Does this sound familiar?
You’re right in the thick of an important piece of work. You’re in the zone. You’re focused and you’ve got a sense that you’re on the verge of something pretty significant … and then the phone rings!
It’s frustrating. To start with, your concentration is broken. In addition, there’s the risk you’ll lose your train of thought and not get it back. You quickly jot down some notes to jog your memory and just as you pick up the phone, the ring goes silent – you’re too late. Not only have you been taken out of the zone, but because the number was withheld, you have no idea who the caller was.
You’ve got to be quick
The fact is, if you want to speak with the caller you need to answer your phone within three rings. If you don’t, the chances are that 7 out of 10 callers will not only hang up, but also they won’t call back.
Most answerphones kick in after about 15 seconds – that’s about five rings. And because a lot of people don’t like to leave a message, they’ll hang up before then. Tardy phone answering can leave a bad impression on your customers. If you take too long it can leave people feeling unimpressed and not loved. Not a good start to a potential working relationship!
How not to miss a call
So how do you ensure your phone gets answered within three rings whilst maintaining a set-up that allows you to work effectively? And how do you manage those times when you want to take a break, are in a meeting or immersed in a high-value activity that requires protected time? Or want to take a holiday?
It’s not always easy, especially when you consider these two factors.
Firstly you won’t know the nature of the enquiry until you pick up the phone. For sure there will be some calls you absolutely don’t want to miss – especially if it’s an important lead or a query from one of your VIP customers. But alongside that you’ll inevitably receive a number of ‘nuisance’ calls. And let’s be honest, who wants to take an unsolicited sales call for a product / service you really don’t need?
Secondly, if you’re the face of your business is highly likely you’ll want to be available to talk with customers. After all, it’s those one-to-one chats that help you convert prospects into customers.
But the hard truth is it’s impractical and inefficient for you to be available to answer your phone all the time, which means you need a different approach.
Smart tactics to manage your phone
A growing number of business owners are taking control of their incoming calls by outsourcing to a call-answering service. Here are some reasons why this is a great tactic:
- You can create protected time: Simply divert calls to your call-answering service when you don’t want to be disturbed. Relax knowing they’ll be professionally answered in your absence.
- Screen your calls: Ensure you only speak with the people you want to and use a call-answering service to filter out the unwanted sales calls from the genuine enquiries.
- Take a break: Ensure you’re not tied to your phone. Instead, allow your call-answering service to answer your phone when you’re not available
- Never miss a call again: Lose the stress you feel when a caller hangs up before you reach your phone. This won’t happen if a call-answering service is in charge.
If you want to avoid stress and ensure your business telephone is answered promptly and professionally, consider what a virtual receptionist service could do for your business. Why not get in touch with us today to talk through your business needs – we’ll come up with a plan to ensure you never miss an important phone call again.
