Having your own company is not easy, especially in the beginning. You have to make some sacrifices and occasionally be ready for a compromise. That means that even if you disagree with some things, it would be smart to still do them for the sake of your corporation.
Why did we bring this up? Well, it’s because a lot of young, new entrepreneurs do not think that having a dedicated business number matters. On the other hand, older, experienced people disagree with them.
They think that it is crucial to separate your professional and private communications, plus, if you own one, it will make your firm look serious and established, even if it’s just a startup. Generally speaking, there are several reasons why it’s essential to get one. Nowadays it’s even possible to have a business virtual phone number, which also does the trick. Scroll down to find out why a business number is important.
A Million Reasons Why
Privacy
Many people think that it is much easier to have just one number without thinking that it means that everyone (literally) can reach you. It doesn’t matter whether you are looking for a business partner, or you are just advertising your services, you have to post that information everywhere.
What does it mean? It means that something as private as your number is going to be seen by anyone who even accidentally runs into it. If by any chance your business is advertised on various social networks, it also means that your mobile phone is now all over the internet.
Maybe some entrepreneurs are not bothered by this fact, but keep in mind that individuals from different parts of the world will try to reach you, even outside working hours. If you’re okay with that, even better!
Be Professional
Everybody wants to leave this impression. It doesn’t matter whether you are just starting your own company or if you are a freelancer who works remotely, you are still relying on your mobile phone for any major business calls.
If you decide to get your own dedicated line, it means that you are not obligated to share your number with just anyone. More importantly, make sure to obtain a smartphone service that allows you to quickly forward a call to your cell phone.
All these little things may seem irrelevant at first, but in time, you will realize that others (potential clients and customers) will perceive you differently and will take you seriously.
Local Means More Trust
Over the past couple of years, purchasing products from local businesses have become extremely popular. It’s probably because products from these types of companies offer much better quality.
Therefore, it’s no surprise why today local equals trust. Consequently, it is recommendable to obtain a phone number in the local area code you work with. Now, if by any chance your business involves lots of traveling, then it would be good to get several numbers with different local area codes that are in your regions.
Not available 24/7
No matter how close you want to be with your clients or business partners, the truth is, you do not want to be at their disposal all the time. Who wants to be called at 3:00 AM for instance? No one.
Now, if you acquire a business phone number that comes with those superb calling features, you will be able to avoid these occurrences. All you have to do is make an after-hours message that instantly forwards to your business’s voicemail.
More importantly, if you are a night owl and you are awake at that moment, you will still be able to check that message if the voicemail goes straight to your email. Of course, this means that you have access to the internet, otherwise, you will not be able to do it.
Why Else?
People Still Use Phones To Communicate
Sounds strange, right? In the world of social media and direct messaging, it is hard to imagine that people are still using regular phone calls to communicate.
Well, some are still choosing this over email, chats, and other forms. In fact, many consider phone calls as something more natural, especially when they are considering utilizing your service or products.
Yes, you can make a deal over email or social media, but talking directly to someone makes everything more real, not to mention seeing them in person. That’s why, this type of communication will never get old, at least not to everybody.
Having A Choice
As we stated above, no one wants to be accessible all the time. Now, it’s not always because it’s too late or something. Who knows, maybe you are not feeling well and you want to be left alone.
There are a number of reasons why you do not want to be reached. With a dedicated phone number things are much more simple. For instance, when someone is calling you to your business number, you will be welcomed with a certain message that only you will be able to hear.
What does it look like? It will probably be informed that you are having an incoming call. Then you will be faced with two alternatives. You can either accept it or ignore it. If you pick the second option, that person can now only leave the message to your voicemail and that’s it.
The good thing about this option is that while you are deciding what to do, that consumer will hear nothing but a typical ringing. They will have no idea what is actually going on. It is even better to create a professional greeting message that he/she can hear.
It will give you more time to determine whether you are going to answer the phone or not, plus if you don’t, you will receive either a text or email notification regarding this incoming call. Quite a convenient option.
Having A Virtual Number
One of the latest technological advancements when it comes to this topic is surely a virtual number. What does it represent? According to professionals at GBPN, this is one of the most useful ways of making the most out of your company. What are its benefits?
It comes with many of them. One of the most important ones is that you will never miss an important call again. It allows you to redirect your call to wherever you want to. It can be your cell phone, computer, desk phone, etc.
That means that you can utilize almost any device to communicate with your consumers. Another benefit is that it is not as expensive as typical carrier-based calls. Moreover, if you turn to the virtual phone number for your corporation, you will quickly realize that your bills are nowhere near as high as they were used to. The only thing you need is a high-quality internet connection at your office or any other place that you are using to do your business tasks.
Better Call Quality
Unfortunately, most people have experienced the loss of connection, horrible network, not being able to hear or understand the person on the other side, and other awful situations.
That’s something that is not good for anyone’s business. You are not able to make some important business deals or anything else concerning your company and because of it, you just might lose a potential customer.
That’s exactly why it is good to consider having a dedicated phone number. You will no longer have to deal with low call quality or to rely solely on your cell phones when it comes to communicating with your consumers.
Now, all you have to do is find a first-class provider that has a great reputation. A company that will provide you with top-notch service. Fortunately, today’s market is filled with excellent providers!
And That’s Not All…
Show that you care! – Customers are always right (even when you know they aren’t) and they should always be prioritized. That doesn’t mean that you should allow them to do whatever they want to, but simply show them that you care.
And what better way to do it, than to answer their call as often as you can. You never know what they need. Even if you are not available at the moment, an internet-based service will allow you to instantly send (either a regular or a voice message) a message back to the person that called.
They will perceive this as a sign of your concern. It showcases that you didn’t just want to leave them with a classic, boring answering machine message but rather make something more personal.
Help You Get A Business Credit
If you are looking to obtain business credit, then this is one of the ways that can help you get it. Anyone who wants to start their own company knows how important it is to have a credit.
Why is that? Well, it’s because then you are able to make a different financial history, that is completely different from the personal one. Acquiring a credit card enables you to keep both your credits safe (personal and business). That means that if something negative strikes one of them, at least the other one is secured.
Save Money
Before, many people were installing separate lines, every time they were getting a new phone number. And that was perfect for all phone companies because they were simply enjoying charging for any additional costs.
Luckily, now the situation is entirely different. You do not need to purchase more devices in order to get a dedicated phone number. More importantly, there are numerous applications that you can download that are either free or charge pet text or minute.
This means that you will be able to save a lot of money every year. These apps are especially beneficial for people who have lots of workers.
Not To Worry About Listings
Having a dedicated phone number means that all your business listings are using the same phone number. That means that you do not have to wonder about who’s mobile phone is listed where.
Furthermore, even if you must get a new number, you do not have to stress about losing a client or your company because of a listing that has previously had your old mobile phone on it. The less you worry the happier you will be!
SEO Loves It!
Now, we know that this wasn’t something that would cross your mind when it comes to this topic, but online search engines do pay attention to these things. Some of the biggest ones utilize citations to check the quality of the company and to determine the position of the company in the search results.
Each time you get a positive review or reference on other social networks, websites, blogs, and other places will help you become more “SEO friendly”. Moreover, if you get a lot of citations from multiple sources, it will benefit you even more. You and your corporation will suddenly become more palpable and real to the search engines!
Be Recognizable
It doesn’t matter how close you are with your clients, not everyone is able to remember every single phone number they’ve been in contact with. That’s why it’s important to be recognizable and that’s precisely what a dedicated phone number offers.
If you are not using one, you are increasing the chances of being ignored because they will not recognize your phone number. On the other hand, if you get to obtain one, your clients or business partners will know exactly who is calling them.This is very crucial, especially you must make an appointment with them, or urgently send them an important message. Also, a dedicated phone number enables you to utilize an area code that your clients will be able to recognize.
Every relationship requires excellent communication and the same goes for the ones you have with your business partners or consumers. With that in mind, it is safe to say that having your own dedicated phone number is of huge importance. The reasons we listed above are great examples of it and we hope that they have helped you get a clearer picture regarding this topic.
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