A small business has to look for ways to make itself as easy as possible to do business with in order to see continued growth. Global marketing is now possible because of technological increases that give buyers greater options. You must leverage this environment in order to capitalize on it for your business.



A company website can be a solid way to attract new sales and encourage repeat business, but by itself it does have some limitations. The main obstacle is that there is usually no ‘live' person with which clients can speak. One-to-one communications is mandatory for various reasons along the sales path. Pre-sales information or product support are the two main reasons, but there are others, too.

You can achieve excellence in communications with an 800 number and associated PBX system which will give you the edge you need in building your business. Here is how it works:

Free contact. People like getting things for ‘free' and it makes it easy for them which will encourage prospects and customers to call. That is what a toll-free 800 number will do for you. It helps you increase your phone traffic immediately which helps you close opportunity sales. Your new 800 number can be routed to your existing business phone, too, which means no new lines are needed. This works well with your PBX system because if your line is busy, the call is automatically routed to the PBX system.

Business image. Your perception by customers is important. The fact that you have an 800 number and PBX system automatically instills an image of security in a caller's mind. The reason is that if you are ‘big' enough to have a ‘fancy' system like that, then you pass a hurdle in being able to do business with them.

Customer image. There is a need for a strong emphasis on customer service by businesses today. This is especially true if businesses expect to be around for any length of time. As an overall effort to cut costs has forced businesses to scrap the receptionist / company operator position, the PBX system has taken its place. These systems are actually good at enhancing business offerings because they allow callers to route their own calls. Plus there is the ability to obtain pre-sales and support information via the Q&A and information extensions.

The other option that is well suited for business applications is the ‘follow-me' feature which allows phone calls to follow specified extensions and external phones in an attempt to reach a ‘live' person in the search for help. This means that a voice mailbox is the last resort, not a first option to an unanswered call.

You can increase your business with an 800 number and PBX system backing it up. It is cost-effective and easy to set up and use. Your business depends on your ability to help your customers make choices to do business with you and this system will deliver in a strong way. Get one today, you will be glad that you did.