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— February 27, 2017
As a business owner, do you ever feel overwhelmed?
As the captain of the ship, you find yourself quite busy handling all the day-to-day operations, including setting up meetings, filling out paperwork, and doing the actual stuff that brings in the big bucks.
The struggle is often having to figure out how to do it all at once.
It’s often said that the first impression is the strongest, but if you’re away in a meeting, out to lunch, or working hard in the zone, you might not always get to the phone in time. Not only does it make you look bad and incompetent, but you’re also leaving more leads and sales on the table.
One way to counteract that and reach more people is to hire a virtual receptionist.
What is a Virtual Receptionist?
A lot of up-and-coming business owners do need help when it comes to taking care of all the tasks on their schedule, plus having to answer the phone. Most struggle to hire in-house receptionists, as their operations are still too small and having around-the-clock help can be too expensive.
A virtual receptionist does all the same jobs an in-house receptionist would, but they’re located remotely, ultimately saving you tons of money while providing immediate value.
Imagine being able to focus solely on your business while your virtual receptionist is fielding calls, scheduling appointments, dealing with customer service, and anything else that seems to keep you from getting actual work done.
Having someone there at all times provides your clients with a friendly voice and a positive first impression, which is essential in turning cold leads into steaming hot buys.
Virtual Receptionists Bring in the Leads
A virtual receptionist’s job will vary, depending on the nature of the work you want them to accomplish. It can be a simple service of answering phones and scheduling appointments, or more involved, like using a script to work potential clients through your sales funnel.
It’s all about having a system in place that takes care of your customers.
Let’s face it, having excellent customer service is the first step in converting a lead. $ 41 billion in potential sales is lost every year simply because there is no one around to answer the phone or a client is on hold for too long. If your original point of contact is sub par, it will impact you negatively, and you will lose business.
How Does It Work?
A virtual receptionist is essentially a premium answering service that will take all your calls, using the methods you prescribe. Do you have a personalized greeting? A script you want them to read?
Maybe you have a list of product descriptions you want to share over the phone. Whatever it is, a virtual receptionist will take care of all your customer service needs.
Virtual receptionists work for a lot of smaller companies, as they cost much less than hiring someone in-house. When you consider the average price of hiring a personal receptionist is around $ 30,000, and a virtual receptionist costs around $ 250 per month (depending on the service), it’s not too difficult to see why the demand for virtual assistants is rising dramatically.
Closed for the Day
One of the best ways a virtual receptionist can help your business capture more leads is by being around after you’ve already gone home. While you’ve shut down for the day, and you’re sitting in front of the TV, that one lead is going to call back and is ready to buy.
You can rest easy knowing it’s being taken care of. Your virtual receptionist was available and took care of the call, making you money while you’re relaxing. Just by having them around, you’ve cast your net into a much larger pond. No matter the time or the day, someone will be there to serve your customer’s needs.
The statistics show that over 75% of all phone calls made to a small business are left unanswered. That is because small business owners struggle to manage between making money and connecting with clients, both of which are essential to running a successful business.
If you lack in one area, it will come back to bite you, risking your reputation in the process.
By hiring a virtual receptionist, not only are you covering all your bases, but you’re ensuring that every lead is properly chased and no money is left on the table. Potential customers will appreciate you taking the time to address their concerns while you get to spend more time doing the actual work that caught their attention in the first place.
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Parker Davis is the CEO of Answer 1, a leader in the virtual receptionist and technology enabled answering services industry. He believes that the application of data analytics, investment in technology, and fostering a positive company culture together create highly efficient and scalable growth companies. In 2016, Answer 1… View full profile ›
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Parker Davis — February 27, 2017 Follow @answer1
