Do you know how to build credibility with your phone and voicemail?

Every point of contact your potential clients have with you will either build your credibility or tear it down.  What can you do to come across as professional as possible when it comes to your phone and voicemail?

Dedicated Phone Number

It’s best to have a dedicated phone line for this business.

Option 1:  Use a service like FreedomVoice or OpenPhone

If you’d like to have an 800 number, there’s a company called FreedomVoice that is affordable.  You can have different extensions, and when they press a certain extension, it can get forwarded to a certain phone number.  For example, if they press 1 for investor relations, this can get forwarded to your cell phone.  The person calling doesn’t know they’re going to your cell phone and they won’t know your cell phone number.

You can set up voicemail boxes where if you don’t answer, they can leave a message.  One thing that’s cool about this is you’ll get an email with the voicemail recording attached as an audio file.

They also have an app you can install on your cell phone and you can make outgoing phone calls from the app.  When the person on the other end sees the call coming in, it will show your 800 number instead of your cell phone number.

Another good service is OpenPhone.  It works similarly.  You can choose a local or toll-free number.  You can use an app to send and receive phone calls.  You can even have multiple lines.  You can text through it as well.  And you could give multiple team members access so that whoever is available can take the call.  It’s very affordable and works well.

Option 2:  Add a line to your cell phone plan

Another option would be just to add another line to your cell phone plan and have a phone that’s dedicated for this business.  You can check with your cell phone company to see what it would cost to add a line and a new phone.

Answering Your Phone and Voicemail

Be sure your voicemail message is professional.

Also, make sure when you answer the phone, you do it in a professional way.  If you’re starting out and you’re sharing the business number with your personal number, at least always answer in a way that can be perceived as professional.  For example, “Hello, this is John.”

That way even if it’s a personal call, you haven’t said a business name so it’s not weird, but if it’s a business call, it’s more professional than just a “Hello?”  Have you ever thought you were calling a business and someone answered the phone with just a “Hello?”  It makes you think you dialed the wrong number.  You might ask, “Is this XYZ?” or you might just hang up, assuming you dialed the wrong number.  Don’t destroy your credibility by answering the phone in an unprofessional way.

If you have a dedicated phone line, you can use your business name when you answer the phone.  For example, “Premier Investments, this is John.  How may I help you?”

These are little details, but they make a big difference.  They can make or break your credibility.

Your goal for today is to decide how you want to handle your phone setup and get that done.  Whichever route you go, it’s not something that should take more than a day to complete.  Get that done and next time we’ll talk about more ways to build credibility.

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