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The Rebirth of Phone Answering Services for Businesses
The advent of cloud based telecommunications has seen small business and entrepreneurs revive the use of phone answering services. Many businesses that use virtual office answering services are left at a disadvantage unlike those who choose virtual phone answering services.
Cloud based phone answering services offer a great alternative to virtual phone systems and voicemail. About 80 percent of callers hang up as soon as they are sent to voice mail and may never call back. This is why startups, business owners, entrepreneurs and small businesses should outsource their phone answering to a virtual answering system.
Advantages of Using a Virtual Phone Answering Service
- No more lost customers and opportunities. Instead of sending callers to voicemail, you will have a live receptionist to attend to all questions, concerns and suggestions coming via telephone. The live receptionist should have all the necessary information about your small business. If callers are sent to voice mail, chances are that you will lose them and potential sales opportunities.
- You can update your availability status over the phone or on the web. The virtual service is able to answer your phone, screen calls and transfer your calls if you are available. The service identifies real and potential customers and transfers them to you. You will be able to handle your calls more efficiently and concentrate on other areas of the business.
- Portray a professional image. A virtual phone answering service makes your business have the professional image that you want. The live receptionist answers all incoming calls and identifies urgent calls based on the information settings in the account. The live receptionist portrays a professional first impression.
- You have control over how you want your calls to be handled. If you are a business that deals with a number of other industries or persons, you may want calls from different entities to be treated differently. These can be configured when your account is set up.
- You can view your messages online or on mobile apps. The messages are usually on top of the queue for you to access immediately you log in. You can login, view and manage your messages and change availability status, more like an email.
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Most small businesses have a poor reputation for phone answering because of the need for human interaction with communication systems. However, this reputation is slowly changing as businesses leverage online technology systems that have never been seen before.
The new era in cloud phone answering services provide capabilities that are far much better than the more than a century old circuit switches and public telephone networks. Most of the virtual office phone answering services providers focus on providing services for small businesses.
About Jim Jacques
Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +
Telecommuting- Uncovering a Recruiter’s Secrets
A certain degree of tact is required when engaging in your first communication with a recruiter. There are certain things that people want to see, and hear, and certain things they don’t. Either way, most recruiters give you one chance to make an impression. Then they send your resume off to their Recycle Bin, or they hand you a business card with your next interview date on it.
The current job market is fiercely competitive, which means that minute flaws can make or break your case. Here are some secret telecommuting secrets, which can mean the difference between a career, and disappointment.
- Who Are You?
- One Conversation
- Recruiters Need Love, Too.
- Resume
- Cover Letter
- Follow the Directions
- Ask Questions
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Many people know themselves, but do they know themselves well enough to dissect their character? Be prepared to fire off a quick response to an inquiry about what your strengths are. If you stumble over your words, or can’t present the answer quickly enough, you’ll have gotten all dressed up for nothing.
Phone interviews are just as important as face-to-face interviews. You wouldn’t take a call on your cellphone while talking to the district manager. Don’t switch over to take another call unless you want your recruiter gone when you get back. That is very unprofessional when it comes to answering services or telecommuting.
Approach recruiters at job fairs. They are there to invite you aboard. Making friends is never a bad thing, especially in the corporate world. If you come off the right way, you’ll stand out.
Most recruiters will scrap a resume if they see a mistake. Always proofread your resume and have someone else do the same. If something doesn’t look right, fix it.
Anyone can upload a sparkling resume and attach it to an e-mail, but it will mean nothing if you don’t send the cover letter with it. As far as recruiters are concerned, a resume is but paper and their company is but a way for you to pay your bills every month in the absence of another explanation.
Many recruiters include specific instructions in their applications. No matter how eclectic the directions might be, most recruiters have a system, and it will aggravate them if you do not follow it right.
Most applicants feel that the focus should be on them. Most recruiters feel that your interest in their company is self-serving. Bring what you can to the table, but take something away from it. Ask questions about the company for which you are applying.
About Jim Jacques
Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs and small businesses. They entail a prestigious business address in cities across the US, a Virtual Phone Services for answering and forwarding your business calls, courier services and more. Google +
Local Phones and Local Leads
Virtual phones offer the benefits of a local phone number as well as the convenience of a virtual office. If you own a business and are constantly on the go, a virtual office may work well for you. No matter what business you’re in, if you work with the public you know the importance of being able to communicate. By using a virtual phone system you bring your office to your customers.
One of the benefits of having this type of service is being able to have a local phone number for your customers. For example, as an independent contractor, plumber, insurance salesman, etc., your office may be in one town, but the majority of your clients are in three towns in the next county. Having a local number for each of the towns your customers reside in, eliminates the need for them to make a long distance call when trying to reach you. Having a local phone number is beneficial to your business in numerous ways. Virtual phones enhance the benefits even more.
*Local number = easy access- When customers see a local number, they associate that with your business being close to home and readily available whenever you need them. It gives them a sense of confidence in your company knowing they are just around the corner.
*No long distance numbers for customers- Customers are more likely to choose a company with a phone number that is local to their area. By using virtual phones and the services they offer, you can increase the efficiency of your business by making your business more appealing to clients.
*Convenience- Clients want convenience. With virtual phone services and phone numbers in your client’s areas, the local leads you receive from promotions, advertisements and the yellow pages can increase dramatically in just a few short weeks.
Virtual phones and offices work together you to provide you with all of the tools you need to make your business a complete success. From making appointments to following up after the close of a big deal, these services add convenience as well as professionalism to any business.
About Jim Jacques
Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +
5 Free iPhone Apps for Virtual Businesses
With the advent of technology, it’s easier now than ever to do business with anyone in the world. Communication and connection is key to working remotely, and luckily there are several free iPhone apps that make this as convenient as possible. Now team members can communicate, collaborate, and stay organized. Here are five free apps that can help you manage your team smoothly and effectively.
1. Viber
Viber allows users to call and text anyone in the world–for free. It also allows you to send photos, and it is available in over 30 languages. The interface is simple and easy to use, with great sound quality and, best of all, it is completely cost and ad free!
2. VoxOx
While VoxOx does not provide free worldwide text and calls (though it is cheap), what they do provide is a wider range of services such as real-time 2-way translation into other languages, personalization of caller ID (to reflect you calling from wherever you like), ability to record phone conversations and also other great functions such as the Do Not Disturb mode, which routes all calls directly to voicemail and a call forwarding service to up to five other phone numbers.
3. Free Conference Call
This may be the original conference call app. Started in 2001, they have over three million registered users and 15-20 million connections a month. They have other services such as free conferencing.com that allows for up to 1,000 participants and Start Meeting which features screen sharing of files, spreadsheets, and other content to provide remote presentations to share via email or to be uploaded straight onto the web.
4. Ideapi
Ideapi is a simple to use and well-designed app to give users an organized and efficient way of collaborating on documents and ideas online. It can be used by creative agencies to flesh out ideas on specific projects and get client feedback, or by in-house recruiters to manage job details and candidates. There’s no doubt Ideapi will be a great tool for project management.
5. Vbuzzer
Vbuzzer routes your phone calls through your internet connection instead of your phone line, and can call people regardless of whether they have Vbuzzer or not! It is also a messenger client and is compatible with MSN, Yahoo, AIM, and ICQ networks as well as having its own network. The call rates are comparable to Skype.
About Jim Jacques
Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs and small businesses. They entail a prestigious business address in cities across the US, a Virtual Phone Services for answering and forwarding your business calls, courier services and more. Google +
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