There are two main ways, utilizing technology, that a small
business can project a big-business image. A dynamic and
professional website, and a dynamic cutting-edge phone system.
These two can compliment each other and are often used in
conjunction as marketing, customer service and revenue
generation tools.
As a marketing tool it's obvious what a website can accomplish.
It states for all to see what the business does and other
promotional items. A phone system can be the second part of that
marketing campaign. A customer who calls the business, as a
follow up from the website, is already under a good impression.
This positive feeling can be built upon with an advanced PBX
(phone system). A multi-level menu system, with a
professional-sounding voice, can greet the potential customer.
The menu can be divided by departments. For a small business
this can be valuable by giving the impression that there really
are departments! The Sales, Technical Support and Customer
Service departments can all be going to the same person. When a
person is waiting on hold, or is being routed through the
system, they can hear music or a recording about the business
and what they do.
As a customer service tool a website can inform a customer on
the different policies of the company. It can have technical
support questions and answers. Contact can be initiated through
the website via email, contact forms, instant messaging or
web-VoIP (Voice over IP) calling. An advanced phone system can
be setup to route calls based on priority or caller-id to the
appropriate individuals. For example, if a small company of
eight people lands a large account they will try extra hard to
please this client. The phone system can be setup so that when
the large client's caller-id, or a group of caller-ids if the
company has multiple numbers, comes up it will be routed to the
owner/manager. After business hours it can be routed to a
special number. Losing a client has never been harder.
As a revenue generation tool a website can have a store. It can
do lead generation by offering information or demos of your
product which would require the customer to fill out a form. A
sales associate would be able to follow up on these leads to
convert them to sales. A phone system can be setup to make
appointments for a service business. It can also be used to call
past customers as a reminder for further service. The system can
route calls to a salesman on the road to close a sale. No one
even needs to be in the office, as the system will route the
calls appropriately.
This is a small sample of how a website and an advanced phone
system can make Sam's Discount Drug Store look like Walgreens.
Cy Yablonsky is a realtor associate at Othello Realty,
www.OthelloRealty.com.
Cy has an extensive background in technology and communications
and applies that to the real estate market. Feel free to reprint
this article as long as all links stay live and no changes are
made.
About the author:
Cy Yablonsky is a realtor associate at Othello Realty,
www.OthelloRealty.com.
Cy has an extensive background in technology and communications
and applies that to the real estate market. Feel free to reprint
this article as long as all links stay live and no changes are
made.
