A virtual number may be ideal for a mobile professional to guarantee that no calls are missed and that all calls are forwarded to the appropriate party.
A phone number not directly connected to any specific phone line is known as a virtual number solutions. It is often purchased for a monthly subscription rather than being provided in a hard-line manner by a local phone company. The 1-800 number numerous companies use to draw attention to advertisements or services is possibly the best-known illustration of this.
A company pays for these numbers, which are then only available for usage by that company. A mobile professional in consulting, Internet-based enterprises, home-based businesses, startups, and virtual firms could profit in some ways from having a virtual phone number, despite the perception that these numbers are only helpful for large businesses.
Controlling where calls are sent is the first. Virtual numbers often include the option to set up various extensions and an automatic call-handling mechanism. Before connecting to a caller or leaving a message, some virtual phone lines allow for pre-recorded greetings or information so potential customers can learn more.
A call forwarding feature on virtual numbers enables users to redirect all calls to any other phone number they choose. This is a tremendous advantage for mobile workers who don’t have a single physical location where clients can contact them. Thus, calls received at the virtual number can be routed to the user’s choice of destination, such as a mobile phone, home phone, VoIP phone, or even an international number.
In addition, any message left by a client can be emailed to a specific address as an audio file. This enables mobile professionals to quickly check incoming voicemails so crucial calls can be addressed on time. The 1-800 line will always be open to provide information and collect messages, so callers won’t ever get a busy signal when a forwarded call reaches a phone number already in use.
Technology
ANI (Automatic Number Identification) technology, essentially an improvement on residential caller ID, will also be included with most virtual number solutions. This makes it possible to record any incoming call, regardless of whether the caller opts to leave a message. Furthermore, under the 90-day business inquiry rule created by the federal government as part of the Do Not Call List Regulations, a professional is allowed to return the call of any caller who dialed their virtual number as long as it was posted on advertising or promotional materials.
Business success depends on having a significant presence in several locations. However, geographically expanding the number of branch offices around the country is expensive and demands a substantial financial investment. In this case, getting a virtual phone number is the best option for small enterprises. Thanks to virtual numbers, business owners can have a virtual presence wherever in their target market. In other words, one need not physically be present to conduct business at his preferred place.
The hosted PBX system’s virtual phone numbers are linked to a person, not local hardware. The suppliers of hosted PBX phone services can offer virtual toll-free and local numbers with the preferred city’s area codes. Toll-free phone numbers might make your firm look nationwide, while local numbers give the sense that it is local.
Dedicated Phone Lines
Because calls are sent over dedicated phone lines or internet connections, the hosted PBX phone service is relatively less expensive. The user can enter a list of contact phone numbers in the hosted PBX service providers’ directory, including home and mobile numbers. The hosted PBX phone system dials each alternative number in the list to contact the receiver.
The providers of hosted PBX services can instantly direct calls to the virtual numbers assigned to a small business owner to the appropriate party. Even though the calls are long-distance, the callers using these virtual phone lines only pay local call rates. They won’t know how the routing process works either. The callers will therefore believe the business they called is situated in their location.
Callers will be transferred to a voicemail system if no one answers the phone. They will then be prompted to leave a voicemail message. An internet-connected computer can be used to access these voicemails. Thanks to the sophisticated interface, callers should have a good picture of the owner’s small business.
Final Thought
Virtual numbers frequently come with the benefit of several extensions for mobile professionals who have more than one product or service to market. This enables a professional to track when and where calls are coming from and which number is receiving the most calls while also listing a slightly different phone number on each sign they post. As a result, a professional’s limited advertising and marketing budget can be used more wisely and effectively by using this capacity to track who is calling and when.
