZINETM 27