Today we want to talk about voice. No, we’re not talking about your marketing voice, or even your personal voice. We’re talking about the voice your customers hear when they call your business. Who picks up the phone? What do they sound like? What impression do they give of your business to that brand new caller?
Go on, think about it for a second. We’ll wait.
For many business owners, the answer is ‘me’. They are the only one who answers their phones, which means they often get answered in a haphazard or rushed manner. You’re in the middle of something, you’re on another call, or you’ve just run up the stairs to catch it before it rings out. Or worse, it doesn’t get answered at all! You’re in a meeting, popped out to make a coffee, or you’re in the loo. All of this adds up to your customers entering a sort of lottery when they call your business. Which version of you will they get today?
None of that is really good for business. If you want to come across as professional, you need to be able to handle phone calls professionally. This means having a good front-end voice for your business – a voice that greets customers in the same positive way each time. Want to know why? We’ve got 3 good reasons:
Make A Good Impression
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. And when it comes to your business, you want to be sure you’re making the best first impression possible, every time. If a customer calls your business and gets a rather hurried answer from you, is told you’re busy or you simply don’t pick up the phone, the likelihood that they will come back to you is pretty low. It also gets very confusing if they are constantly speaking to different people within your business, when all they want to do is solve a minor problem.
But if you have a consistent front-end voice, customers will always get a glowing first impression of your business. If your calls are all answered in a professional and friendly manner, handled quickly and resolved fully, that caller will be left with a positive impression of your business that could last for years. A virtual receptionist or call answering service can offer that ideal first impression as a natural part of the package, so you don’t have to worry about losing business to a dodgy first impression.
Keep Your Brand Consistent
You’ve probably worked pretty hard to hone your brand. You have a good idea of what your brand looks like, sounds like and acts like out in the world. Your brand is what customers will see when they visit your website, meet with you to discuss a project, or call you. And you want to keep that brand impression consistent every single time a customer interacts with you. If you’ve worked really hard to curate a great brand, the last thing you want to do is undo it by presenting a different brand over the phone. If your brand is friendly and professional, then you need to be able to deliver that every time you answer the phone. If your brand is brash honesty and comedy, you need to be able to deliver that too. If you’re not able to guarantee that each and every time, it’s a sure sign you need a call answering service.
Deliver Outstanding Customer Service
Hands down, customer service is the most important part of your business. Research shows that customer service is now more important than price, and 55% of customers are willing to spend more money with a company that guarantees them a satisfying experience. This means you need to be delivering great service in all areas of your business – which includes your phone calls. If you can provide a front-of-house voice for your business that is professional, friendly, compassionate and helpful, your customers will receive a much higher level of customer service, trust your business more and likely stick with you for longer. If you can’t manage to be that voice all the time, don’t worry. With call-answering services like Verbatim, you will be able to guarantee exceptional customer service to anyone who calls your business, whether they are a long-time customer or a brand new prospect. With our help, you can retain existing customers and win new ones, all with a smile (and absolutely no effort on your part!).
At Verbatim, we provide a wide range of services designed to provide you with that front-end voice for your business. From a fully managed call answering service to a virtual receptionist and even business continuity planning, we can make sure you have a friendly, helpful voice at the end of the phone 24/7. If you would like to know more about our call answering services and virtual reception, please just get in touch with the team at Verbatim today for your free, no-obligation consultation.
