Even in a sluggish economy there are smart solutions that can help grow your business or better service your business, to keep or add to your client/patient database. Let us start with one solution that is not utilized often enough by companies and medical practices. Many progressive companies and practices utilize the services of an answering service. Why's that, you may ask? It's simple: they understand the importance of staying in touch with their customer, clients or patients whenever it's necessary for them to call their company or medical facility. Or at a minimum, allow them an after hour calling service option for their callers. They realize servicing these calls either on an overflow or after hours basis at times is not only necessary, but a value-added service. Another reason why is to seamlessly have their calls covered. What company/practice can afford to miss a call?
Industry leading answering service companies have been providing a wide array of services for companies and medical professionals/practices for as long as the telephone has been a business tool. They are well aware that the first voice a customer/prospect/patient hears is important.
A sour tone, an unfriendly voice doesn't help your business in any way. Nor does hearing a voicemail message or that recorded "Our offices are now closed" message. The best answering service only hires and offers to its clients the best trained and articulate operators in the industry. Answering service companies are well aware that the voice they first hear truly matters.
Answering services exist that are well suited to help you better service and sell your business/practice. These services include: a complete call center, voicemail service, fax to e-mail service, business systems installation of phones from cable to phone selection and installation to creating your telecom infrastructure.
The best answering service companies have grown successful by listening attentively to their clients and offering them services they've truly needed. Your business or practice can and should do the same. Whether you need overflow call coverage after hours or at a peak seasonal selling time, you cannot afford to miss any calls. A mail order catalog company I know utilized the answering service solution and their sales grow. How? Well, while their sales staff was asleep, answering service operators were taking their calls after hours, especially from the west coast clients and prospects that had that recently received their new catalog in the mail.Their answering service was capable of servicing these calls and even helping people navigate on the company's web site and providing some helpful product information. When the sales staff arrived in the morning there were numerous messages left for all of their sales representatives. As a result, many of those calls received and handled by the answering service lead to actual sales.
What too many companies overlook is that a quality and professional answering service can practically become a partner, a sales and service partner without any legal paperwork or percentages owed or owned by another individual. And that's how any business or practice can creatively grow their business.
A reliable and well established answering service company is capable of being that partner. They can successfully play that role for you at an affordable price, offer flexible billing options and provide all the expensive new technology and telecom equipment, along with a skilled staff of operators that will be available when you need them. The answering service that your company chooses should back-up their services with a skilled staff of customer service and IT professionals. You shouldn't feel pressured you into signing any long-term contracts. Your answering service should want to earn your business over the long-term. And that to me is a good and old-fashioned way of doing business the right way. Good and trusted relationships over time usually pay off in more ways than one.
An answering service can also be your virtual office service provider. Virtual Office companies allow smaller companies or businesses and practices of one or two people, to appear bigger, which often times is better. Especially if your company is competing for a big piece of business and you can't afford to come often as a 1-2 person business. More importantly, an answering service will cover your calls when need be and to relay those important incoming messages in a variety of ways; via e-mail, phone or PDA. This excellent, no need to worry call coverage allows you to be out more often with your important clients or prospects which obviously is the prime way to grow your business.
Okay, you can't wait for that small stimulus check and hope fully you'll put it to good use. Or for business sake, utilizing an answering service can be a think outside the box approach as well as creative solution to partner with a productive service company to grow your business.
Robert Porter is the President and CEO of 1-800 We Answer Answering Service, a full service telecommunications company providing a complete range of answering service, call center, voice mail, fax, mail receiving, ordertaking, telemarketing and phone system services to businesses and individuals.
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