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Phone Systems & Technology For Small Business By Cy Yablonsky, Mon Jan 2nd There are two main ways, utilizing technology, that a smallbusiness can project a big-business image. A dynamic andprofessional website, and a dynamic cutting-edge phone system.These two can compliment each other and are often used inconjunction as marketing, customer service and revenuegeneration tools. As a marketing tool it's obvious what a website can accomplish.It states for all to see what the business does and otherpromotional items. A phone system can be the second part of thatmarketing campaign. A customer who calls the business, as afollow up from the website, is already under a good impression.This positive feeling can be built upon with an advanced PBX(phone system). A multi-level menu system, with aprofessional-sounding voice, can greet the potential customer.The menu can be divided by departments. For a small businessthis can be valuable by giving the impression that there reallyare departments! The Sales, Technical Support and CustomerService departments can all be going to the same person. When aperson is waiting on hold, or is being routed through thesystem, they can hear music or a recording about the businessand what they do. As a customer service tool a website can inform
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<P><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif><STRONG>Wi-Fi around Chicago..</STRONG></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif><FONT size=2>The Daley Center between Clark and Dearborn is now (as of September 2003) a wi-fi hot zone. I have not personally connected there, but the word is </FONT><FONT size=2>that the signal around Daley Plaza and Block 37 is strong. Click <A href="http://www.xchicago.com/main/article.php?articleID=413">here</A> for more information. </FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>If you are outside of downtown Chicago,the UPS stores (formerly Mailbox Etc.) will have wi-fi access (for a fee) in mid-September as will many McDonalds (for a fee). <A href="http://www.computerworld.com/mobiletopics/mobile/story/0,10801,80914,00.html">UPS story</A></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2></FONT> </P>
a customer onthe different policies of the company. It can have technicalsupport questions and answers. Contact can be initiated throughthe website via email, contact forms, instant messaging orweb-VoIP (Voice over IP) calling. An advanced phone system canbe setup to route calls based on priority or caller-id to theappropriate individuals. For example, if a small company ofeight people lands a large account they will try extra hard toplease this client. The phone system can be setup so that whenthe large client's caller-id, or a group of caller-ids if thecompany has multiple numbers, comes up it will be routed to theowner/manager. After business hours it can be routed to aspecial number. Losing a client has never been harder. (Article continued below)
As a revenue generation tool a website can have a store. It cando lead generation by offering information or demos of yourproduct which would require the customer to fill out a form. Asales associate would be able to follow up on these leads toconvert them to sales. A phone system can be setup to makeappointments for a service business. It can also be used to callpast customers as a reminder for further service. The system canroute calls to a salesman on the road to close a sale. No oneeven needs to be in the office, as the system will route thecalls appropriately. This is a small sample of how a website and an advanced phonesystem can make Sam's Discount Drug Store look like Walgreens. Cy Yablonsky is a realtor associate at Othello Realty, www.OthelloRealty.com.Cy has an extensive background in technology and communicationsand applies that to the real estate market. Feel free to reprintthis article as long as all links stay live and no changes aremade. About the author:Cy Yablonsky is a realtor associate at Othello Realty, www.OthelloRealty.com.Cy has an extensive background in technology and communicationsand applies that to the real estate market. Feel free to reprintthis article as long as all links stay live and no changes aremade. | Sign In |
