Choosing the right phone system for your small business is essential in improving customer service, enhancing team collaboration, and making your business more efficient. But it can be a tricky process.
Before you start shopping, take the time to determine your needs and make a list of must-have features. That way, you’ll be able to find the right solution for your business.
Determine Your Needs
Your phone system is the cornerstone of your business’s communications. It connects you to customers, suppliers, clients, and partners.
So, you must choose a phone system that works for you and your company. You’ll need to determine your needs and what features like VoIP security, for instance, are essential to you to do this.
Depending on your needs, consider a traditional on-premises or cloud solution. The former offers high reliability and ease of installation, while the latter allows for flexible mobility as your business grows.
A small business might also benefit from a unified communications system, which unifies different calling mediums into a single interface. This can improve caller experience and increase efficiency among employees.
Take Stock of What You Have
Choosing the right phone system is an important decision for any small business. It can impact your financial and operational success.
Rather than rushing into selecting a phone system, take the time to do your research and make sure you choose the right one.
Before you search, list what you have and what features are essential. This will help you narrow your choices and make the right choice for your business.
Size of Staff And Future Needs: Knowing how many employees you plan to have in the future will help you choose the right phone system for your company. It also enables you to determine if the system will be scalable to grow as your needs change.
Another thing to consider is whether you want to go with a traditional in-house solution or a cloud-based option. The latter gives you more flexibility so hybrid teams can work from anywhere without compromising functionality.
Make a List of Must-Have Features
If you’re shopping for a new small business phone system, listing the must-have features is essential. This will ensure you get everything you need to run your business smoothly and efficiently.
Call recording is one of the essential features of any business phone system. It allows you to save meaningful conversations from analyzing them later and responding accordingly.
Another critical feature to look for is call routing. This is essential for businesses needing employees to work remotely or from different locations.
VoIP systems offer much of the same functionality as traditional wired phones but without the need for expensive infrastructure and ongoing maintenance. This makes them more affordable and remote-friendly.
Do Your Research
A business phone system is a critical technology that helps your customers reach you. You want to choose a design that makes it easy for you and your team to set up, operate and maintain.
Most modern systems have professional features, including automated attendants, holding music, call forwarding, transfer, caller ID, do not disturb, voicemail, and directories. These can help you improve your customer service and increase the value of your business.
Another essential feature to consider is how easy it is to add and remove people from a system. For example, if you plan to hire more sales reps or remote employees, you must choose a system that can easily accommodate them.
This means choosing a system that can handle additional bandwidth needs and ensuring the Internet provider and network are configured correctly. You want to avoid buying a phone from a vendor that won’t do this, or you will find out later you have to incur many costs to get it working.