Ah, the holidays… a wonderful time of the year when family members gather around the fireplace to enjoy eggnog and the company of one another, trim the Christmas tree, etc.
The holidays can be hectic for most people, especially in the 12 days before Christmas. Even if you do not celebrate Christmas, 12 days is a very short time for a marketing campaign to promote your holiday promotion and get business done since most companies change their hours from December 25 until January 3.
How can you balance the demands of your small company with your family’s desire to roast chestnuts over an open fire? A virtual phone service may be able to help. We offer these 12 tips for small business phone calls until Christmas. We hope they brighten up your holiday season.
Make time for yourself by using smart call-forwarding
Small business owners’ time is valuable, but it becomes even more precious during the holiday season. Intelligent call forwarding allows you to sneak out and do extended shopping with your family, trim the Christmas tree, or have a holiday meal without losing touch. You can forward calls to your home number, mobile, or any other number and answer them as if you are in the office.
Record messages to answer questions repeatedly
Instead of answering the same questions, such as which days you will be working during the holidays or your hours of operation, make a recording and add it to your virtual receptionist.
This is especially helpful for businesses whose holiday hours differ significantly from the norm. Retailers can use these messages to update their customers on hot holiday items.
Offer doorbusters to boost holiday sales
Add a blast to your direct mail and email promotions to encourage customers to call the extension you have set up for the doorbuster of the day. You can use different attachments to track the effectiveness of each advertisement vehicle.
Allow the virtual receptionists to answer calls during peak hours
Most businesses prefer to have a person answer the phone. During the holidays, however, it can be challenging to answer all calls promptly due to the volume of calls.
Instead of forcing callers to leave a voicemail or call you back when you are unavailable to answer, use the virtual assistant as a backup. She will provide a professional, friendly greeting and quickly connect callers with the person or office they are looking for.
Use voicemail transcription for a quick scan of messages
During the holidays, voicemails seem to multiply. You can choose a virtual service that allows you to convert voicemails to text. This will enable you to receive the messages via text or email.
You can then quickly scan through the songs rather than listen to each individually. This is a great tool to keep track of your priorities, mainly when you are out shopping.
Give Santa his very own extension
Busines.ses can join the holiday spirit by having kids call Santa at the North Pole directly. This works exceptionally well if your company has a toll-free phone number.
Add a “Call Me” button to your website
Custome.rs today often get information from the Internet and then purchase using other methods. Add a Call Me Button to your site to make it easier for customers to contact you.
The customer clicks the button and enters the number to be called. They are then connected instantly while viewing the product on the screen. This is especially important for retailers without Web-based purchasing capabilities.
Take business calls when you are out shopping with your family
Ensure the caller ID shows as if it’s coming from your office. You can call out from anywhere and anytime with virtual calling cards.
Tag calls with caller ID to distinguish between business and personal calls
You can identify at a glance whether the caller called your virtual or direct number by assigning a unique number that appears before the caller ID. You can answer calls based on whether they are personal or business.
Do not wait in your office to receive a message while you and your family are out on a pre-holiday meal
Send faxes directly to your email to be accessed via your smartphone or laptop. Never wait for a fax.
Intelligent call forwarding is a great way to provide 24×7 support for customers
Customers needing assistance during the holiday season usually expect it immediately, even at 2:00 a.m. You can’t stay in the office all day with a small team. You can forward your calls using intelligent call forwarding. Each staff member should take one night during the holiday season to offer this support. Then, advertise the service.