Ever thought about switching to VoIP? The vast majority of businesses have already upgraded from their old landlines. It’s no surprise as VoIP phones offer many benefits over their analog counterparts.
Many businesses hesitate to switch to new technology for financial reasons. This is understandable as the latest systems are usually more expensive. But VoIP phones are not expensive, especially if you go for hosted VoIP services. Believe it or not, your business can improve sales and save money with VoIP.
What is a VoIP phone?
Before we dive into how VoIP can help your organization, let’s take a quick look at how it works.
When providers talk about a VoIP phone system, they are referring to a specific technology or service. If you are familiar with enterprise phone systems, VoIP operates in a similar way.
Instead of a PBX box, you have an IP PBX setup that works over the internet. There is no separate network (like the PSTN) to handle calls. All your voice calls travel over the internet.
If you opt for hosted VoIP services, the setup is even simpler. All you need is an internet connection and sufficient bandwidth for voice calls. The provider delivers services over the cloud.
How does it work?
VoIP phone systems work by converting audio into data packets. Once converted, these data packets are no different from other types of information online. It means they can be sent over data networks, similar to email and documents. The packets are reassembled and converted back into audio at the destination.
These voice data packets travel over the internet for the most part. This is the secret of why VoIP calls are much less expensive than traditional phone calls. For an organization, internal calls are free with VoIP. Long-distance calls are much cheaper – sometimes costing pennies – when compared to traditional fixed-line phones.
Benefits of VoIP Systems
Productivity and Collaboration
VoIP phone systems integrate with a variety of other enterprise tools. Because of this integration, upgrading to VoIP can help you improve productivity in many ways. Employees don’t have to miss calls just because they are away from the desk. Using voice mail and faxing becomes easier as all messages get delivered directly to the email inbox. VoIP phone systems eliminate most frustrations and annoyances associated with landlines.
VoIP phone systems also help with collaboration. Businesses may have teams scattered across the globe. But they can communicate quickly and easily thanks to VoIP. Teams can set up virtual meetings that members can attend regardless of time zones. This feature alone can improve productivity by reducing time wasted in traveling to and fro.
Cost Savings
VoIP can help you save money in many ways.
- Calls between employees – no matter their location – are always free
- Long-distance calls cost a fraction of the price charged by traditional operators
- Purchase hosted VoIP services for a low monthly fee with no hidden charges or annual contract
- You do not have to purchase expensive hardware or software for VoIP calls
- Pay only for the resources you use in the month. Add and remove extra lines and phone numbers as per your requirement.
- With per-second billing, you will never overpay for calls again. If a call lasts 48 seconds, you pay for 48 seconds. Not the full minute!
Flexibility
VoIP phone systems are flexible. Choose between desk phones and softphone apps. Install apps on laptops, computers, and mobile devices to make VoIP calls from anywhere. Employees can connect multiple devices to the same phone number and easily switch between them.
Businesses can also choose between calling bundles, unlimited plans, and pay-as-you-go options. If your needs change in the future, you can always switch to another type of plan within minutes.
Only purchase as many lines/numbers as you need. Remove numbers you no longer need or add more lines if the business grows. You can even add capacity temporarily for seasonal demand!
Quick, Easy, and Convenient
If you buy hosted VoIP Services, there is very little setup or maintenance involved. You do not have to manually apply updates or software patches. The vendor takes care of security for the service. All this means you do not have to hire experts or additional personnel to manage the phone system. You can easily reassign employees to more valuable work instead of administrative tasks.
Location Independent
VoIP phone numbers are independent of location. Employees can move between multiple offices and take their numbers with them. A new employee can get started with calls immediately. You can move entire offices to a new location and have the phones working from day one.
This also means businesses can buy virtual phone numbers in any market they choose. You are not restricted to a specific area code.
9 Ways VoIP Can Boost Sales
VoIP phone systems are popular for reducing enterprise costs. But they can also help you boost sales in several ways.
1. Unlock Sales Opportunities
VoIP phones integrate with CRM and ERP systems. When a customer contacts your call center, the agent can easily see their purchase and service history. Use this information to cross-sell different products and services to existing customers.
For instance, you see that the customer has 2 of your products. Remind them of upcoming service appointments or the need to change/replace parts. Introduce your new cleaning service or add-on product to enhance their lifestyle. The opportunities are endless!
2. Expand into New Markets
With VoIP, you no longer need offices in every market you operate. This lowers the barrier of entry. Start selling in new markets as soon as your business is ready to expand. Thanks to virtual numbers, your customers will never know where you’re calling from.
3. Give the Impression of Being a Local Business
In many industries, customers prefer dealing with a local business. You can purchase virtual phone numbers in any area code, as long as your provider offers it. Use them to give the impression of being a neighboring business to improve sales.
Using virtual numbers also means customers don’t have to pay for long-distance calls. If your business isn’t big enough to have toll free numbers, this is the next best option.
4. Appear Professional and Bigger than You Are
Conversely, VoIP phone systems with IVR and auto-attendant features can make you appear bigger than you are. This can be useful in certain industries such as consulting and professional services. Would you prefer to do business with a professional sounding tax company or Joe Smith working out of his garage? Exactly, so would your customers. VoIP features can help you compete with larger organizations and competitors.
5. Retain Loyal Customers
Research indicates it is less expensive to retain existing customers than to acquire new ones. Reward loyal customers with personalized offers and discounts. Identify existing customers by their phone number and offer special discounts over the phone. VoIP systems make it possible by integrating with CRM tools.
6. Choose the Right Marketing Campaign
Have you ever wondered if a particular marketing campaign is really working or not? There is a way to monitor this with VoIP phones. Run multiple campaigns simultaneously with different virtual numbers for each. Monitor incoming calls to both numbers to decide which one is more effective to improve sales.
7. Reduce Missed Opportunities
What happens when a sales agent misses a call because they’re away from their desk? Research shows only 20% of customers leave voicemails. And about 95% of voicemails never get a response. Is this the impression you want customers to have of your business?
All those missed calls are lost sales. VoIP phones can help you recapture such opportunities. Agents don’t have to miss phone calls as they can answer them on any device. Voicemails are delivered directly to email inboxes. Direct customers to a group inbox if one particular agent is not available.
Respond immediately to customer queries and boost sales!
8. Reach Customers on Multiple Channels
Many customers prefer texting or instant messaging to phone calls. By only focusing on voice calls, your business is missing out. The best way to improve sales by reaching out to customers wherever they are.
VoIP systems integrate multiple channels into a single, comprehensive platform. That means everything from voicemail to texts is in one place. Never miss a sale again!
9. Shorten Service Interaction
Customers hate contacting service departments as it takes too long. They have to answer questions such as their account number and service history. Sometimes this repeats several times as they get transferred to different departments.
Eliminate repetitive questions with VoIP phone systems. Give agents customer details even before answering the call. Eliminate frustration and improve customer service to improve sales. Use IVR to give them account details or reminders while they’re on hold. Bring joy to customer service interactions and watch your sales numbers climb.
These are just a few of the many ways VoIP phone systems can boost your sales. Companies are constantly finding new opportunities with VoIP. Is it your turn next? Call VoIPstudio today to find out how VoIP can help your business!
