When you’re operating a business, it can be tough to juggle all of your different responsibilities. Managing your company’s phone system can feel like yet another task that’s eating away at your time and energy. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.
Instead of using an old-fashioned landline system or a clunky virtual desk app, you can opt for something simpler and more user-friendly: a virtual phone system. These systems are designed to reduce the stress on your business by handling all the administrative tasks related to your telephones. They make it much simpler for employees to transfer calls, forward messages from the receptionist, set up conference calls, and various other tasks.
Read on to learn about some great features to look for in a virtual phone system that will streamline your company’s communication process and ease stress levels among team members!
1. Cloud Based
One of the most important features you should look for when choosing a virtual phone system is whether it is cloud-based.
A cloud-based phone system is one that is hosted online and can be accessed by users through their browsers or apps. These systems store your data and information online so that it can be accessed no matter where you or your employees are located. This can be especially convenient if you work with remote employees or you’re in charge of overseeing a few separate offices.
Having your phone system hosted in the cloud also means you don’t have to deal with complicated equipment or software. This can eliminate a lot of stress and headaches, especially if you’re operating a small business where employees are wearing many different hats.
2. Unified Communication
Another feature to keep an eye out for is unified communication. This is a system that integrates your virtual phone system with other communication programs, such as your email and instant messaging services.
The main goal of unified communication is to create a more seamless experience for your team members. For example, if someone sends you a message through your company’s messaging app and you’re on the phone, you can click a button that “transfers” that message to your phone.
These types of virtual phone systems are also fantastic for team collaboration. If you use your system’s video or audio features, you can easily participate in group calls. This is great for brainstorming sessions, presentations, and more!
3. VoiceMail and Auto-Responders
Another feature you’ll want to look for in a virtual phone system is a powerful voice mail and auto-responder feature. These tools let you control how you want your business to come across to callers.
For example, you can set up your auto-responder to tell callers that you’re closed on certain days, that they can call you back at a specific time, or any other information you want to relay to customers.
Voice mail is another fantastic feature. You can use it to record custom greetings and leave messages for your team members or clients. You can even add special prompts that let callers access their messages from their computers!
4. Conferencing and Collaboration
If you have a few different departments or clients that you work with regularly, you may want to find a virtual phone system with collaboration and conferencing features.
Collaboration tools let you create online meeting rooms where team members can send documents, share images, and discuss ideas. You can even let clients join your virtual meeting rooms, which is a great way to keep them in the loop about projects or other company happenings!
5. Automated Voice Mail Handling
As you’re looking for features in a virtual phone system, you may notice that some come with automated voice mail handling. This is a tool that analyzes your company’s call log and auto-programs the system to route calls to the right people based on their extension numbers.
Some systems will even let you create specific days and hours that certain employees get certain calls. This is a great way to streamline your team’s communication and keep communication logs super very organized.
6. Integration With Other Software
One of the best things about many virtual phone systems is that they integrate with other software.
You may have heard of apps that “talk” to each other, but virtual phone systems can also communicate with other tools. This can be super useful as you’re running your business.
For example, if you’re using a CRM tool such as Salesforce to track leads and clients, you can link your virtual phone system to it so that your team members can log calls from their computers. This can help your team keep track of their communication stats, projects, and much more!
7. Caller ID and Call Routing
Finally, you’ll want to look for a virtual phone system that lets your team access caller ID and call routing features. This can help you manage your communications better by letting you see who’s calling you so that your team members can prioritize certain calls over others.
You can also use this feature to direct calls to specific extensions or voicemails based on their extension numbers. If you’re away from the office and someone calls, your virtual receptionist can pick up the call and direct it to the right person or voicemail. This is a great way to keep your clients informed while you’re out of the office.
You can even use this as a way to create a virtual receptionist so that calls from certain clients, for example, go straight to the CEO’s phone.
In Conclusion
Choosing the right virtual phone system for your business can greatly impact your team’s communication abilities. These systems let you manage calls, voicemails, and more from your computer or mobile device so that you never have to pick up a landline again.
When you’re looking for a new system, make sure that you check out all the features that each system offers. These systems are constantly evolving, so there’s always something new to discover!
