Although some businesses use mobile phone numbers or even just email addresses for their communications, this is not the best option by any means. Proper business telephone numbers provide even small enterprises with numerous advantages that they cannot derive from mobile numbers or email addresses alone. If you run a company and don’t have a business phone number, then what benefits would you expect to gain by buying one? Read on to find out.
Greater National Coverage
When you have a business telephone number with an 08 or an 03 prefix, you can give your firm a non-geographical status which suggests that you operate nationwide, and means calls will be received from any location in the country and even internationally. This is ideal if you run a regional firm that wants to punch above its weight and give the impression that it is bigger than it really is.
Improved Local Presence
When you choose a geographical business telephone number, you can give your business a local presence in a town or city even if you are not headquartered there. With virtual business telephone numbers, Bristol-based firms can have London area codes and vice versa. So, whether you are based in the rural Highlands and want a Birmingham number or have an office in East Anglia and want to obtain more calls from the residents of Manchester, for example, you can do so.
Answer Calls Anywhere
According to Cleartone Communications, a firm that provides business telephone number services to firms all over the UK, calls can be directed in numerous ways, nowadays. This means that business owners can still have calls sent to their mobile phones so they can deal with them when they’re out and about. Even better, you can direct calls to different locations at different times so you can make sure your calls are answered 24/7 wherever you or your employees might be.
Separate Personal and Professional Voicemails
Another important aspect of ditching your mobile phone as your published business number is that you will be able to offer a different voicemail greeting to friends and family compared to business callers. In short, even if calls to your business number are being transferred to your mobile, callers won’t need to hear your personal voicemail greeting if you cannot answer in time. Instead, they’ll get your business voicemail.
Encourage More Callers
To be clear, business clients and individual customers are more likely to call a business telephone number than a mobile phone. This is especially so if the number is an 0333 or an 0800 number that they know will be included in their UK landline and mobile minutes. Please note that even more people will be likely to call if you opt for an 0800 freephone number.
Seem More Professional
The bottom line is that business telephone numbers create the right impression when they’re published on websites, business cards and sales leaflets. If you want to come across as a professional organisation, then obtaining a business telephone number should be a priority that takes precedence over other commercial concerns.
