Are You a Growing Small Business Looking for a Virtual Office?
You’ve heard the phrase “Fake it until you make it?” It’s doubly true for growing small businesses.
Any PR or marketing expert will tell you that projecting a more professional business image is the first step towards greater success.
For example, think of the first time a potential customer contacts you as less sales pitch and more interview.
Seasoned recruiters know that an interviewee’s success in landing a job is often determined within the first 30 seconds of their interview.
Like it or not, a firm handshake, strong eye contact and a confident manner have a huge impact on whether a potential candidate becomes a trusted employee.
Get a 1300 Number
Your friends and colleagues keep telling you how great 1300 Numbers are, and all of your research backs up everything they’ve said.
You’re convinced! You’ve decided that your business NEEDS a 1300 Number.
So what do you do now?
The first step is to decide which type of 1300 Number you should get. Broadly speaking, there are two types available:
- Smartnumbers® are numbers that spell words or contain patterns that make them easy to remember. You get these numbers through Australian government auctions.
- Normal issue numbers are the rest of the 1300 Numbers out there that aren’t considered as “smart” as their cousins. You get these numbers through telecommunications providers who specialise in business services.
Do 1300 Numbers Give Your Business an Unfair Advantage?
A potential customer is looking for a product or service that you provide.
They’ve found a list of providers by searching the Internet or local paper. These all look pretty good to them, with similar prices and good reviews from customers. The first business they call is going to have the best chance to make the sale.
So, how do you put your business at the top of their list?
Most people’s first call is to the business that looks most trust-worthy and professional. It could be the company with the best web site or the one that uses the friendliest wording in their advertising or the one with the professional-looking phone number.
Yes, having the right phone numbers can make a difference! We’ve heard from many customers that they’ve seen an immediate increase in calls and sales after switching from a mobile phone number to a 1300 Number for their businesses.
So, what can a 1300 Number do for your business?
How to Add your 1300 Number to the White and Yellow Pages
Now that you’ve got a 1300 number (or 1800 number), you want to make it as easy as possible for people to find it. After all, the easier it is for potential customers to find your contact details, the more of them you’re likely to hear from!
For sure you’ll include your phone number in places like your website, email signature and business cards. It’s also a good idea to list it in public directories.
Two of the most common directories that people use to search for businesses are the White Pages® and Yellow Pages®. Even though many of us don’t use the paper versions as often as we used to, we still rely on the online and voice versions when we’re searching for a number (especially from our smartphones and tablets).
If your Business is your Treasure, Get a Gold 1300 Number
Like any proud business owner, you want only the very best. The phone is an important tool in the way you do business, so it makes sense that you should have the best phone number possible.
Alltel’s Gold 1300 Numbers are a great addition to any business. These numbers contain repeated digits or simple sequences that help to make them easy to say, easy to remember and easy to dial. This makes them ideal for promoting and marketing your business.
Like regular 1300 numbers, Alltel Gold Numbers come with powerful built-in reporting options. Call details such as who is calling, when they’re calling, where they’re calling from and the length of each call help to give you insights into your customer base and to measure the success of different marketing campaigns and channels.
Switching your 1300 Number Provider is Easier than you Think
Your phone is a vital part of your business, so it doesn’t make sense to settle for poor customer service from your telecommunications provider.
One of the benefits of 1300 and 1800 numbers is that you can keep the same number when you switch providers.
Switch to Alltel today and save
When you move your number to Alltel, you’ll not only enjoy our award-winning customer service and great value monthly plans, we’ll also wavie the usual set up fee. That’s a saving of $19.
This special offer is available until 31 July 2012, so get in fast to take advantage of the savings.
Six Tips for Home-based Start-up Businesses
For many of us, running our own business is the ultimate dream. We’ll often start following that dream gradually: working in whatever hours we have available and looking forward to the day when we’ve built a business strong enough that we can quit our day jobs!
To increase your opportunities for success, you need to plan your business properly: do your homework and make sure your business idea is actually going to make money. By doing things properly at the start, you’ll reduce the risk of heartache later on.
For those who are ready to take the step and start their own business, here are a few tips and hints to help you along the way.
Use Local Connect to Turn your 1300 Number into a Super Number!
If you’ve visited this blog before, you’ll know that we’re big fans of 1300 numbers. For any first-time visitors, here are a few of the benefits these numbers provide:
- Route 1300 numbers to ring different landlines or mobile phones depending on the time of day, location of your caller, or how busy you are.
- These numbers aren’t tied to any specific landline or mobile phone, so you can move them with you as your business grows.
- The built-in reporting features of 1300 numbers provide a powerful tool for measuring the success of your marketing campaigns.
- Encourage customers to call by providing a national number that is the cost of a local call when dialled from any landline in Australia.
This blog post will explain how you can make these numbers EVEN BETTER by adding an Alltel Local Connect number (from just $14.95 a month).
Change 1300/1800 Number & Live Answering Plans any Time for FREE
Many providers charge a fee if you want to change your 1300 Number, 1800 Number or Live Answering services to a higher- or lower-cost plan: especially in the case of moving to a lower-cost plan!
At Alltel, we want you to have the service that is the most economical and best fit for your business. That’s why with our 1300, 1800 and Live Answering services you can Upgrade or Downgrade your monthly plans at any time for FREE.
1300 Numbers: Helping Start-ups Keep in Touch with Their Customers
It’s always important for customers to be able to contact your business. This is especially true when you’re first starting out and working hard to build up your customer base.
Unfortunately, start-ups can often be the most difficult types of businesses for their customers to contact. For example, common start-up ”challenges” can include the following:
- There’s no budget for a formal office, so everyone works from their own home offices. That can mean that customers often need to know multiple phone numbers to be able to contact everyone they’re after!
- Some employees may spend time each week working a second job (while they’re waiting for the new business to make enough money to pay all their bills). That typically means there may be certain hours each week when they can’t be contacted by phone.
- Some roles require employees to do a lot of travelling, for example to visit customers or suppliers, which may see them away from the office for hours or even days at a time.
You need to structure your communications so that customers are still able to contact your employees who work remotely, are not always able to answer their phones, or spend a lot of time on the road. The good news is that 1300 Numbers provide you with an easy and affordable way to ensure that your customers can always reach you when they want you.
1800/1300 NUMBER SPECIALISTS
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