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Using personal phones as your business phone
I'm sure this many use their own cell phone as their business phone as well. If you use your personal phone as a business phone, how do you answer? The way you answer your phone is the first interaction with your client and gives your client their first impression of you.
I use my personal phone for work. I don't have a receptionist (or even a reception area where I am) so there is no phone line. I just answer with my name. Sounds personal and a more professional than 'hello'. I don't want to get into a long script of "Thank you for calling 'business name.' This is 'your name.' How can I help you?" Even though that is more 'professional,' not everyone that calls my cell is calling me for work.
So how do you answer? And if you would like, why do you answer your phone that way?
Views: 683
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sharon Seller on
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If friends and family call I simply answer "hello". All others (including clients) or if it's a number I don't recognize I answer with my business script, "Good morning/afternoon, thank you for calling Solace Massage Therapy, this is Sharon. How may I help you". I understand that not everyone calling you is calling you for work but by answering this way it certainly puts the idea in their head that maybe they need a massage! I never miss out on an opportunity to promote my business!
I am always stunned when I call a business, including many massage businesses, and just get "hello" or "This is Susie" for a greeting. I then have to ask "is this such and such business?" Completely unprofessional in my book.
I think, especially in our line of work, we must maintain a higher level of professionalism on all levels and that includes how we answer the phone. You just never know . . . the person on the other end may very well be a future client.
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Permalink Reply by Lee Edelberg on
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I use a Google voice number for my business. It rings both my cell and my home phone, and when I answer it lets me know it's a google voice call. So I know it's about massage and I answer appropriately. It also has its own voicemail, which is great.
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Permalink Reply by Patricia Pinedo on
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Is this free? I definitely have to look into it!
Lee Edelberg said:I use a Google voice number for my business. It rings both my cell and my home phone, and when I answer it lets me know it's a google voice call. So I know it's about massage and I answer appropriately. It also has its own voicemail, which is great.
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It's still free, through this year anyway. I heard they may start charging for it in 2014.
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Permalink Reply by Joyce Young on
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Why don't you get an unlocked dual sim card cell phone? You can have two number ring on the same phone. Depending on the phone you get, you will know which line is ringing to you and how to answer. They are very common in Europe and Asia.
I bought a dual sim card phone, since I travel abroad frequently, it makes it easy for me to call in country and have people call me on my local US number. It would work well with your situation.
You can find dual sim card cell phones on Amazon. That's where I got mine, it was about Samsung Smartphone for about $150 and I love it to death.
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Joyce,
That sounds pretty handy, but it wouldn't work for me: I don't have a good cell signal at my home. Rural Massachusetts, too many hills. So I have a landline here and a cell for everywhere else. GoogleVoice rings them both (and sends a text message transliteration of the message too!).
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Permalink Reply by Karen L. Vasquez on
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This is a great idea. I usually answer "This is Karen" thinking that was professional enough but I really like your thinking. Thank you.
Sharon Seller said:If friends and family call I simply answer "hello". All others (including clients) or if it's a number I don't recognize I answer with my business script, "Good morning/afternoon, thank you for calling Solace Massage Therapy, this is Sharon. How may I help you". I understand that not everyone calling you is calling you for work but by answering this way it certainly puts the idea in their head that maybe they need a massage! I never miss out on an opportunity to promote my business!
I am always stunned when I call a business, including many massage businesses, and just get "hello" or "This is Susie" for a greeting. I then have to ask "is this such and such business?" Completely unprofessional in my book.
I think, especially in our line of work, we must maintain a higher level of professionalism on all levels and that includes how we answer the phone. You just never know . . . the person on the other end may very well be a future client.
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Permalink Reply by Cassandra Cravens on
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I save my regular clients' numbers to my phone and when they call I answer "Hi <insert name>, how are you?". If any number calls me that I don't have the contact saved I let it go to voicemail, which I have set up with my business name. I check the messages and return calls in good time. I do this expecially because some clients will call after business hours expecting a business line they can leave a voicemail with.
One issue I have run into is the few clients who want to text me. I find that this blurs the professional/personal line. One in particular has been trying to have extended text conversations after texting for an appointment. To resolve that I tell all of my clients that I prefer to work through voicemails or calls because texting does not feel professional. If that doesn't work, I tell him/her that I have a limited data plan and that I get charged for sending and receiving texts.
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Permalink Reply by Alisa Miller on
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For 3 years I used only my cell phone but always answered with a long script. "business name, this is "your name" How may I help you?" If a contact name pops up on my cell and it is a family or friend I just say hello. Today I use a office phone and I have a cell and I forward my calls between. I also pay for a voicemail service that sends my voicemails to my email that show up on my smartphone. I am the only therapist currently. My teens and husband answer my phone as well the same way. The biggest thing is knowing they have reached the right place and that you will return their call as soon as possible! I also use facebook for client contacts but never on the wall keep it confidently.
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