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Category: Blog

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How to Manage an Effective Sales Team

Posted on by Magaly Fuentes

Source: DepositPhotos.com - O#:10312371 ID#27446420

Growing a sales-based business is not an easy task. It may be the single most difficult challenge a business owner can face. The success of any business depends on implementing the right strategies concerning brand development, marketing, sales, and customer service. Success doesn’t come instantly, but if one builds a solid foundation for the brand and is then able to manage an effective sales team, the sky is the limit.

Business Management Basics

Having a true passion for the business you are managing is extremely important for your success in your position. It is also important for the success of the company. There is a need for strong skills in the areas of business planning, strategy, finance, and marketing. There is also a need for communication skills, leadership skills, and a strong understanding of motivating and rewarding employees. A clear strategic vision for the company is a necessity. So is the ability to make informed management decisions based on research and analysis of the market, competitors, and other external and internal forces. Understanding the impact these aspects have on your business is critical.

What Makes an Effective Sales Team?

  • A strong, centralized sales culture and environment, established by the manager and carried forward by those on the sales team
  • Natural energy/ synergy between members
  • Meaningful relationship building with clients/customers
  • Great time management skills
  • Ongoing learning
  • Accountability
  • Communication and collaboration
  • Structured goals
  • Celebration of successes

Tips for Managing an Effective Sales Team

  • Recruit the best people for the job
  • Know how to sell
  • Provide consistent coaching
  • Inspire your team to succeed
  • Set the pace for the sales team
  • Clearly define a process
  • Measure the team’s performance
  • Manage the forward pipeline
  • Communicate effectively with your sales team
  • Protect the time of those on your team
  • Celebrate team successes

Sales Team Tools

Advances in technology, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and process automation have changed the landscape for sales teams over the last few years. With that in mind, some sales tools can help to improve a team’s overall performance, automate normally time-consuming tasks, and support significant transformations in the sales process. The tools are generally focused on the following:

  • Communications and conferencing tools
  • Content sharing and content management
  • Analytics
  • Account-based sales and marketing
  • Customer relationship management (CRM) systems
  • Email management
  • Performance management
  • Sales engagement
  • Sales and market intel
  • Lead generation
  • Productivity
  • Contract management
sales team management
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Measuring Successes

The quality of any sales team strategy is only as good as its execution, and sales metrics are the guideposts. The best sales team managers know how to manage an effective sales team from beginning to close of the sale. They focus on a clear set of metrics and key performance indicators along the way. This information is then used to increase the effectiveness of decisions moving forward.

Growing a Sales-Based Business

It takes a lot to be successful in sales. You need to know your customer well and you need to be resilient when it comes to dealing with rejection. You need to know when to talk and when to listen. You also need to know when to lean on technology. This will help improve your processes, help you close a higher number of deals, and shift the time normally spent on those tasks to other things.

The potential benefit of the many tools on the market today is exciting. If you really want to tap into how to manage an effective sales team, make use of the best tools out there. Contact United World Telecom today to learn more. This can help you can spend less time researching and doing tedious things and more time selling and managing your sales team.

How To Get a Toll Free Number

Posted on by Becki Meerbeek

Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 ID#100007588082

A toll free number is an 800 number typically used for business. These numbers allow for a convenient way to call long distance. Additionally, they provide businesses with a way to offer a completely free option for customers to reach out to them. Regardless of your reasons for needing one, you’ll need to know how to get a toll free number to begin using one. So, to help, we’ve come up with step-by-step instructions on getting your very own 800 number.

1. Determine Your Needs for a Toll Free Number

You can use toll free numbers for a number of things. However, a toll number is typically used as a business phone line. These numbers can help to make business better by:

  • Eliminating long distance fees. Customers can call businesses from anywhere in the country and world, as calls from these types of numbers are always considered local.
  • Can work for remote offices: Since they can be added to internet phone systems and even to mobile phones, they’re a great choice for businesses with remote employees.They’re recognizable and memorable: Toll free numbers are typically 1-800 numbers that can be used to help with branding efforts, as they’re easier to recognize and remember. Plus, you can choose your own vanity number to give your number a personalized, professional touch.

2. Figure out Which Features You’ll Need

Are you going to want your toll number to be able to take voicemail recordings? Do you want to offer customers the chance to hear a pre-recorded greeting before reaching their representative? Do you want voice messages to be sent in written form as text messages or directly to your email inbox? Depending on what you want your toll free number to do, you’ll need to determine the features you need before choosing your toll free number and selecting your provider.

3. Selecting Your Toll Free Number Provider

Choosing your toll number provider will depend on your financial budget and the features you’ll need. Global phone service providers like United World Telecom can set you up with mobile toll free business numbers that come with any and all the advanced features you’ll need. And, offer them at a great, affordable price.

How to get a toll free number
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4. Choosing Your Toll Free Number

Because they are customizable, you can choose your own number. This gives you an edge, as you can select a number that associates with your business, services, branding, and goods. So, rather than offering your consumers a random phone number, give them one to remember by using the letters associated with each telephone keypad number. For example, if you repair cars for a living, choose a number like 800-AUT-OFIX.

5. Checking Toll Free Number Availability

Even though you may already have a toll free number in mind that makes it memorable for your consumers, you have to first see if it’s available. Your toll number service provider will be able to tell you if the number you want is already taken or not. But, remember, there are more options for toll numbers other than 800, as you can also choose the variations 855, 866, 877, and 888 as well. So, even if your number isn’t available with 800, you can still keep the last 7 digits and choose from the other options instead.

6. Designating the Phone Number to a Business Phone Line

When you’ve determined the number you want and its availability, you can finally decide which phone to route the number to. Certainly, this can be any mobile device. They can route to other business phone systems as well, like cloud systems, VoIP systems, and multiple line systems. After you’ve selected the line your toll number is routed to, you can start to dial out and receive calls from this number. And, provide your customers with a free way to reach you.

Getting Your Toll Free Number Today

Now you know how to get a toll free number for your business. So, if you’re certain that they can help to provide a professional touch to your business, find out more about all of the features to choose from on United World Telecom’s website. And, contact us today to get started on the process of selecting your own business phone number today.

How To Get a Business Phone Number

Posted on by Becki Meerbeek

Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 ID#100189500444

If you’ve recently started a business, you’re going to have to establish some type of business phone line. No matter if your business is large or small, or if you’re a B2B business or B2C type of establishment, you’ll need to give clients a way to reach you via telephone. Whether you need to set up a structured VoIP phone system or are going to have calls routed right to your cell phone, virtual phone numbers provide a great way to make business phone numbers memorable and build client trust. If you’re wondering how to get a business phone number that benefits both your business and your clientele base, here’s how to get started.

Choose Your Business Phone Type

Before you can go about setting up and choosing your new number for business, you’ll need to choose the type of business phone line you’ll need. Fortunately, with advancements in cellular and internet technology, you no longer have to establish phone systems and call rooms. Rather, you can simply have your business phone number set up directly on your smartphone. In either case, virtual phone numbers provide the flexibility and free calling services for your customers you want to provide.

In many cases, business phone lines may differ due to varying business sizes and needs. For example, if you have a virtual call center and don’t have a physical office where you and your employees meet, you may want to choose to establish your business number on cellular devices. And, you can even add extensions to each line so each employee has a personal business line. But, on the other hand, if your business consists of a physical establishment with multiple departments, you may wish to consider the functionality of a VoIP system.

Select Your Business Phone Number

Now that you know which phone you want your business number routed to, you can select your business phone number. At United World Telecom, we offer a few different options for the type of phone number you select. You can either choose a local number in your area or that of your target client base, or a toll free number. Local numbers can help to reach consumer bases in target areas, even if you aren’t located anywhere close. And, toll free numbers offer you the ability to create your own branded telephone number. As well as offer your customers a completely free way for them to call your business.

The Option of a Vanity Toll Free Number

When choosing a toll free number, think of numbers that can translate into lettering that benefits your branding. For example, if you own a taxi service, you may want to choose a toll free vanity number like 800-CAB-TAXI (800-222-8294 translated on the keypad). This way, your customers can more easily recognize your number and will be more willing to pick up or call you back.

Get a Business Phone Number
Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 ID#100232096760

Set up You Customized Business Phone Line Options

After you’ve chosen your number and verified that it’s available, it will be connected to your chosen phone line system. Then, you can go about setting up your customized business greeting and creating your voicemail recordings.

The business phone greeting is optional. But, it’s a simple way to have an idea about what a customer might be calling about right off the bat. When a customer dials your business phone number, a recorded greeting will provide them with options to more easily forward them to the correct department. Or, simply give you a better idea of what the call may be about. For example, you could set up your greeting to provide an option like, “For customer service requests, press 8.”

When you’re not around, you can have your virtual phone line forward calls to another number. Or, you can go the traditional route of a voicemail. If you want to give your customers a way to leave you voice messages, you’ll need to create a business voicemail recording once your phone line is set up.

Set up Your Employee Extensions

Instead of having to forward calls to the right employees every time a customer calls, extensions give employees individual phone numbers. But, they are all extensions of the same number: your business number. So, if you’d rather not have to forward calls and give your employees the capability of giving out their own business phone numbers, you’ll have to select extensions, which are usually four-digit numbers, that are designated to each employee. Once established, your customers can dial your business phone number with the additional extension to reach the specific employee of their choosing.

Getting Your Business Phone Number Through United World Telecom

Now that you know how to get a business phone number, it’s time to get started. Here at United World Telecom, we offer businesses many customizable options when it comes to choosing a business phone number. Whatever feature you need for your business, we can help to provide a business phone number that does what you need. If you need a new business phone number, visit our website to learn more about all of our vanity phone number features. It’s time you allowed your customers to reach you the way you want them to!

Sales Management: Business Phone Systems for Enterprises

Posted on by Becki Meerbeek

Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 ID#100090735038

With blossoming technologies, business phone systems have been changing over the years. If you’ve recently started a sales business or you want to utilize better phone capabilities, researching various types of business phone lines is important. This way, you can select a phone system that’s great for your clientele, while also allowing your sales team to operate better. Thus, increasing efficiency and sales closings. In this article, we weigh the differences in the various phone systems you have to choose from for your sales business. And, offer the information you need to select the type of phone system that’s best for your sales management objectives.

Multiple Phone Line Systems for a Sales Business

If you tried to do sales on a typical phone line, you’d eventually end up with a situation in which more than one person needs to use the phone. Or, more than one customer dials in at once. If you don’t want to miss important sales leads or you want to have your employees dial sales leads at the same time, you’ll need multiple lines. A multiple phone line system is just that, a system that offers multiple lines routed to the same number.

These systems allow outside numbers to dial into one main phone that’s connected to multiple other lines. This allows for the capability to transfer calls to various phones. It also allows business employees to communicate with each other effectively.

VoIP Phone Systems for a Sales Business

Rather than traditional phone lines, the VoIP phone system uses internet connection to send telephone calls. This translates to many specific benefits like ease of setup, customized and cutting-edge features, and even better pricing. Furthermore, VoIP systems allow for the introduction of tollfree business numbers. This gives your sales business a way to create a branded, more memorable number associated with your industry. For example, if you manage a team that sells garage doors, you could choose a toll free number like, 1-800-GAR-AGES.

Further Functionality for Sales Teams

Additionally, VoIP systems allow you to choose extension numbers for each of your sales employees. This way, they can give out their individual business numbers so they can stay connected with sales leads to increase the likelihood of closing.

As a part of sales management, you’re likely to utilize CRM systems that allow you to document clientele. One of the advanced features of a VoIP system is that it can connect with software systems, including CRMs. So, if you think that this type of business phone system is the best for your company, make sure to choose one that integrates with your current business software like your CRM.

Due to its customizable features and adaptability, VoIP systems are a great option for sales-driven businesses. And, they can definitely help in your sales management efforts by keeping things organized and your calling customers satisfied.

PBX Phone Systems for Sales Businesses

PBX, or private branch exchange, is a type of business phone system that offers a way to have a private phone line for business. It allows for customizable features of other advanced phone systems like call forwarding, voicemail, routing, and conference calls. However, it does differ from your standard multiple line system. This is because it doesn’t route directly to your phone unit, but can do so through a cloud (internet storage) or another VoIP system. Most people choose PBX systems because they provide more functionality than a multiple phone system but aren’t as expensive as other options. Again, if you have a smaller business, this may be a good option for your sales team. But, if you need advanced features and can live with the functionality of a standard multiple phone line system, this may be a good choice for your business.

Get Your Business Phone Numbers Through United World Telecom

No matter what types of business phone line systems you consider for better sales management, you’ll need to have a business phone number to go with that system. Whether you need a local number, toll free number, or a vanity phone number, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today to learn more about setting up your new business phone number!

The Challenges of Running a Powerful Sales Team

Posted on by Tom Senkus

Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 ID#100070836811

If you’re in charge of managing a high-performing sales team, you’re probably aware of the many challenges that you’ll encounter daily. With the hectic pace, the variety of personnel, and quotas to meet, sales management is one of the most difficult occupations.

Managing a Sales Team Effectively

Failure to appropriately tackle these challenges could stymie your company’s efforts from achieving maximum success. You may even experience a less-than-stable work environment. And worst-case scenario, mismanagement can cost you your job.

The following are some of the most common challenges you will encounter as a sales manager. We will then provide tips on how to overcome these challenges effectively.

Sales Team Challenge #1: Attracting and Retaining Talent

Effective sales management is highly dependent on the quality of its personnel. As a manager, you may be experiencing high turnover that hinders your efforts. Or, you may be constantly attracting less than stellar performers. In truth, the best way to attract and retain talent is by setting up incentives and creating a positive work culture.

First, you want to make sure that you’re setting commissions and bonuses at competitive rates. Do some research and try to find the median in your industry’s hiring process – and simply offer more than that. Remember, salespeople are motivated to find better-paying work and stick with companies that help them succeed.

sales meeting
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Sales Team Challenge #2: Time Management with Prioritizing

If there’s one resource you wish you could have more for your sales team, it’s time. Unfortunately, there is only so much manpower to accomplish the many tasks throughout the day. This can be a challenge for managers that always feel like they’re falling behind.

The solution? Try to look for more efficient ways of doing tasks that drain your time. If necessary, run down the list of the day’s events and see where there is room for improvement. Chances are, some activities may be mission-critical, but get left behind in favor of other work. For instance, you may have deadlines that could jeopardize a long-term client versus getting your sales team to follow up on new leads. Both tasks take significant amounts of time. But considering that attracting clients takes 5x the effort than holding on to new ones, the choice is clear.

That’s where prioritizing comes in handy. Prioritizing can often seem like choosing between “impossible” situation after “impossible” situation. However, there are usually tasks that must be done for the greater good and longevity of your sales team.

Sales Team Challenge #3: Inspiring a Competitive Team

It may seem like a contradiction, but having a competitive spirit among your sales team is necessary for a high-functioning company. To do this, you’ll need to coach your sales team through constant incentive and thoughtful comparisons between colleagues. After all, most sales reps go into sales in order to actualize their potential, so it’s your responsibility to foster a positive environment.

You’ll want to highlight top-performers and give them the spotlight, while also showing how up-and-comers are able to attain the same success. Bear in mind that what motivates some will not motivate others, so you’ll want to discover what each rep values. Some may be looking for more flexibility to have time off with their family; others may be looking to make as much money as possible. You’ll want to discover what makes your top reps more successful and see what’s holding back under-performers.

Sales Team Challenge #4: Aligning Your Team with Your Marketing Department

For most organizations, your sales team is separate from your marketing team. Because marketing is responsible for attracting new leads and retaining customers, there may be a disconnect between the two. After all, they’re on the front lines – whereas the marketing department serves as support staff.

As a manager, you should have regular meetings with your company’s marketing team just like you do with your sales team. You’ll want to make sure that your marketing team is united around common goals so that your sales team is better served. For instance, your marketing department may be focusing on social media ads, whereas your demanding better online catalogs for clients to place consistent orders. By ensuring that these goals are aligned, you help avoid miscommunication and wasted effort that doesn’t serve the company.

About United World Telecom

United World Telecom is a leading service provider for cloud phone and toll free number solutions. If you are interested in purchasing a toll free phone number for your business phone get in touch with our sales department so we can assist you or visit our service page.

Environmental Issues, Their Impact on Business, and How to Mitigate to Turn Crisis into Opportunity

Posted on by Magaly Fuentes

Source: Stockphoto.com - O#100043608845 ID#100186088462

Our planet is plagued by environmental issues that are depleting our natural resources and putting an enormous strain on our livelihoods. If left unchecked, many of these issues will impact businesses directly and indirectly. In many instances, they are already doing so. Some of the primary environmental issues that are affecting businesses today include pollution, waste disposal, water quality, and water supply issues, and climate change.

Business Impact

Pollution is one of the world’s biggest environmental issues. The business impact due to pollution stretches far and wide, with just one example pointing to how pollution affects the health of people which then impacts medical costs and loss of productivity. Heavily polluted areas, for example, have a difficult time hiring and retaining workers. Waste disposal is another issue, with improper disposal resulting in foul smells, leaching into water supplies, and air pollution.

Climate Change Will Affect Everyone

Climate change is a global issue with serious implications including environmental, social, economic, and political. Factors like coastal flooding can have a major impact on businesses, leading to operational disruption and losses for organizations. Climate change can also create a higher demand for energy as the temperatures get warmer and there is a higher demand for air conditioning use. This means higher costs overall to businesses. Higher demand for energy also translates into increased use of natural resources like water and fossil fuels, which can then turn into a lack of resources for companies to turn into products. Many businesses have already started to implement automated response systems to combat these negative effects.

Climate change also has negative impacts on the agricultural sector, which directly impacts the population in regards to food availability and safety. The impact of environmental issues on water supplies can result in harm to agriculture, a decrease in productivity, and higher costs.

Mitigating Risk

Environmental issues that we face today make it clear that solving as many of these complex issues as we can best serve all sectors. It will also require the cooperation of all sectors. Environmental issues affect every individual, community, organization, and country. We must all become environmental stewards to keep the economy moving, surviving, and thriving.

Environmental Crisis

The environmental factors that are affecting business and will continue to affect production and the economy. Such issues as major storms, loss of resources, inflation, and scarcity of food and water – are creating serious detriments. However, solving these complex issues requires the cooperation of individual sectors. It is apparent that the environmental crisis we are facing calls on all business leaders to consider the environmental impact that their companies have and also calls on business leaders to take action to ensure that they meet all compliance needs and regulations.

Environmental Issues Impact Business
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Opportunity

Though the situation is difficult, environmental issues also present an opportunity for businesses to step up and show their employees and markets where they stand and what they are willing to do to mitigate the risks. Employees, for example, perform better when they are healthy. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates work environments and most businesses do not have an issue with meeting OSHA standards. Businesses, however, should remain aware of current events and how they may affect their employees. An example is if the employees of a company are working outside and there are extremely high temperatures. Companies will sometimes provide a toll-free phone number to support employees that want to request time off. The break times required by OSHA may not be sufficient enough for the health, safety, and well-being of employees.

Environmental Action is Marketable

The cultural demands of consumers are another area that presents an opportunity concerning businesses and environmental issues. Consumers are increasingly opting to align themselves with companies that have a strong positive environmental mission. Business leaders taking action to mitigate risks involved with environmental issues and promoting sustainable practices will benefit the company. Marketing campaigns are being used as a platform to inform the public of the efforts companies are making to address environmental issues. They are also being used to inform the public of efforts that are planned for the future.

Environmental Action is Good for All, Especially Businesses

Once upon a time, the sole objective of business owners was to build a company that would generate revenues and continuously increases profits. As environmental issues, their impact on business and the world, and the risks to the future of all life have become more prevalent across the globe. The effects can be measured with environmental performance software and the need for immediate action is now. It is the responsibility of business owners to take a full inventory of their choices and examine how those choices affect the environment. It is time to make modifications where necessary. Some effects are more subtle than others, but all modifications contribute to the greater good of our planet.

How Can United World Telecom Help?

There are a few different ways that you can business can go green and become more socially responsible. Start by:

  • Educating employees and encouraging them to adopt ‘green habits’
  • Choosing cloud communications services
  • Upgrading to energy-efficient products
  • Offering remote and telecommuting
  • Investing in ‘green IT’ solutions.

We can help get you set up with a virtual communication system that connects users from any location and device, with minimal setup and downtime. Want to get started? Speak with on of our representatives today!

Sales Management: Business Phone Systems for Small Business

Posted on by Becki Meerbeek

Source: Stockphoto.com - O#100191557818 ID#100186088462

Small businesses have different needs and requirements than other types of businesses. So, if you’re thinking of starting your own small business or wondering how you can better manage the small business you already have, you may want to consider different types of phone line systems to choose from. Especially if your small business is sales-driven, you’re going to need your phone to close leads and keep your customers happy. With these business phone systems for small businesses, you can ensure that your sales management efforts won’t go in vain. And, that your customers and employees will be happy with their communication abilities.

Traditional Landlines for Small Business Sales Management

Certainly, you can choose a traditional landline for your small business phone. But, if you want to be able to transfer calls to different employee extensions, it’ll need to be a PBX landline system. This means a public branch exchange, which is the capability of routing to different destinations. Otherwise, you’d only be able to answer one call at a time from one specific phone unit.

A Trusted Source of Communication

Landline phones are your traditional phone lines which are installed and managed by your local telephone provider. Calls are run through copper wiring that eventually runs them to a local exchange, which then routes the call to the desired location. Traditional phone lines may work for your new startup if you don’t have internet, as they are one of the only types of systems that currently don’t require a broadband connection. And, they do offer some standard features like caller ID, call waiting, voicemail, and even conference calling.

VoIP for Small Business Sales Management

If you have an internet connection for your small business, you can benefit from a broader range in a selection of phone line systems, including VoIP. This type of business phone system is one of the most versatile, as it doesn’t need to use copper wiring and phone lines to carry phone calls to their destinations. Rather, it uses the internet. This allows VoIP systems to boast many unique benefits including ease of use, advanced features like SMS to email and call attendant and is even compatible with various business software tools like CRMs. Not to mention, VoIP systems are typically dramatically less expensive than traditional phone lines, which can help your small business sales management team by providing more money for sales incentives!

Business Phone Systems for Small Business
Source: Stockphoto.com – O#100100911520 ID#100186088462

Virtual Call Services for Small Business Sales Management

Finally, one of the last small business phone systems to consider as a new startup is a virtual call service. This entails purchasing and managing a business phone line right over the internet. So, you don’t need to purchase costly phone equipment, as other systems may require. Typically, when small businesses choose this type of phone system, they route their business number to an already existing phone, whether a business landline or a smartphone. Essentially, a virtual call service is an extension or a feature that you can add to an already established phone line. This allows you to have a personal number and a business phone line combined.

If you have a small business, like a virtual call center, you can use a virtual call service as a way to provide your remote sales employees with their own extensions, voicemail boxes, and customized greetings.

Getting Your Small Business Phone Number Through United World Telecom

Now that you know about the various business phone systems to choose from for your new or already established small business, you can choose your own business phone number.

Whether you need a local number to reach a specific customer audience or you want to provide customers with a customized toll free vanity phone number, United World Telecom can help! Our business phone numbers can be packaged to specifically meet your small business needs. This way, you aren’t paying for things you don’t need. And, you can use the savings to better motivate and manage your sales team. To learn more about how we can help to set up your new small business phone number, contact us today.

Top Medical Answering Service: Comparison and Review

Posted on by Tom Senkus

If you run a business in the medical industry, you’re probably aware of the benefits of medical answering services. These answering services are uniquely designed to the needs of medical companies. Their services often include handling large volumes of inbound callers, providing 24/7 coverage, and reducing in-house staff. This article will cover the top medical answering services. It will also cover how savvy businesses can create their own virtual answering service with United World Telecom. Read on to learn more.

Signius Communications

Signius Communications has been based in the United States for almost a century. Their service enables your organization to benefit from highly-trained staff equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Helping clients both large and small, Signus offers 13 locations and a staff of over 200 agents. Their services can save on operational costs and make your organization exceptionally efficient at processing inbound calls. 

Stericycle

Looking for a B2B medical answering service? If so, Stericycle, Inc. provides telecom solutions for commercial companies. With over 25 years of experience, Stericycle has grown from a small medical waste management company to an industry leader. Their offerings encompass complex and highly-regulated areas in the medical industry, including patient access services, customer contact, and much more.

Sound Telecom

Founded nearly three decades ago, Sound Telecom provides 24/7/365  telephone medical answering services. They serve customers throughout the United States and British Columbia, Canada. What separates Sound Telecom from its competitors is the sheer diversity of its state-of-the-art telecom services. Among these are online chat, email response, voice logging, and a web-based portal for easier access to account data. Some of Sound Telecom’s clients include American Red Cross, Blue Cross, Siemens Medical Solutions, and many more. 

Top Medical Answering Service Comparison Review
Source: Stockphoto.com O#100048065961- ID#100067081677

Creating Your Own Medical Answering Service with United World Telecom

If your organization wants to keep its medical answering service in-house to save money and create a more customized service, United World Telecom is the perfect service provider for your virtual answering service needs. By using virtual phone numbers of various types (i.e. toll free numbers, vanity numbers, geographic numbers) and customizable functionalities, your organization can specifically tailor how inbound calls are received, processed, and answered.

The first step is to choose virtual phone numbers that enable your clientele to reach your business without incurring long distance fees and service blockages. Considering that United World Telecom offers virtual phone numbers in over 140+ countries worldwide and nearly every city/geographic region, your organization can accommodate callers no matter where they’re located. At www.unitedworldtelecom.com, you’ll encounter a series of dropdown menus that enable you to choose the country code and number type, as well as determine the destination number where calls can be routed to. Setup is easy and virtual answering services can be used almost immediately after placing an order.

Furthermore, United World Telecom’s service enables endless functionality depending on your business model. For instance, if you’re looking for an after-hours answering service, the add-on “time of day routing” can be used. This enables your business to route calls outside of regular operating hours to a call processing facility in another location. Also, by using a PBX (Private Branch Exchange), inbound callers use a directory system to navigate through your company’s various departments and personnel. This enables them to obtain the information they need and speak with a company representative. Overall, these medical answering service features can make your medical organization substantially more efficient. 

 

Virtual Phone Numbers for Environmental Groups and Organizations

Posted on by Magaly Fuentes

Source: Stockphoto.com O#100015534987 - ID#100067081677

Any type of organization can benefit from the use of virtual phone numbers. Cost savings are important to all types of organizations, no matter the size or sector. However, a smaller organization may initially be drawn to the significant cost-savings benefit at first glance.

Virtual Phone Numbers Are an Environmental-Friendly Approach

The fact that there is no need for any bulky hardware may also be an immediate draw for environmental groups and organizations that promote cutting back on the use of plastics, metals, and other materials used in creating hardware systems. These are just two of many benefits when it comes to the use of virtual phone numbers for environmental groups and organizations.

Virtual Numbers Are the Perfect Option for Groups & Organizations

Virtual phone numbers are like any other phone number, except they are not tied down to any specific phone and location. When someone calls a virtual phone number, the owner of the virtual phone number may have the calls going to a landline or a cell phone of their choosing. Many different features can be activated to work with virtual phone numbers for environmental groups and organizations. Calls may be answered with a pre-recorded greeting. Calls can be forwarded to an extension within the organization. Time of day routing can also be used so calls are forwarded to different call centers depending on the time of day when they are received. This ensures that calls are not missed and the organization can essentially be operational 24 hours a day.

Virtual Numbers Are a Flexible Option for All Businesses

Virtual phone numbers can grow along with the organization. While the organization may not need extensions at first, extensions can be added later as more staff gets hired. This helps manage call volume when call routing to different staff members becomes necessary for efficiency and better service.

Environmental Groups using Virtual Phone Numbers
Source: Stockphoto.com O#100121057898 – ID#100067081677

Choose Local to Connect with Communities

Choosing a local phone number may help to create trust and credibility for a smaller, locally run organization while a toll free or vanity phone number may help an organization more quickly establish a national or international image. These capabilities help to strengthen a brand. Using virtual phone numbers allows the organization to be based in one state, yet have local phone numbers for many areas within the United States or even abroad. The ability to do this allows for the organization to reach these markets without incurring high financial costs in travel, relocation, training and more that is required to open different physical locations. That alone is a huge benefit to any organization that aims to expand without necessarily having the budget for expensive expansion.

Virtual Numbers Reduce Costs

The organization is also able to accept incoming calls without having the caller incur long-distance fees if the phone number is local or toll free. Calls can be routed and rerouted to a number of call centers in different locations and this helps to minimize the risk of missing any important calls. Another benefit is that using virtual phone numbers requires minimum set-up and training to get started. Using virtual phone numbers can be a significant step in scaling efforts and growth operation.

Numbers Can be Accentuated with Additional Features

Added features, such as call recording can prove to be extremely helpful in recording interactions with callers to use for training purposes or for accountability and tracking purposes. Accountability is becoming a more common standard used by organizations of all sizes to ensure best practices are being put to work and only improved upon as time goes on.

Another feature that can be added is extensions that can automatically forward calls to a department or specific staff member within an organization. SMS forwarding, sequential forwarding, simultaneous ringing, fax to email, local ring-back tones, voicemail to email, and failover forwarding are additional features that can boost the effectiveness of virtual phone numbers.

United World Telecom Has All of Your Virtual Number Needs Covered

United World Telecom also offers rollover minutes, so if all minutes are not used in a month, they are not lost and will automatically rollover to the next month.

Despite the advances in modern communication methods, the ability to be able to speak to a live person is still highly regarded. If someone is setting up an organization and wishes to be available to whoever they are working within the community or worldwide, using virtual phone numbers for environmental groups and organizations is a low-cost alternative to setting up brick and mortar locations while allowing the organization to easily access different markets. Setup with United World Telecom is quick and easy, enabling organizations to get started quickly and take advantage of all of the benefits immediately.

How To Create a Call Center Business Plan

Posted on by Becki Meerbeek

Source: Stockphoto.com O# 100221373798 - ID#100067081677

Starting your own business can be an exciting but frightening endeavor. You know that you want to be your own boss, manage your schedule, and may even want to work from home. But you may feel challenged in choosing a successful way to write a business plan that allows for all this. Creating your own call center gives you the business opportunity to make money from any setting, whether home or office. And allows you to create your own schedule to manage your income how you see fit using various call center solutions. So, how does one get started on writing a business plan to open a call center? Additionally, what does one need to ensure success right off the bat?

Determining What Your Call Center will Do

Call centers are used by many industries for a number of things. Call centers can help to increase sales production, offer customer service, set appointments, provide debt collection, and more. Call center agents can pick up inbound calls or may make hundreds of cold calls a day. To best determine how to go about starting your new call center business, you’ll first need to decide what your center will do by determining what you’ll offer.

Considering the Number of Employees You’ll Need

Before opening a call center of your own, you’ll need to determine the number of agents needed to manage the business successfully. There are centers of all sizes, but you don’t want to begin with too many agents, as you’ll quickly drown in overhead. On the other hand, you don’t want to hire less agents than you need, as you’ll struggle to accommodate all of your client needs. Think about your customer needs, how many consumers you plan to help on a daily basis, and how long it takes to help one customer on average to best determine how many agents you may need.

Furthermore, consider employment numbers in the future. So, if you plan for your call center to grow substantially, make accommodations for this before the hiring process begins. You don’t want new employees getting to your workspace to find they don’t have desks or phone lines. So, if it’s in your business plan to add agents down the line, make sure that’s something you can afford and are prepared for.

Business plan for call centers
Source: Stockphoto.com O#100174295798 – ID#100067081677

Choosing an Office Space or Home

Whether or not you’ll be hiring agents who work from home or accommodating them with a business space is important when determining a call center business plan. For example, if most of your agents have offshore contracts, you may not need the office space you initially planned for. Choose your office space based on the number of employees you know you’ll need to work in-house. On the other hand, if you know you want to provide your employees with a place to work, make sure you consider the location. Opening an office near the company brand can help to promote brand fluidity and trust in employees. Furthermore, it’s obviously helpful to choose an office space that’s near more employees. A shorter commute makes things easier for all.

Determining Call Center Solutions

Call companies have their own needs as they provide specific services. So, one of the final things you’ll need to consider when determining your business plan is your solutions. Choose solutions which can best help provide for your consumers. For example, if you’re opening a call center business that provides customer service support for a third party, you might want to implement call recording. This allows you to record all company calls to determine if your customer service strategies are working. Another example is if your company is an outbound cold calling center, you may want to purchase virtual toll numbers. This allows consumers to answer calls for free and forward them to any type of line!

Closing: Help with Starting Your Call Center Business

United World Telecom offers a number of call center solutions which can help to take your business plan to the next level. If you want your new business to succeed, you can help prepare yourself for success with our top-rated phone features and virtual phone number solutions. To learn more about how we can equip your new call center business with the solutions you need, contact us today.

Making Professional Outbound Calls from a Virtual Phone Number

Posted on by Magaly Fuentes

Source: Stockphoto.com O#100005523906 ID#100200144052

Making Professional Outbound Calls from a Virtual Phone Number

Have you wondered about making professional outbound calls from a virtual phone number? It’s simple. You can make calls from your cell phone, home landline, or any number of your choosing. In doing so, your virtual phone number will appear as the number on the receiver’s caller ID. 

Businesses Need the Right Tools for Professional Communication

Life is busy; entrepreneurs are always on the go. Imagine being able to use your cell phone to call clients, but have your business line (a virtual phone number you own) show up on their caller ID when you call them. This is more professional and allows for many other features to work alongside the virtual phone number.

Outbound Calling Keeps Your Business Image Aligned

When it comes to business, time is money. Being reliable and returning calls in a timely manner should be a top priority. Making professional outbound calls from a virtual phone number helps you prioritize your customers. The flexibility in using virtual phone numbers for business is unsurpassed, and there are many other additional benefits they include.

Here are just a few:

Keeping Work and Personal Phone Numbers Separate

When you purchase a virtual phone number for business, you can still use the mobile phone and/ or landline phone you already own. However, you also get a business number with many features and your personal phone number still remains private. You’ll always know when calls are made to your business number, and a customized ring can be used for those calls.

Virtual Phone Numbers Help You Boost Professionalism

If you know a business-related call is coming in, you can prepare for the call with the way you answer the phone. Whether it is your actual greeting when you answer or your tone, these details matter. Being able to receive a business call wherever you are, allows you to get things done out of the office while keeping you in touch with your market. Adding features to partner up with the virtual phone number can also help your business to appear larger and more established. Adding features such as extensions can help to get calls routed to the correct department or person more quickly. This can help to increase customer satisfaction, which can impact overall business success.

Making Professional Outbound Calls
Source: Stockphoto.com O#100005523906 ID#100200144052

Never Miss a Call

Missing a call can mean missing a sale or a client altogether. The flexibility that is offered by virtual phone numbers allows for you to make and receive business calls and texts from anywhere, take multiple calls at a time by routing them to another person or team within the organization, or allow the caller to leave a message in a customized voicemail message inbox.

Get Set Up Easily and in Minutes

Set up of virtual phone numbers is easy and quick. There is no hardware that needs to be installed. Everything is cloud-based, including the control panel, and providers such as United World Telecom make everything seamless. They keep it super simple with a walkthrough of setup and a customer service team that is available around the clock to answer any questions.

Making professional outbound calls from a virtual phone number beats making outbound calls from a personal mobile phone number or landline. Establishing a rapport with your market that is professional is key to staying power. Your customers and clients need to see you as reliable, trustworthy, and robust, so they feel comfortable investing in your business. Using virtual phone numbers is an easy way to build upon all of these things.

Get Outbound Calling Virtual Numbers from United World Telecom

Purchasing a virtual phone number from United World Telecom allows you to have a local, international, or toll free phone number for your business. You can use it to make outbound calls and you can receive inbound calls through it. Virtual numbers allow you to expand your business to international markets while keeping overhead costs down. With over 20 years in the business of offering telecommunication solutions for businesses all over the world, United World Telecom understands how important it is for customers to be able to reach you and for you to be able to get in touch with those customers as well. 

 

What is Telemarketing? Everything You Need To Know

Posted on by Becki Meerbeek

Source: Stockphoto.com O#100062064173 ID#100200144052

If you’re looking for ways to better market your business, you may be wondering, “what is telemarketing?” While there are plenty of ways to reach a target audience, teleselling has been one of the best and most affordable ways to reach potential clientele. And, most businesses who choose to telemarket to potential clientele benefit from a low risk way to continue to develop successfully.

What is Telemarketing? The Ins and Outs

Basically, telemarketing is the use of phones to reach potential clientele. Because teleselling is a broad term that involves any method a business can use to reach other businesses or potential customers, it can be used in a number of ways. Some of the ways telemarketing is utilized includes:

  • Basic outreach to create lead interest
  • Providing information
  • Offering opportunities
  • Gaining feedback from past clientele
  • Procuring leads
  • Managing business appointments
  • Improving customer services

What is Inbound Telemarketing?

Inbound telemarketing is a type of telemarketing which involves reaching out to customers a company has already accrued. It works to engage with current customers to introduce new products and gain a lasting customer-business relationship. Some examples of inbound marketing include offering a 24/7 customer line in which customers can reach a customer service agent all hours of the day. Or, a hotline for customers to reach to ask questions about products and/or services.

What is Outbound Telemarketing?

Contrary to inbound telemarketing, outbound telemarketing involves calling people who are not already customers. Typically, the goal of outbound telemarketing is to convert a phone lead into a business sale. This is done in three stages:

Lead Generation: Before outbound tmarketing can take place, one needs to establish a lead source. Typically, businesses will use lead generation tools like business websites, email blasts, and surveys to establish client needs before making cold calls. This will help to identify leads which have a greater potential for conversion.

Sales: Once leads are generating, the next step is to cold call leads to inform the customer about the product or service. However, this can get tricky as many people won’t answer phone calls from numbers they don’t recognize. One way to get around this is by using a calling prefix that matches your lead’s current area code. Once the client gains information about your product or services, you can ask for and finalize the sale.

Follow Up: Finally, the last step of outbound marketing is to follow up with a client to address any questions or concerns. This helps to keep the business relationship on healthy terms and can keep you from having to outsource customer service.

All about telemarketing
Source: Stockphoto.com O#100062068693 ID#100200144052

Some Benefits of Telemarketing

Choosing telemarketing as a way to reach target audiences, whether they are other businesses or personal phone lines, is a great way to grow business. Furthermore, teleselling offers a number of benefits including:

  • Cutting time and the cost of lead generation by creating product/service interest right over the phone.
  • Improving customer services by offering clientele direct access to telemarketer phone lines.
  • Increasing the effectiveness of appointment setting for business.
  • Offering better customer satisfaction by specifying client needs.
  • Revealing a client base ready to purchase a product or service.
  • Reaching out to current clients to improve customer relationships and upsell products or services.

Closing: Investing in Telemarketing for Your Business

 Now that you have the answer to the question, “what is telemarketing?,” you may now realize that marketing is what your business needs to convert more leads into customers. United World Telecom can help to make implementing a telemarketing infrastructure as easy as can be by offering virtual phone numbers and 1-800 toll free numbers that can reach phone lines in any part of the world. Plus, we provide access to a number of other marketing services like SMS forwarding, call recording, and more. To create your custom telemarketing phone number and begin your telemarketing journey to reach more potential clientele, contact us today.

 

Starting Your First Virtual Call Center Business

Posted on by Becki Meerbeek

Source: Stockphoto.com O#100057623455 ID#100200144052

Looking for a way to reach more potential customers? Or, wanting a better way to offer customer service to the customers you already have? A virtual call center allows you to operate a call center from anywhere in the world. And, this gives you the opportunity to create and run your own business affordably without having to take high risks.

What is a Call Center that is Virtual?

Basically, a virtual call center works to perform the same call center duties you imagine, but uses virtual phone numbers. This means they use phone lines that connect with the internet, so they can be used anywhere in the world an internet connection is found. The benefit to this is that you can establish a call center to reach individuals across the world from the comfort of your own home.

Whether you’re looking to start an outbound or inbound call center, a virtual phone allows you to contract with other companies to form a business relationship. Many companies don’t have the room or overhead to develop call centers for themselves. Instead, they rely on virtual phone centers run by individuals in all areas of the world to help better serve their customers and increase lead closure levels.

Benefits of a Virtual Call Center

Because virtual call centers provide such flexibility with location, they offer a number of business benefits that are hard to ignore. Some of these advantages include:

Flexibility: This allows a call center’s company employees to work from home: While virtual phone centers can certainly be housed in a number of settings, many choose to let their virtual call employees work from home. This allows for reduced turnaround as employees are usually much happier when working from home.

The Right Setting: No outgrowing or undergrowing a workspace. When a call center leases a building, there may be a concern for how to house employees for work when business grows. On the other hand, if business dies down, the owner may still have to cover the cost of building leases, insurance, and other fees. However, virtual phone centers allow for a business not to be one size fits all. For example, during busy months, virtual phone centers can easily add and subtract service representatives to their employment team without having to worry about physical space for employees.

Expand Business Hours: Many businesses want to offer customers 24/7 support with a customer service call center. Better customer service often relates to better customer-business relationships. Virtual call centers allow for this ongoing support with local numbers from a specific geographical location.

starting outbound call center
Source: Stockphoto.com O# 100174296076 ID#100200144052

Some Niches of Virtual Call Centers to Consider

Once you understand the cost-saving benefits of owning a call center business, you can decide on the type of virtual call center you want to invest in. Since phones are still one of the best ways to reach consumers, there are a number of industry niches to consider for a virtual call business including:

  • Telephone answering and forwarding services for other companies
  • Contract telemarketing with third parties
  • Wake up calls
  • Voicemail forwarding services
  • Mobile solicitation
  • Message receiving services
  • Customer service lines
  • Technical support services
  • Debt collection

Starting a Virtual Call Center Yourself

No matter what type of service you want to offer, call centers are a great way to provide support and maintain connections with consumers on a daily basis. And, virtual phone centers are the way to do so without high starting costs, overhead fees, and increased employee turnaround. Once you’ve chosen your niche, you can start looking for companies who invest in virtual call centers for yourself.

Need Virtual Phone Numbers for Your Call Center Business?

Because virtual call centers require the use of internet phone connections so they can do business from anywhere in the world, they require virtual phone numbers. These numbers can be customized by prefix and area code so they’re more trustworthy to potential phone customers. And, they can be forwarded to any type of phone line. To learn more about getting virtual phone numbers for your call center business, contact United World Telecom today.

Is Your Business Still Using a Landline? Times Have Changed!

Posted on by Ilsa Morales

Source: Stockphoto.com O#100176443260 ID#100200144052

Landlines have been seeing a decline in not only personal use but business use as well. This is due to many factors, including the ease and usefulness of a mobile phone, and also because of the flexibility in the workplace. Workers out at lunch do not want to miss an urgent call so that a work phone will be instituted on their behalf. As for workers who work from home or co-working spaces, a mobile phone line is necessary. Because of this, most offices have gotten rid of their landlines completely. Is Your Business Still Using a Landline? Times Have Changed!

Virtual Technologies Support Today’s Dynamic Businesses

still using a landline?Companies are created to grow and change, and it would be a hassle to move in mass amounts of wires every year when you could simply install a powerful WiFi network. Landlines also restrict businesses to one spot. Employees would not have the freedom to leave their desks while waiting for an urgent phone call. Mobile phones are incredibly useful for employees who do not work regular business hours and need more flexibility as well. One example is workers who need to contact international clients in different time zones.

Mobile phones have also increased the number of meetings done over FaceTime and Skype. Instead of having to travel to multiple businesses, you can meet with your colleagues face-to-face wherever you currently are. As long as you have WiFi, you are available. Video conferencing has now become the chosen way to host meetings for many businesses across the world.

Gaining More Flexibility and Freedom with a Virtual Phone System

While virtual phone providers can solve some of the problems associated with the landline, such as being restricted to one location, it can not solve all of them. With a mobile line, you can gain access to even more features with your virtual phone line such as SMS messaging. Most Americans, especially the younger generations, prefer text messages to phone calls. Most Millenials hate speaking on the phone and will ignore a phone call from a business. However, if they’re sent a text message, it’s likely they’ll respond or at least read the message and the information.

Are Business Landlines Common?

Landlines can still be found in many businesses, but those companies have been in business for several years when there were no other options. Many new companies are worried about alternative business developments such as access to bike racks, stocking healthy snacks, pet-friendly workplaces, and meditation rooms. These growing businesses aren’t interested in having a working landline. As landline numbers decrease in homes across the country, business landlines are corresponding accordingly.

If you’re still choosing a virtual phone system to use for your business or office, you can select between VoIP lines and a landline. VoIP, though, has a lower setup cost and much lower maintenance costs than landlines.

Advancing into the Future with VoIP

VoIP or internet calling uses the internet to place your phone calls. This system has been around for a long time, but only recently has VoIP become the best way to place calls. Because of consistent technological achievements over the years, WiFi connections have become very reliable.

If you’re still not convinced that you should ditch the landline, consider a few of these points:

  • VoIP offers many multimedia options, including video, unlike landlines, which only offers voice calling.
  • Your business can expand easier without the addition of multiple phone sets and installing wires.
  • Feature options are limited when choosing a landline, while VoIP comes with call waiting, call forwarding, and many others.
  • Cordless phone sets for landlines will not work during a power outage.
  • VoIP allows you to use mobile phones, landline phones, computers, laptops, and tablets to communicate.
  • You can port your numbers easily with VoIP and make calls from your mobile phone wherever you go.
  • VoIP has the benefit of rejecting anonymous callers, if you prefer.
  • Auto attendants, voicemail to email, and voicemail to text are all available with a VoIP connection.

Opening a Virtual Location Abroad

Posted on by Ilsa Morales

Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 ID#100083445092

Starting a business in your home country isn’t easy, but it’s even harder to open a business abroad. Also, if you already have an established business in America, it takes a lot of research and planning to expand overseas. That’s why opening a virtual location abroad or creating a virtual store is often your best option. It can save you precious time and salvage your resources.

Virtual Locations Allow for Easy Access into New Countries

Virtual locations give businesses an option for creating a local presence in any foreign country. Having a local presence in another country is crucial for companies to earn trust from the local clients and customers that will be potentially purchasing your products. Customers are more likely to trust a business that is located in their home country because they know that they can get in contact with that business if anything was to go wrong with the product that they purchased.

Virtual offices also offer a quick and temporary solution to expansion. When you decide to bite the bullet and work to have a presence in another country, you can quickly begin working abroad and start generating leads with a virtual office. These offices are convenient because they can be managed from your original place of business in your home country. They are also very affordable because you will not have to purchase real estate in another country. It is a significant first step in order to build your contact list in other countries.

Opening A Virtual Location Abroad
Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 ID#100029873283

Virtual Offices Offer Instant Access

Virtual offices also offer a more accessible entrance into foreign markets since you do not have to deal with certain legalities in another country. When opening a non-virtual office, you must be aware of and adhere to the legal standards and operations of that country. With a virtual office, you only need to comply with the laws that apply to your home country. However, if you are shipping products, then you must adhere to the rules of exporting between countries as well.
In time, your customers and clients may approach you to create an entity in that foreign country. If that is your ultimate goal, then in time, you should have the means from generating leads months prior, plus the customer base to open a thriving business abroad.

The first step to opening a virtual location abroad is to set up a virtual phone system. United World Telecom offers numbers in over 150 countries. You can choose local numbers, international toll free numbers, and UIFN numbers, among others.

Why do You Need a Virtual Phone System?

To interact with your customers and clients abroad, of course! Having a phone number that your prospective customers can reach in case they have a problem with a product is the first step in building trust with your new clientele. And we all know that businesses with bad reputations never last long.

A virtual phone system also offers several different features that can be very beneficial for your business and make communication much more manageable. Some features with a virtual phone system include call forwarding, automatic greetings, auto-attendants, phone extensions, and voicemail to email.

After a few months or years, you can decide whether or not a virtual office is enough or if you want to build a brick and mortar store in your country of choice.

If you do decide to expand physically to another country, here are some tips to keep in mind:

  • Do your research on business laws and taxation from country to country.
  • Study and understand cultural differences and language barriers
  • Educate yourself on the politics and history of the country that you enter
  • Hire a lawyer to help you navigate the new country’s laws and regulations
  • Network with local businesses in order to trade knowledge and build professional relationships
  • Overestimate. Give yourself a longer timeline in case things pop up that you aren’t ready for

If you believe your business is ready for expansion, visit www.unitedworldtelecom.com, to get started today!

Using Phone Numbers with Extensions

Posted on by Ilsa Morales

Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 ID#100216440032

When starting your own business, one of the best decisions you can make is using phone numbers with extensions. Virtual phone systems come with a variety of features including extension numbers. As departments are added and more employees are hired, you will eventually need to find a way to keep everyone in contact with each other through one line. Extension numbers are the easiest way to keep your entire company together under one number. They enable your customers and clients can use to find exactly who they need with just the press of a number.

What are Phone Extensions?

Extensions are assigned numbers under one main business phone number. You can assign these extensions to members of your team or individual departments that get multiple phone calls such as a customer service department or a sales department.

Phone extensions are also helpful for customers and clients that need to get into contact with one specific person. With a virtual phone number system, you will have the feature of an auto attendant, which can be in charge of greeting your customers and automatically routing them to the right employee or division of the business. This way, if your customers do not know the exact extension they need for a department or an employee, they can figure it out through a menu of options.

You can also create shortcuts between employees with phone extensions. Your employees will have an easier time contacting different members of their team when they each have their own extension.

using phone extensions
Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 ID#100211228754

How Do They Work?

Extensions are a group of numbers that follow your main business number. These are usually four-digits long. It is up to you how many digits you want to use after your extension. For example, if you have two employees at your company with their own extensions, you can assign them 123 and 456 or any combination that works for you. When a customer calls, they will use the form of business phone number + 123 or 456 depending on who they want to reach. The employee at 123 can also simply pick up his or her company phone and dial 456 to contact the other employee and vice versa. These extensions can also be under a different department. Therefore if the sales department extension is 9 and a customer wanted to reach one of these two employees directly, they would have to dial the business phone number + 9 + 123.

Extensions can also be used as a way to monitor the effectiveness of ad campaigns. If you decide to advertise the business phone number with an extension, you can track how many phone calls are received from that extension from your account. You could also use different extensions on multiple forms of advertising to find out which ones are working the best for your company and which ones you should stop using.

Extensions as Part of a Virtual Phone System

One of the best parts about using a virtual phone system with extensions is that you can reach out to employees and departments located in most parts of the world. If your finance department is located in Montana, but your customer service department is located in India, you can still be under the same business phone number umbrella. This is also good for companies that have employees who travel abroad. Because although an employee is based in Montana, if they are going to work in France, you can still reach them through their business number for no additional cost.

Virtual Phone Numbers

Extensions can be used within a virtual phone system. A virtual phone system uses VoIP to forward calls from one device to another. The phone numbers are connected over the internet and you are charged based on the rates of whichever VoIP provider you choose. Phone extensions work similarly to virtual phone systems. They can be forwarded to another device as well as a voicemail box. In essence, extensions and virtual phone systems work the same way. Contact us to learn more about virtual phone systems for your business.

Ways Climate Change is Altering the Way You Do Business

Posted on by Magaly Fuentes

Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 ID#100183422770

It may not be extremely obvious to some, but climate change is altering our world so drastically that all businesses will need to undergo some form of transformation in order to stay afloat. Top investors are increasingly demanding that more organizations create environmental action plans and consider risks to the business that are caused by shifting consumer attitudes.

Climate Change: The Future is Looking Bleak

In October of last year, the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that if we continue at the rate we are going currently, global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius is likely between the years of 2030 and 2052. At this level of warning, there will be irreversible damage and a dramatic increase in climate-related risks to health, food security, water supplies, human safety, and economic development. While it is still possible, this report detailed that steps to limit this global warming will require immediate and extensive efforts related to energy, land, urban infrastructure, and industrial systems.

How it affects Business

With regard to business specifically, there are undeniable ways climate change is altering the way you do business. This should give each and every business owner pause in analyzing the effects and putting plans and efforts in place to mitigate the risks.

Climate Change & Risk Assessment

Some of the ways climate change is altering the way you do business are in how insurance companies are assessing natural disaster risk. This is something that you may not be immediately aware of, but climate change is affecting how insurance companies run as a whole in relation to businesses and homes. Companies like IKEA and Coca-Cola openly promote topics like water scarcity and deforestation, helping to make these topics better known to the general public. These types of impacts are prompting companies to invest in new processes and technologies in order to mitigate risk.

There are also other impacts, like making the transition to a carbon-free economy and new trends related to how customers, investors, regulators, and businesses make decisions. How climate change is altering the ways we do business is becoming a more well-known topic. Because it is evident that this is the reality we are facing, business owners cannot afford to turn their backs on the impending future ahead.

protecting the environment
Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 ID#100150599160

Planning is the Key to a Stronger Strategy

Today, companies that truly listen to their stakeholders and take a significant stand on sustainability, values, climate resiliency, and adaptation are in a much better position to serve and retain customers in the long-run. The truth is, a company’s strategy must include a carefully designed path that helps the company achieve high financial performance. In order to sustain successful financial performance, a business owner has to have a clear understanding of how the business is impacting society. It’s important to understand how trends affect the macro – everything from wage growth levels to climate change – will affect the company’s potential growth.

How the Climate May Affect Your Business

You must assess and act on risks and opportunities related to climate change. More sustainable investments can transform a business, reduce risks, and tap into opportunities. Every initiative is unique and investments in clean energy can help reduce risk. Taking initiative is also attractive to talent and conservation efforts aimed at protecting natural resources. It can lead to discovering new markets as well as full climate-risk assessments that enable investors to make better-informed decisions.

You Can Prepare with Careful Planning

When it comes to the ways climate change is altering the way you do business if you haven’t felt it yet, be prepared. The examples are broad and varied. They may include harsher working conditions, changes in material supply and demand, changing environments and infrastructure needs, public perception, and extreme weather. However, there are ways to prepare ahead of time.

Companies and investors are acknowledging the dangers posed by climate change and extreme weather. Many businesses now consider risks posed by environmental factors to be even more dangerous than cyber-attacks and turbulent markets. You should be analyzing the risks related to your specific business in the present. There is more pressure than ever from consumers to make products more climate-friendly and make other changes related to climate change. This is the new normal and any company leader that does not choose to acknowledge this and act accordingly is very likely to drive their business into extinction.

Why Business Leaders Need to Focus on Sustainability Efforts

Posted on by Magaly Fuentes

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It is one thing to acknowledge an issue and it is an entirely different thing to actually decide to do something about it and act on those plans. The conversation regarding building more sustainable and global businesses has gained a lot of momentum over the last decade. There is encouraging news regarding significant initiatives from various corners of the world. The bottom line is this: sustainability efforts should be on the agenda of every single business leader. Consumers increasingly expect business leaders to play their role in not only delivering economic growth, but also working to improve the lives of customers and employees while protecting the environment.

The Need for Sustainability Cannot Be Ignored Any Longer

Expressing intentions is no longer sufficient. Sustainability is becoming more important for companies across all sectors. It is a business approach to create long-term value by considering how a given organization operates in social, ecological, and economic environments. Developing and implementing these strategies are meant to foster a company’s longevity. This is why business leaders need to focus on sustainability efforts.

Additional Reasons Why Business Leaders Need to Focus on Sustainability Include:

  • Government Regulations: Federal, state and local governments are enacting additional regulations to protect the environment. Adopting sustainability efforts will help to ensure that your company will be able to meet the changing regulations in a timely manner
  • Public Relations: A growing number of consumers care about environmental issues. This sector of the population is investing in companies who are enacting sustainability policies.
  • Attracting Employees: Employees want to attach themselves to brands that care about the environment and social responsibility as a whole.
  • Increased Sales: Sustainability commitments are resulting in improved sales.
  • Attracting Investors: Like consumers, investors want to invest in a company that is socially responsible.
  • Feeding Creativity and Innovation: Challenging employees to come up with better ways to do things is inspiring.
  • Enhanced Productivity: Targeting one area with sustainability efforts may lead to improvement in other areas as well.
  • Reducing Risk: Reducing the risk of fines and lawsuits by being in compliance keeps costs down.
  • Brand Trust and Loyalty: Branding your company as one that is committed to sustainability efforts is a great way to gain consumer confidence, trust, and loyalty.
why should leaders focus on sustainability
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Sustainability is the Future

Companies are moving toward more sustainable practices by reducing waste, creating a greener supply chain, looking at water efficiency, optimizing material usage, increasing productivity, addressing labor conditions, setting targets on water replenishment, taking steps with regard to energy efficiency, and more.

Sustainability and Business

When examining why business leaders need to focus on sustainability, it is imperative to understand these efforts are good for the environment, for consumers, and for business. Any business leader that does not grasp this is taking the risk of being left behind the competition. There are other risks, such as promising and not delivering or addressing one issue without being solid on compliance with regard to sustainability in other areas. For business leaders to address sustainability appropriately, these risks should be assessed and plans should be in place to address these issues.

Related: Green Cloud Communications for Business

Improving Sustainability is a Work in Progress

Just like there is no “one solution” for every business model, there is no “one solution” across the board for implementing sustainability efforts in every business. The best course to take is in analyzing the ambitions and individual stakes of each company. A few steps management teams can take in improving sustainability efforts include:

  1.  Aligning the company strategy with sustainability efforts.
  2. Address compliance first (pollution and energy efficiency, human rights, labor responsibilities, regulations in waste management, etc.) before addressing competitive advantage.
  3. Develop proactive sustainability strategies rather than reactive ones. When looking at why business leaders need to focus on sustainability efforts, you should recognize the impact of sustainability and develop proactive strategies rather than waiting until there is a crisis (i.e. public anger for unfair labor practices) to implement such efforts.
  4. Transparency is key. An open environment in an organization leads to improved performance. This has been proven time and time again. The way to accomplish transparency is through open and clear communication with all stakeholders.

Putting Sustainability Plans into Action

In speeding up sustainability efforts, business leaders should focus on issues that are specific to your business. This includes building a clear business case for focusing on sustainability, reinventing your business model, and developing a compelling value-creating story for investors. This is especially helpful when presenting your case for focusing on sustainability. This is a major challenge, but it is also one that matters beyond individual organizations.

Looking at why business leaders need to focus on sustainability efforts is a critical first step, however, action is the next step that must be taken.

The Links Between the Economy and the Environment

Posted on by Magaly Fuentes

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In November 2018, the current U.S. administration published a significant report detailing the advance of climate change. The news was bad and it also came with a price tag. The report detailed the damage that is being observed and the financial losses that are projected. In summary, the outcome is a result of what humans have constructed and are still constructing, which is not best suited for the world the way it is. As time goes on, the cost to live in this world could increase by hundreds of billions of dollars per year. The links between the economy and the environment are clearly shown.

The Evidence of Climate Change We’re Seeing Right Now

In recent years, thousands of Americans have died as a result of extreme weather events tied to climate change. This has included hurricanes, which have been fueled by very warm seas to other extremes, such as drought. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island said, “This report shows how climate change will affect every single one of our communities. The president says outrageous things like climate change is a hoax engineered by the Chinese and raking forests will prevent catastrophic wildfires, but serious consequences like collapsing coastal housing prices and trillions of dollars in stranded fossil fuel assets await us if we don’t act.”

Climate Change May Prove to be Financially Crippling

The United States National Climate assessments since 2000 have focused on showing the links between the economy and the environment and how much Americans stand to lose to climate change. The costs that are discussed include household expenses, the availability and price of food, energy, and other goods that people use on a daily basis in modern society.

These effects extend beyond the US. The report states, “The impacts of climate change, variability, and extreme events outside the United States are affecting and are virtually certain to increasingly affect U.S. trade and economy, including import and export prices and businesses with overseas operations and supply chains.” The report also states, “Now it’s seen much more as a societal or economic issue than a narrow environmental one.” And that is what it takes for many to gather the full scope of an issue… a clear, eye-opening breakdown of how something will affect them, the economy, and society as a whole.

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Dire Situations Ahead if Action Isn’t Taken

A section of the report analyzes the estimates of economic loss across the U.S. economy by sector. This section points to the fact that policy, as well as technological and behavioral changes that result in significantly lowering emissions, can cut the potential financial damage across many of these sectors by approximately 50 percent.

Even in a best-case situation, Americans will still have to pay tens of billions of dollars more per year to deal with the acceleration of climate change.

The climate change report goes on to show how climate change is putting different regions in the country in difficult financial situations:

In Pennsylvania, aging bridges may not fare well against more extreme storms, and water and wastewater systems need almost $30 billion in investment. In general, about 90 percent of the northeast is built on infrastructure poorly suited to adjust to rising seas. “Projected future costs are estimated to continue along a steep upward trend relative to what is being experienced today,” the report states. More than 60 percent of big southeastern cities see heat-wave trends above the national average, and three of them, Birmingham, Ala., New Orleans and Raleigh, N.C., are exceeding the rest of the country across all major heat-wave measures. Anchored by California’s clean-tech economy, the Southwest is seeing much of the nation’s new energy investment. Legacy power technologies, such as water-cooled power plants, will continue to work for decades, however, and will be less effective as temperatures make cooling sources too hot. Hot water could reduce efficiency of these power plants by 15 percent by 2050. In the Midwest, a major producer of corn and soybeans, increased temperatures, rainfall and humidity have eroded soil and allowed harmful pests and pathogens to thrive, according to the report. Rising growing-season temperatures in the region are projected to be the largest single factor contributing to declines of U.S. agriculture production.

Related: Learn How to Go Green with Cloud Communications

If the Environment Collapses, so Will the Economy

There are growing threats to supply chains, global trade, and the price of goods. Other international issues include humanitarian aid, national security, and what the report refers to as “transboundary resources,” which include water, fish, and minerals co-managed by neighboring countries. The link between the economy and the environment is clear and must be addressed immediately.

Though adaptation efforts are currently being put into effect at various levels across the nation, they are often minimal in comparison with the challenges we face. Acknowledging the connection between the economy and the environment and addressing the full range of climate change will require substantial change in business practices and procedures across all organizations and sectors. It also requires substantial change on the part of individuals, laws, and capital investment. The goal is not to adapt to a new normal that will essentially remain the same, but to prepare lives and infrastructure with a forward-looking mindset that takes into account the “now” and the “what’s to come.”

ITFS Numbers

Posted on by Magaly Fuentes

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In an increasingly competitive market, business owners must keep up with new advances in technology and strategies to stay ahead of the competition. The area of communication between customers and those who work within an organization is by far one of the most critical. Facilitating communication with customers in every way possible is the first step.

Toll free numbers allow callers to reach your business at no cost to them. This is a huge draw for customers, as toll free numbers portray the image of an established company and also send a clear message to the company’s customer base that their calls are so important that the company is willing to pay for them.

International toll free service numbers, also referred to as ITFS numbers, are the international equivalent of a United States toll free number in that they allow someone to call a business and the business pays for the call. With ITFS numbers, your customers in one country can make toll free calls that can be received in another country.

ITFN - international toll free
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For business owners that wish to expand their business to another country or have already expanded and are physically located outside of their business location, providing international clients a better way to contact your company will help to build loyalty to your brand. Research indicates that if your company is easier to communicate with, then the chances of a customer continuing to do repeat business with you, as well as refer friends and family to your business, increases.

Our Process

The process of acquiring ITFS numbers is fairly simple. It does not require a hefty amount of upfront costs. Typically, ITFS numbers are virtual phone numbers that can be forwarded to your existing phone line. United World Telecom offers ITFS numbers, as well as many corresponding features to work with these numbers. Some of those features include email, fax, SMS messaging, customized greetings, outbound calling, unlimited extensions, rollover minutes, simultaneous ringing, sequential forwarding, and many more.

The use of ITFS numbers makes it easier to operate on an international scale. For example, if you are located in the United States and customers need to reach you in Australia, you can provide them with Australian ITFS numbers and the calls from your Australian customers will be seamlessly forwarded to your offices in the United States. Calls may be forwarded to a landline or a mobile phone line of your choosing.

ITFS numbers help to increase your international reach and will help to boost your overall brand image on a global scale. These are two key factors in achieving success with an international expansion.

United World Telecom offers a variety of options for virtual phone numbers, including ITFS numbers. United World Telecom provides virtual phone numbers in over 150 countries worldwide and has been working in the area of global communications for over two decades. Though United World Telecom offers a variety of communication options for both business and personal use, business communication alternatives are a primary focus for UWT.

Benefits of ITFS

Ultimately, the benefits of using ITFS numbers are that they will improve the overall brand strength and drive more business to your organization. It is much more likely that a customer will reach out to you if they are not responsible for any fees related to the phone call. More access to your organization means a higher chance of sales and greater opportunities for an increase in overall success.

If you have been considering expanding your business to other countries outside of your home country, contact United World Telecom for a full review of ITFS number options and how turning to these options can benefit your specific company directly.