If you’ve been in business for a while, then you were probably around when marketing shifted from print to online. But that was just the beginning.
Thanks to the internet, there’s so much more that we can do today. Not only did our modes of communication shift, but also did the many methods that we get things.
We mean this not only to apply to products and services. But thanks to companies like Telnum, who join innovators at the forefront of change, anyone can now get a virtual number for personal use and for business.
A quick intro to virtual numbers
To quickly understand what it is, you must simply think of it at any digital product (e-book, online course, etc.) that you get from the internet. Because at its basic, that’s exactly what it is.
It’s a number that you don’t get from phone companies. Instead, you get it online just how you would order an ebook off of Amazon. And just like that e-book is tied to your account and not to a specific device, so your virtual number is tied to a specific user account.
This means that you can use the number on any device for as long as your user account is active there. That’s pretty much it!
Depending on where you get it, you may get any (or all) of the following features:
- Call recording. For quality monitoring purposes, you can have all calls recorded for your review later.
- Call routing. If the caller is from a particular area, the call can be automatically routed to an agent with the same language, for example.
- Automation. To let your agents focus on solving bigger problems, you can create a call menu. This gives the caller a chance to make small inquiries like checking when their next payment is without talking to a live agent.
- Call transfers. Depending on what the caller pressed in the call menu, they can be directly sent to the department most qualified to help them. This saves everyone the hassle of transferring them from one agent to another.
Its most popular benefits
But people just don’t get one because it’s something relatively new. There are actually lots of advantages of having this over your regular number:
- You’re not stuck with a number.
If you’re not yet fully convinced that it’s going to work out for you, you’ll be happy to know that you can cancel your number anytime without any consequence. You’re not stuck in a contract, so you’re not forced to keep paying for something you don’t want.
But more importantly, this means that you can change your number without paying a hefty changing fee that phone providers usually charge.
- You get useful data insights.
How long is each call on average? How long before people answer their phones? What percentage of the numbers called are answered?
If you’re running a call center, this information can give useful insights on how to improve service or decrease cost per call. No one has to manually keep track of this so you and your employees can focus on making the calls.
- It’s cheap.
Usually, this is the main motivation for the switch. And as time goes on, we’re sure that getting virtual numbers will become even more affordable than already are, drawing it to more popular public use.
And because the market is competing for the sale, perhaps even more features will become available in the future.
But the biggest cost-cutting measure you get is allowing you to do away with long-distance costs. Yes, it’s much cheaper now than they were before, but those minutes can easily add up if you’re using the number all day.
How can you get one?
Convinced of how useful it can be? Providers usually post clear and concise ways on how you can get one. Here’s how it usually goes:
- Create an account
On your chosen provider’s website, you’ll need to sign up to create an account with them.
- Select one of the available numbers
You’ll usually have a choice of area codes. So do your homework to decide which will work best for you. Most businesses try to make it into a vanity number such as 1-800-QUIT-NOW or 1-800-7000-700 to make them more memorable.
- You’re done!
After you place your order, all you have to do is wait for your provider to confirm your order. And once you officially have it, you can start making calls right away.
Some of them will guide you on how to use your number, so take advantage of that.
A virtual number may not be considered a business staple now, but it will probably in the future. But by then, the advantages won’t be as great because there are too many enterprises using them already.
So our advice, get in the game ASAP to maximize the benefits.
