Of course it is always a great thing to be available to speak to your prospects or clients.  While you may be able to talk to them but are you really available?  You need to give them your full and undivided attention, to really discuss what they have called you for and offer the best solution to their need.

If you are distracted, can you really add value? Are you really available?

You know the scenario -: prospective client X has called to discuss his or her requirements.  It just so happens they have called as you are due to go into a meeting, responding to a detailed Email, preparing a proposal or quote, or while you are trying to attend to your accounts.  It can be very difficult to switch your focus to giving client X your full and undivided attention.  Remember Client X has no idea that just seconds before you were wrapped up in an all consuming task, but because you have answered their call they assume you have all the time in the world to talk to them and that they have your attention.  You may be conscious that you should be on your way to that client meeting, anxiously looking at the clock, seeing how quickly you can get this person off the phone without appearing rude.

That’s not to mention the work or task you were involved in before now taking a bit of a back seat, although that is another blog post entirely!  It is here if you want a read.

Although it might be a great thing at 1^st glance that that every time someone calls your business they get to speak to you, your constant availability might start to raise questions.  If you can always answer the phone – as your client when are you working for me?  Are you really happy to answer you phone at 10pm on a Friday or Saturday night?
If I telephone Virgin Atlantic and Richard Branson answered the phone each time I called I might wonder why….  although this is a flippant example I think you get my point. 

In fact you probably aren’t available all the time to take calls, you are out at meetings, doing other things that demand your attention.

Are you really available?

So unless you really are available and really can add value, why not still afford your callers the luxury of talking to a real person who can have a sensible conversation with the caller be they an existing or prospective client.  By relaying you all the information you need in a concise format you can call them back when it is convenient and be able to say ‘I’m free’ with confidence!

The 5% Club!

To celebrate our 5th Birthday and a pat on the back to the rest of the 5% of survivors.  We want to help other businesses. 

We are offering a Free no obligation Trial Month of the Answer it service to the first 5 business’s that call  or Email us.

If after the trial you decide to stay with the service once you have used the service for 2 months we’ll give you another little bonus too!

So act quickly and call or Email so that you do not miss out!

(Our usual rule of not taking our trial when you are on holiday still applies)

If you were sick and something was seriously wrong you would more than likely be referred to a ‘Specialist.’ Someone who is an expert in their field, whatever that may be.  Perhaps a dermatologist or oncologist you may need to have an x-ray in which case you would see a radiologist.

Great business people who are passionate about their field whatever it may be. They generally have very specialist advice and knowledge to share.  I recently had my car valeted.  The man who came to do the work has his own business and he is passionate (as I am) about cars.  He was able to impart all sorts of specialist knowledge about the paintwork with regards the depth and his knowledge of products and their effects was also staggering.

Passion for Business

You probably have the same passion for your field of business.  Let’s be honest if someone asks you about what you do, you could probably talk for hours on the subject.  That’s great it’s your comfort zone it is where you are happiest.  It is probably the reason you started your business.  You didn’t start it so that you could do all the other ‘stuff’ that goes along with it.  You know the ‘boring’ admin type stuff, the stuff that sits at the bottom of your to do list. 

Passion for Customer Service  

Answer-it started from a passion for customer service and sales.  Wanting to deliver the best possible experience and to help businesses do the same and help them win those sales.  We know the phone can be a real bind.  It always rings at the most awkward moment possible.  You might have been in the office all day, then go to set foot out of the office and off it goes.

 If you like we are Answerists!  We specialise in answering the phone.  That’s what the Answerettes do best.  So if you want to stay passionate about your business and be the specialist you are, it might be worth talking to us, to see how we can help.

We Answer The Phone and….

It is true we do answer the phone when you need us to.  So when you are out, need overflow cover, holiday cover, business continuity cover or just an extra pair of hands to manage your calls so you are not disturbed.

We also send items out by post for some of our clients.  Application forms, catalogues and invoices.
Some clients like us to use their diary and book in appointments for them.

However what we actually do is so much more.  We help each business we answer for continue their marketing message, far beyond their website or printed collateral.
We offer continuity to this message.  The business is contactable and approachable.

Those Who Don’t Answer The Phone.

In stark contrast to those who either don’t answer their phone, rely on voicemail or use an automated system.  Surely there is no stronger oxymoron than listening to a recorded message for the umpteenth time telling you how much the company who you are calling ‘cares.’  You know they really don’t otherwise they would be talking to you rather than keeping you on hold. The same with the voicemail ‘Thanks for calling’
So in fact it isn’t what we physically do that is as important, as the result of what we do, and how we do it.
True and pertinent in any business, how about yours?

This is something that we sometimes get asked about.

Yes we can do this for our clients.  However following the old adage ‘Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.’  The following is why.

If you are using a service such as ours and your calls have been diverted to come through for us to answer on your behalf, it is usually for a good reason.  Most of the time it means that you are too busy to take  calls. 

Imagine this

So just for a moment – Imagine this

You make a call, be it to a customer or a client

The person that takes your call says they will ‘put you through’

You dutifully hold on the line

The ‘operator’ is trying to connect (you are still on hold) but they are unable to.  This could be because the person you are trying to reach is out of area on a mobile phone, in a meeting, or for any other reason, too numerous to mention.  (Voicemail can take some time to connect.)

The ‘operator’ comes back to you to say that the person you were trying to reach isn’t available.  Politely asking if you would like to leave a message so that they can return your call.

Perhaps it would have been better for the operator to simply take a message in the first instance, saving the caller the indeterminable ‘on hold’ time.

 Reality

However it is fair to say that call forwarding works for some clients, those who are larger organisations or those that do keep us informed up to the minute of their whereabouts.  Reality is that a lot of our clients are simply too busy to keep us this informed.  If they get a last minute call to attend an important client meeting they are safe in the knowledge their calls are handled professionally.  Safe in the knowledge that even though they aren’t answering the call their competitors certainly aren’t either!

Well it looks like it is heads down and noses to the grindstone for 2012 then.

Opportunity to Work Smarter!

Here at Answer-it we believe that 2012 is a great opportunity for a fresh start, time to work smarter.  We want to continue helping businesses.  Making sure that they never miss another phone call, for whatever reason that may be.  If the phones are really busy and you need overflow support, if you are in a meeting either in your office or if you have had to go out.  When you want to take some time to sort out paperwork a proposal or just work ‘on’ the business.  The Answerettes are there to pick up the phone and deal with the call as dilligently as your own receptionist or PA.
So while you are putting all your efforts into making 2012 hugely profitable, we will make sure that the money you have invested in marketing your business doesn’t ever go to waste, by making sure the phone is answered every time it rings.  No more chancing it and leaving it to voicemail.  Making sure you have the time to speak and have the right information to hand.
Providing excellent customer service to your clients and prospects, letting them speak to a real person each time they call your business.

Start 2012 the Right Way

So the Answerettes want to help you start your 2012 the right way!

We are offering a Free no obligation Trial Month of the Answer it service to the first 5 business’s that call  or Email us.

If after the trial you decide to stay with the service once you have used the service for 2 months we’ll give you another little bonus too!

So act quickly and call or Email so that you do not miss out!

You’d be MAD to miss out!

(Our usual rule of not taking our trial when you are on holiday still applies)

I recently heard a very worrying story from a new client.  They had met a ‘Virtual Assistant’ at an event some time ago and decided that the Telephone Answering service that was offered was a great idea.  It became apparent however when a call was taken for one of their clients by someone clearly not in an office and unable to take a message.  They also made it very clear they were an outsourced service.  This particular client did NOT want their callers made aware that they were using an outsourced answering service.

 As a consequence they ended their contract and were very dubious about employing another service due to the unacceptable experience they had previously encountered.  They had been struggling and missing calls for a year, rather than engage another service.

 Needless to say they were a little uncertain and needed plenty of reassurance and are we understand satisfied with the service Answer-it is providing them.

The point then of this post is to make sure that if you do require telephone answering and it is offered do make sure your need can be met.  IF you are happy with calls being taken on a mobile phone in other people’s offices, IF you are happy not to have calls answered in your company name. 

Specialists

We and specialists like us use some great technology to make what we do work most effectively for your business.  Making sure your callers receive the best service possible.  Our team are all office based which means that information sharing is instant.  For example duplicate calls can be handled effectively.  Our team are not distracted by other jobs.  For example we are not completing stacks of data entry for another client, or typing up proposals.  When the phone rings for your business we are focused simply on that caller and your business.  We have the tools to enable us to do just that.

 Of course all VA’s are not the same and some do outsource on a white label basis to specialist companies such as ourselves.

If you’d like to see, feel and hear the difference for yourself we invite you to take advantage of a free trial of our service.

So what don’t you know?

Did you know that your height is equivalent to the distance between your two longest fingers?  See you didn’t know, that you didn’t know that, before you read that did you?
[Of course there will be the odd smarty pants who did know that]

I bet you don’t know how many phone calls you might miss throughout the course of a normal day.  Could you even guess?  Does it occur to you those that hang up before voicemail kicks in, those who hang up when they get an engaged tone.  Ok so you don’t know the answer to that and actually it would be very challenging if not impossible to really work that out.  But all the same now you know that they are there.

What you probably know.

However you do probably know what an average sale for your business is worth.  You probably also know what your conversion rate on telephone enquiries to sales is.

Would you like to know? 

So would you like to get an idea of what calls you might be missing? Would you like to know about potential sales that are going directly to a competitor as your customer couldn’t reach you by telephone?  Even more importantly would you like to capture those missed calls and have the opportunity to convert them to sales?

 If you would then why not take advantage of a free trial with us at Answer-it and find out exactly what you didn’t know that you didn’t know. Call 01954 253770 or Email us today.

The upheaval of the office move

Each of them have let us know they are moving and very wisely arranged their diverts before they moved so that during the upheaval of  ‘Moving day / even week’  Service to their customers and suppliers was unaffected.

The Answer-it Team (The Answerettes) were able to continue taking calls and the pressure of mobile phones ringing and issues with phone lines and missing calls has been well and truly off the list of stress for these business owners.

Most are now comfortably settled in their new premises, some are still experiencing  a few teething problems with telephone suppliers (they shall remain nameless!) For those still having issues though, they know that all calls are being answered and dealt with efficiently.

One of our clients had this to say – :

‘With the Trauma of moving 1 address to another we wanted to be well prepared for any issues with phone companies, that we might encounter.  We wanted to  plan ahead for the flexibility of moving ‘our way.’ to do things more efficiently working to own agenda and timetable.  Using the ‘Answer-it service meant that we were able to do this without any fuss.  Having used Answer-it for sometime there was no disruption to the service we provide our clients  

Troels Jordanssen – Breast Health UK

Planning Ahead.

In conclusion then it appears it pays well to plan ahead and be able to work to your own agenda and timetable.  Get in touch – we can help.

Don’t you just LOVE them?  So while auto dialers and recorded calls are quite easy to figure out and hang up on, the cold caller can be more tricky!

Usually the caller will verify the name of the company they are calling. (Annoying because you just answered with it.)
They will then go on to ask for ‘The Managing Director.’ (Annoying when they are not calling a Limited Company.) or ‘The Person in charge of…..’ / ‘The Office Manager.’  ‘The Owner.’ (Annoying when they have called a Limited Company.)

The responses you get range from the inane to cheeky to downright rude at times.  Well that is if the caller can understand you.  It  still  puzzles me that a business trying to sell its products by telephone through the cold calling medium employ people who clearly cannot speak the language of those they are calling. [Answers on a postcard!]

When offered a call back they respond with ‘Ok I will call them back,’ and then hang up.  It is very clear that they weren’t listening to a word you said.

But it is the frustration of picking up these calls especially if you are involved in a piece of work, just walking out of the door, or expecting an important call.

Volume of calls and Trial Period

We recently covered the phones over a trial period for a company.  During the week we passed on just 5 messages.  They were either orders, sales enquiries or relating to a service call.  The company signed up straight away, without hesitation.  Why I hear you asking – 5 calls surely they could handle those internally without the need to outsource.  Ahhh, the why is made clearer when we reveal that over the week the Answerettes actually took around 60 calls for this client.  All sales calls, recorded messages or auto dialers.  They were so pleased that all these calls had been eliminated from their business, they had no hesitation in signing up.

Recently a cold caller did manage to reach one of our clients [we assume her divert was turned off] and she told us the cold caller described you guys as ‘the best gatekeepers in history!’ 

Would you like a trial of the Answer-it service to put our gatekeeping to the test?