14.03.2023
Small business communication tips

Streamlining business processes is beneficial for improved productivity and cost-efficiency. Optimized processes allow you to identify potential risks and bottlenecks before they become problematic. The following article explores some key tips to streamlining your business processes.

  • Tip 1: Opt for cloud communication over the traditional phone

  • Many small businesses who have introduced Cloud VoIP comment on the benefit of no installation charges and hassle free setup. The advantage of VoIP is that you can leverage a fast Internet connection instead of a dedicated phone line. Traditional phone lines are expensive and installation costs can start in the hundreds up to the thousands. With VoIP you require no hard wiring and the set up is simple, taking as little as 5 minutes. Business communication tools and systems and their processes can be synced with VoIP phone systems to eliminate timely tasks and error-prone manual updates. When your business grows, often when you gain more staff, communication needs become more vast and variable. Over time, as you grow, you may consider adding more phones. Often with increasing traditional phone lines you introduce a level of complexity and considerable expense. Zadarma’s PBX unifies all the phone lines across multiple locations, together through a cloud VoIP solution. PBX phone system users can communicate with one another over the phone via internal lines, making and receiving external calls. A PBX phone system usually provides you with features such as call forwarding, call transfer, call queuing, auto-attendant, voicemail and much more. A PBX system operates by using either VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) or via analog or digital phone lines, far cheaper than traditional phone calling.

  • Tip 2: Ensure you have set up an affordable calling and video conferencing solution

  • VoIP is proving to be a low cost alternative to the traditional telephone system. It uses a broadband connection to make and receive calls and so can significantly reduce running costs with no need for hardware and telephone wires. If you choose the right provider, you will find the solution extremely affordable as it can provide a fully fledged unified communication solution for any scaling organisation. VoIP will allow your scaling business to make extensive call savings as call rates on both local calls and international calls can be activated in the cloud. Some VoIP providers will also offer a free video conferencing facility as part of their standard price plan. Virtual meetings and video calls are smart solutions to ensure you can make that vital first impression count. Video conferencing has accelerated the way business is being delivered in the modern day. It has been proven time and time again that growing businesses that leverage effective technology, such as video conferencing, are remaining competitive.

  • Tip 3: Introduce Customer Management Software to streamline your sales process

  • A CRM (Customer Management Software) streamlines your sales and customer management process by offering greater visibility of the end to end sales and customer journey. This is often helpful within lean, smaller growing businesses. Years ago businesses would have relied on contact directories or address books however CRMs make it easy to store contact information and see where every prospect is in the sales funnel, at any given time. An effective sales process requires a structured and transparent approach. To successfully close a sales opportunity you need to know where every prospect is in the sales funnel at every certain moment. With a lean team, it is often hard to remember every piece of information. A CRM will store consistent information on every lead and contact profile so that you can access the data whenever you require it, to keep on top of your leads. A CRM offers maximum visibility on prospects, enabling you to store all data in one place and track all communications. It allows you to see which lead has been contacted, by whom, and when.

  • Tip 4: Track your calls

  • Call tracking is a technology that allows you to track and collect data on incoming phone calls. This call data can be used to assess the Return On Investment (ROI) of your marketing and sales campaigns. At Zadarma, we offer a call tracking service within our standard package. The tracking tool allows you to collect call metrics allowing you to evaluate the effectiveness of different advertising channels, analyzing the number of incoming calls and showing additional call data and client sessions on your website. Call tracking can assist small growing businesses to target and optimize your marketing spend. This in turn will improve your ROI, which often provides future advertising savings.

    A call tracking system can follow and analyze the inbound leads through the phone number they came through on, to understand the marketing channel and sales team’s true effectiveness and fundamentally measure Return On Investment. Employees are able to maintain productivity by logging in and accessing the main company network from inside and outside the office, in fact from any location, and at any time. This means that there are no restrictions or limitations, and global calls can be made easily, from anywhere.

  • Tip 5: Introduce a virtual receptionist & IVR

  • Many VoIP providers will offer free features, such as Interactive Voice Response (often referred to as IVR), as part of their standard packages. IVR is an automated phone system technology that allows incoming callers to access information via a voice response system of pre recorded messages without having to speak to an agent, as well as to utilize menu options via touch tone keypad selection or speech recognition. An automated attendant allows callers to be automatically transferred to an extension without the intervention of a receptionist. Calls can be re-routed or auto-attended too or sent to a voicemail, when lean teams are away from their desks, on holiday, remote or traveling. An auto attendant may also allow a caller to reach a live operator by dialing a number. This feature ensures no call ever goes unmissed. Portability is key for many small growing businesses. VoIP IVR will improve your business mobility. An automated attendant is highly useful for a small company with limited workforce. It will streamline the flow of calls through your small organization, increase efficiency and cut the cost of additional staff salaries.

In conclusion

When every call can affect your business's bottom line, it is vital that each outbound call to customers or prospective customers, provides the highest quality of service. An increasing number of growing businesses are switching their telecommunications to VoIP providers. Integrated VoIP supported by simple workflow management systems will help streamline your processes, helping to eliminate unnecessary and time-consuming tasks. A CRM is a great example of a powerful solution that helps facilitate your customer management and automate your sales workflow. It offers you numerous advantages when you unlock its maximum potential. CRM automation will provide your growing team with all the tools to improve business performance, saving time to allow you to sell more and serve your customers better. Furthermore, there are many AI apps with easy to use interfaces to help streamline repetitive, time consuming tasks. These tools will help you schedule your content marketing and handle all your company documentation. Modern communications methods continue to advance; integrated VoIP supported by a CRM and simple AI applications will provide your business with mobility and flexibility to streamline your business processes.

Zadarma’s PBX allows you to integrate your VoIP solution with your CRM. This will enable any member of your business to provide a heightened personalised customer service experience to each inbound and outbound client call. Zadarma PBX currently integrates with Microsoft Teams, Bitrix24, Zoho CRM, amoCRM, Salesforce, Megaplan, RetailCRM, ZohoDESK, PlanFix and WireCRM. In addition Zadarma offers a free CRM.