In the past, the only means to communicate long distance, was through chits tied to pigeon’s feet. With the birth of civilization, we progressed to telegrams, type-written newspapers, and black and white films.
Today, we pride over our internet culture. However, even as India spawn’s entrepreneurs by the second, many businesses are still not aware of the extent to which the Internet technologies can enhance their bottom line. One such breakthrough is the Cloud Telephony.
Why are people still dubious about it? Here are some myths uncovered.
1. Why waste time calling, when you can advertise?
Ads today might be drastically different from their predecessors, and one might argue that they capture attention faster, but does their impact last long?
Besides, with ads, there’s a definite chance that people might flip channels, even after the first time the ad is aired, because they’re bored of repetitions. But, with calls, which are a ‘direct-to-customer’ procedure, you can make sure that the message reaches the one you’re speaking to.
2. Everyone cuts sales calls, anyways
We do not deny that people cut sales calls, but three important arguments invalidate this claim.
First, this is only the case when junk-mailers inordinately spam the customers with unnecessary information.
Second, when the customer volunteers to give personal information, such as phone numbers, it is often to companies they trust and from whom they’re usually welcoming of information that benefits them.
Third, cloud telephony is used, more than to make calls, to receive them, particularly the influx of enquiries and customer complaints every month.
3. It’s really tough to keep track of that many calls
Not true. It has never been easier to keep track of your calls. Now you can categorically organize your calls depending on the caller/recipient: your customers, partners/ clients, well-wishers,etc into different folders. VoiceTree even creates separate archives for calls that you have missed and ones that you’d like to record, like voicemails. So you not only keep track of the calls made but also of one you might have missed.
4. It’s too expensive
It’s not! Considering that you’ll be investing in some form of broadcast, isn’t it better to choose one which directly reaches the customer? Besides, we pay-per-use packages, cloud telephony providers only charge relative to the data used, so it is one of the most frugal and indubitable methods of communication.
5. They’re not cost-effective
The only way to tackle this myth is through statistics which show that, business grows by about 22% when they answer customer calls. Some organizations have even shown a 5% increase in profits after deploying cloud telephony for their services. Well, the numbers don’t lie!
6. I can’t be answering too many calls at once
This might seem redundant after the explanation to myth 3. Just to drive the point home again, may sophisticated telephony systems store even your missed calls and voice messages, so it’s always easy to manage them. In addition, you have a single telephony account for the entire organization, which means that, all your calls, whether answered by your staff or by your partners are recorded in the organizations account.
7. The staff will misuse the lines
This is not a problem as many telephony providers help you monitor, in real-time, the calls that your staff make and answer. Now, you don’t have to rush from cabin to cabin, checking up on the personnel. Plus, you also have enough material to justify the work incentives that you give at the end of the month.
8. It’s not accessible out of office
One of cloud telephony’s most pragmatic features is that it operated on the ‘Cloud’. Mixing business and pleasure has never been easier, as you can now keep a tab on your calls if you’re out of office, out of town or even on the road, simply through your internet account.
9. It’s not very safe
There is no denying that the primitive telephony and cloud telephony systems had trouble with safeguarding the content of the user’s calls, but today, the telephony systems are much more refined and advanced. Not only do they come with computer virus protection, but some of the best provide a wall, similar to firewall, that prevents breaking in and theft of call lines.
10. I will get confused between calls
Another crucial advantage of cloud telephony is its efficient call routing system facilitated by a sophisticated algorithm. With features such as toll-free numbers, IVR service (Interactive Voice Response), and advanced call center software, the cloud-based infrastructure ensures that your incoming calls are seamlessly directed to the respective departments.
This means that sales calls are efficiently routed to the sales department, customer complaints are directed to the CRM department, and so forth. The inclusion of toll-free numbers and IVR enhances the overall communication experience, making it not only convenient but also tailored to specific needs. In essence, cloud telephony not only simplifies processes but also optimizes communication workflows.
So now that we’ve broken down the myths, there should be little that is stopping you from boosting your business, the cloud telephony service way!
The writer of this article, Ankitha Ramakrishnan is currently a student of Psychology, has written online content for magazines and worked as a reporter for the print media.