Is Facebook right for your business?

In my role at Main Street Webworx, I have the opportunity to work closely with different business clients to develop a strategy, launch and even maintain social media applications for a broad range of clients. I feel fortunate to help them utilize these for both SEO purposes and to develop more engaging relationships with their customers.

Still, even though we talk constantly about the benefits that social media, specifically what having a Facebook Business Page can bring to a business, it is important to remember that taking this leap may not be the best move for every type of business. 

Take United Airlines for example… Have you ever visited their Facebook page?  Sure, there are a few nice things said about the airline, but overall the posts point out failures in customer service, errors with tickets, delays, anger, and mostly negativity.  It begs the question of whether or not certain companies should “go social.”  Is Facebook helping United and its brand image? I’m not so sure…

The most important thing a business must realize when deciding whether or not it will launch a Facebook page is: It’s all about building community and interacting with your customers

Facebook does a pretty good job of spelling this out in its “Facebook for Business” information page. In fact, in the “how to” build a business presence with Facebook it states:

Step 2: Talk to your customers - "Post regularly to develop deeper relationships with your customers and create an engaging community. Give your Page an authentic and consistent voice, and encourage people to like and share your posts."

The main point I’m trying to share is that if you aren’t prepared to have dialogue with your fans – i.e. take the tough questions with the positive praise – it might not be the best move for your business. Facebook is a much more “personally driven” social media outlet than Twitter, YouTube, etc.and it is just that – social. It was and is intended to be used to create conversation and a sense of belonging, i.e. community.

Overall, any business should ask themselves the following before launching a Facebook business page.

1. Will it help my business?  Will customers see it as an opportunity to learn, connect, or even be rewarded? Or, will it end up like the United Airlines page and just – very vocally – reinforce the shortcomings customers feel your company has? If there’s a chance it’s the latter, maybe Facebook isn’t for you.
2. Am I willing and able to create dialogue with my customers, even on tough topics? Your customers will see your presence on Facebook as an opportunity to connect with you quicker and more directly. They will want to interact with you and will expect you to do the same.

 So, I’ll ask again… Is Facebook right for your business?

Looking for ways to improve your business or increase sales? Ask your customers!

Like many of our clients, Main Street Webworx is a small business serving other small businesses. Because of this, I feel it’s important to share information that goes beyond the scope of web design and online marketing. We are first and foremost committed to the success of our clients, as well as the flourishing of Greenville and Upstate SC. So, we’d be remiss to not share a little bit of what we learn along the way with you!

A few months ago, I listened to a great webinar by John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing.

As the world becomes increasingly technological – moving further into the virtual world, every business is actively looking for ways to continually improve. At Main Street Webworx, we frequently ask ourselves how we can do a better job for our clients. We evaluate our processes, procedures, abilities, services, and how well we are delivering on our core message in order to grow our business.

 The Burning Question: How?
 The Answer: Ask your customers.

After each and every customer experience, you and your business have the opportunity to both ensure client satisfaction and gather high-quality insights applicable to both your marketing and your processes. Even better, you’ll gather quotes and testimonials which you can share with prospective clients. What should you ask? Below are some of the best questions out there:

 1. What made you decide to hire us?
 2. What’s one thing that we do better? What did you like most about the experience?
 3. How can we improve?
 4. Would you be willing to refer us?
 5. If you were looking for our company, what would you “Google”?

Beyond gathering great insights, taking the time to reach out to your clients provides an added-level of client devotion, leading to more highly engaged customers. Meaning customers that are more likely to tell their friends and colleagues about you, and who are more likely to refer your business. Everyone appreciates a little extra attention and the value found in their opinion. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

This tip doesn’t just apply to new businesses either! Regardless if you’ve been in business for 20 years and have never conducted this type of client survey, it’s never too late. Create a plan and start boosting both your client experience and your business.

Unified communications can benefit your business

I’ve been hearing and reading a lot lately about “unified communications” – what it can do for me, how great it is, how it saves me money, and so on and so forth… And I realized that this is yet another term that many technology savvy people assume is widely known. In turn, they take this for granted when speaking with your every-day, main street consumer or business person. That being the case, I decided to do some detective work and explain it more thoroughly to the non-geeks, like myself!

Basically, unified communications (UC) is the integration of various services we use to communicate with one another. By combining real-time and non-real-time services into one sleek user interface – individuals are able to keep better connected and up-to-date with clients, friends, employers, and more. In case you were wondering, real-time services include: telephony, instant messaging, video conferencing, webcasts, and data sharing; while non-real-time services are things like voicemail, email, text-messaging and fax (many times integrated into unified messaging).  Unified communications allows individuals to utilize multiple media types and devices to monitor, update, and communicate.

Are you still with me?  I hope so! I know that last paragraph got a little technical towards the end.  At this point, I’m hoping that you’ve begun to get a clearer picture of what unified communication is. That being said, maybe you’re wondering why it is important to you. Well, the main reason that it’s becoming increasingly important is that UC provides you – a business person – the ability to stay on top of numerous projects and client concerns in a more streamlined manner.

Here are a couple quick examples:

1.  If you need to step out of the office and cannot answer calls, you can set up your voicemail to automatically be converted into text and sent to you in an email (voicemail-to-email).  If you’re like me – you are able to read that voicemail directly from your SmartPhone. How cool is that?!

2.  Another example is utilizing instant messaging or text messaging, rather than a telephone, to speak to individuals within your office, across town or even across the ocean. This manner of communication is quick and to the point – saving time, money, and even the possibility of disrupting workflow.

Overall, unified communication is actually pretty simple and very useful. It is the evolution of how different, changing technologies are increasingly coming together to form the most streamlined and efficient methods of communication. Furthermore, by utilizing new technology – like a VoIP Business Phone System – you are able to more easily integrate your telephone, computer, cellular phone, fax machine, and more – keeping you better connected to your clients in today’s fast-paced society. Read more about the importance of “being connected” in our blog: Attention Small Businesses! Are you connected to your customers?

To put it simply: unified communications can save you time, money, and even help to retain customers by empowering you to act more quickly when necessary. It can make your life easier! And who doesn’t want that? My point exactly

Change is inevitable. Make sure you’re ready!

Change is one of those words that can induce many different emotions within a company ranging including, but not limited to, excitement, apathy or even fear.  During my years in business and also in my studies, it’s become apparent that, inherently, most people tend to avoid change. People and businesses get comfortable in their routines, their level of knowledge, and even their level of success. So, why break from the status quo? Well… because you must.

One of the most important things leading to personal and business success is the ability to adapt quickly to change. Innovation and agility are what have made companies like Google, Groupon, and Apple so successful. These companies never allow themselves the chance to get too comfortable – and because of this, they’ve been able to remain a few steps ahead of the competition. For other companies who may not be in such “innovation-focused” fields, the ability to deal with change can be a make-or-break situation.

As a business owner, just as in any personal endeavor, you must be able to accept the need for change and be able to adapt to things that change beyond your control. Am I saying you need to have an exit strategy? No, nothing that drastic… But – you should have the ability to act quickly and move in a positive direction. Why? Because, in general, business owners and managers have a great deal of influence over setting the tone for employee and customer reactions.  If you are confident in your ability to handle changes, and in the necessity of making positive changes, those connected with your business will be much more at ease.

Overall, as I said at the start, change is inevitable.  We live in a world where a new innovation, technologies, gadgets, etc. seem to change daily – and it’s important for us as small business individuals to utilize these to our full advantage. Whether it be adapting to and embracing VoIP technology and its many benefits (as we promote here at Phoneworx), dealing with a staffing change, or upgrading to the newest technology, those who do it well are sure to succeed for years to come.

Above all, don’t fear change – embrace it.

Financing & Credit: Things Every Business Should Know

With the ongoing discussions in Washington D.C. on the debt ceiling, it got me thinking about my past life as a banker. I thought I’d share some really important information that is crucial for business owners to know as they embark on a journey to launch or grow their businesses.

Over the past few years, banks have really tightened up their lending guidelines to be more conservative or “risk averse.” Does this mean they aren’t lending? No. It just means they are taking a deeper look into businesses before extending unsecured lines of credit – or any loans for that matter – which proved to put many banks (and businesses) in a bad position during the turbulence in 2008.

As a business, you have the option to purchase items up front or, many times, to finance them.  At Phoneworx, we work with a third party to provide financing options to our clients if they choose to go that direction.  Other options available through banks are secured term loans, lines of credit – often times secured by your company building and/or your home, business credit cards, etc. So what do financing companies look for? Below are the 5 C’s of Credit (which I learned while at PNC):

1. Character – Dependability based on credentials, references, and past performance in terms of meeting obligations – to creditors, customers, your bank, employees, utility companies, etc.
2. Capacity – How much debt you can handle as a business. Based on borrowing history, debt capacity, and liquidity ratios. Cash flow is a big factor here.
3. Capital – How much money is invested in your business – your financial commitment.
4. Conditions – Current economic conditions of your industry and market.
5. Collateral – Sources of repayment beyond cash flow – hard assets. Many times this is real estate – personal and/or business, equipment, inventory, etc.

In today’s business world, a personal guarantee is often requested of the business owner. Banks want to know the level of commitment and belief you have towards your company’s success. If you are not willing to bet on it, it is difficult for a bank to justify doing so.

As it relates to the telecommunications business, if you’re in the market for a new business phone system, Phoneworx does provide financing options. But more importantly, this blog is intended to share essential items you must know when contemplating whether or not to finance a business purchase or apply for a line of credit.

If you’re ready to grow your business, a phone system just might be a step in the right direction! How? Read our blog: How to use your phone system to grow your business.

At Phoneworx, we’re committed to helping you and your business succeed on all levels.

How to get clicked! Pay-Per-Click & Online Advertising

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising is a form of outbound marketing that can be a very powerful tool for small, and especially new, businesses.  You’ve probably heard people mention Google AdWords, but it is important to remember that Google is not the only search engine out there.  Although it is arguably the most popular, many older American consumers are using Bing and Yahoo! Beyond simple search advertising, sites like Facebook, Yellow Pages, LinkedIn, and Yelp all offer paid advertising options.

In prior posts, I’ve talked a great deal about Social Media Marketing and the importance of both being on these networks and keeping them active.  In addition to these great FREE tools, there are many ways that utilizing PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising methods can help to boost your business. In fact, paid search can help to support your inbound marketing efforts.

Be found on page one or two, even if you’re new - If you are the “new guy in town” paid search advertising is a good way to get your business featured on the first or second page of search results.  It takes one to two months for Google and other search engines to fully “trust” a new website – meaning that many (like us) start on page 60+.  I think it’s pretty safe to say that no customer is going to dig that deep to find you! However, by paying $3-5 per “click” you are gaining web traffic from local people looking for your business. In a saturated or competitive market, PPC is an effective way to fill in some SEO (Search Engine Optimization) gaps.

Get to the top, faster - PPC advertising can actually help your business to rise more quickly within the search engines.  By being seen and clicked on by new visitors, your site not only expands its reach – but builds credibility. Once they’ve entered your site, the possibility of them connecting with you via social media increases significantly. Many of our clients who have found us through PPC have gone on to read our blog posts, telling us that this is one of the things that really convinced them to choose us over other local designers.

Cost control and ease of use - many of the different options are relatively easy to use. In addition to this, it is easy to control the overall cost of the campaign – something extremely beneficial to companies with a limited budget.  You can set limits on price-per-click, daily limits, or overall campaign limits. The different providers will keep you “up to date” via email on your spend and performance.  Depending on how closely you’d like to monitor results, you can schedule reports to be sent directly to your email.

Overall, many of the providers of PPC advertising have gone to great lengths to make it easy for you to advertise your business. They provide assistance in setting up your campaign, YouTube video training, FAQs, webcasts, and more. In fact, Google sometimes provides a $100 credit to help you get started and test your campaign. It will also help you develop and set up your initial campaign to the extent necessary based on your computer savvy and specific needs.

Still not sure if this is the right move for your business? Feeling overwhelmed? Give us a call or reply to this blog post! We’d love to help you “be found” in your local marketplace!

Being “good enough” is no longer enough… personally, as a business, or on the web

The importance of differentiation in making one’s mark in the business world has a direct correlation to gaining success as a business leader. Recently, I completed my Masters of Business Administration from Walsh College and found myself at a crossroads.  Friends, family and colleagues began asking me “what are you going to do now?” And to be honest, I had no idea!  It also got me to thinking why I decided to pursue this degree in the first place?  What I realized was at the heart of my decision – it was all about differentiating myself from my peers, i.e. the competition.  

My journey in business has been anything but straightforward. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in theatre from Notre Dame. Faced with the real world – insurance, rent, etc. – I decided to switch gears and pursue a career in business. During interviews and even as a branch manager for National City Bank (now PNC), my background often surprised others – and not always in a good way. I realized it was important that I do something, and fast, to “adjust” my professional image. Graduate school seemed like the perfect solution.
To my surprise, pursuing my MBA gained me more than I’d hoped. In addition to more respect from my peers and clients – it led to promotions, salary increases, and expanded skills which I continue to use on a daily basis.   Of course, like any “upgrade,” it cost me time and money – but the resulting benefits were worth it.

The same goes for your business.  Just like potential employers previously judged me by my undergraduate degree first, potential clients in the 21^st century use your company website to gain a first impression of your business.  If it is outdated, if links are broken, or if it looks like every other website in your industry – you could be losing “candidates” to competitors who have a unique, functioning website filled with quality content. A website that is just as good as your competitor across town isn’t helping you to win new customers, and it certainly isn’t helping to grow your business.

Overall, what I hope you’ll take away from all this, is how important being different, better, or unique is to your business. Take a good look at your website and the websites of your competitors. Are you just like the other guy? Or similar to my experience with a degree unrelated to my occupation, could it be that you’re possibly lagging behind with an old, irrelevant, or “underwhelming” website?

If the answer is yes, or if you’re not sure, I encourage you to give us a call.  We’ll sit down with you and discuss ways to make your website work better and harder for you. Does improving your website cost money? Yes. Will it take some investment of time? Yes. Will it be worth it? Absolutely, 100% YES!

Can you hear me now?! Call clarity and its impact on your business

The words above have become somewhat famous from their prevalence in Verizon Wireless’ advertisements – they might even make you chuckle as you recall a particular ad. Still, in business, the idea behind them shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Have you ever called a business for the first time and had difficulty hearing the individual on the other line? Has the main business contact number ended up to be a mobile phone, with poor call quality and an even more miserable connection? Even worse, during that first low-quality call, did your call get dropped?  If any of these have happened to you – did you call back?  I know that I didn’t…

If there is any other company in town that does the same things as one with a terrible business phone system, there’s a pretty good chance I’m going to call them before calling back to deal with the headache of a spotty connection.

Like it or not, customers continually expect exceptional service quality – and your phone system is a big part of any sales or service interaction. A low-quality connection can impair your ability to hear a customer and vice versa – and having to ask that individual to repeat themselves can cause frustration and loss of trust in your abilities to adequately meet his or her needs. Trust me; customers are judging a great deal more than your phone system during that first telephone interaction.

Start thinking of your business telephone system as your company’s “other front door.” If you covered the door to your office in barbed wire, it wouldn’t be very welcoming, now would it? By ignoring poor call quality, you’re essentially doing the same thing, but it’s even worse as most clients call before coming to your office location. But don’t fret! There are ways to improve call quality – even if you’re in a somewhat rural area. Phoneworx offers new VoIP phone systems known for exceptional, reliable call quality. Utilizing a high-speed Internet (broadband) connection, these systems are much less likely to be affected by weather, construction, animal interference, coverage areas, or other factors that can impair mobile or analog phones.  

So, if you find yourself frequently asking clients “Can you hear me now?” or if your relying solely on mobile phones, take a second look from a customer perspective. Would you call you back? Not sure? Give us a call – we’ll talk options!

Until next time – Megan

Differentiation matters – personally and in business

This past Saturday, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to walk in the 97th Commencement Ceremony at Walsh College in Michigan – receiving my Masters of Business Administration. And it got me thinking… why exactly did I decide to pursue my MBA degree in the first place? As with most things, the answer if a little bit complicated, but I realized an important connection can be made between working towards enhancing one’s own skills and strategic moves in business.

During the ceremony, the recently retired CFO of 3M Corporation and a student both gave riveting speeches on determination and achieving set goals. The 47-year old student MBA speaker did a phenomenal job in his assessment of how Walsh MBA program has made an impact on his life. He discussed how, after having to lay off hundreds of employees (including himself) of a failing corporation, he needed to get “back in touch” with the business world and educational teachings of the 21st century. He saw an MBA as a way to gain greater knowledge of the business world and differentiate himself from the other numerous, out-of-work employees in Southeast Michigan. Through his speech, I realized that his reasoning for undertaking 16 courses (48 credit hrs) was very similar to mine.

With an undergraduate degree in theatre from the University of Notre Dame, my background often became the topic of discussion, and sometimes scrutiny, from my peers and even clients. Unlike the student speaker, I couldn’t “test out” of any classes, and would have to take all 19 courses (57 credit hours) while continuing to work full-time, about 50 hours/week. Before joining Phoneworx, I spent six years in the banking industry. After three years, I became a branch manager and quickly realized that I needed to make a move to differentiate myself from my peers, instill confidence in my clients’ assessment of my abilities, and improve my overall skillset. After a little over a year, I became the manager of one of the most profitable and busiest branches in my region.

So you see, the investment of time and money paid off! Working hard towards my MBA was a way to differentiate myself from the “competition.” It also improved my image in the eyes of my clients and peers, helped me to grow in knowledge and capabilities, and even aided in boosting my salary. It was a way to “upgrade” my experience. Over the past 1.5 years, I’ve had to relocate twice, and I’m confident that pursuing my MBA was integral to finding gainful employment (quickly) in both new locations. In many ways, looking for a job is like trying to sell yourself to a potential company – just as in business, you try to sell a product or service to consumers.

Now, here is where the “aha!” moment comes in. Just like I was able to gain so much from achieving my MBA, small business owners have the power to gain similar benefits by taking a look at the overall impression their businesses are making in the market and assess ways to differentiate themselves from the competition. A simple upgrade – let’s say purchasing a new VoIP business phone system – can enhance your business by providing differentiation, helping to save or make more money, improving your image, and facilitating growth. Of course, there are other ways to achieve this differentiation, but Phoneworx is in the telephone business after all…

In closing, the next time you are wondering why the phone isn’t ringing, take a good hard look at your company’s opportunities for improvement – whether it is an old business phone system, an outdated website, or even the wrong employees, a simple upgrade can make a big difference! Making the investment of time and money 100% worth it.

Until next time –
Megan

Make the right moves in Social Media Marketing

Ok, you’ve decided you are ready and you’ve set up your business Facebook Page, created a Twitter account, started a blog and added a company page to LinkedIn.  Congratulations!!!  Now what?  If you’re like a lot of other small business owners out there, the challenge comes in using these resources effectively to create a social media presence online that adds value to your business.

Post a promotion
But you should only do this occasionally. More importantly, you must have engaging posts, share insights, and build relationships within these social networks – with individuals and other businesses.  Of course, doing so can be confusing and time-consuming for a small business.

Stick with it
All too often, we see companies lose momentum or even abandon their social media efforts if they don’t see immediate sales results. Unfortunately, by walking away from a Facebook Page or Twitter account, they are missing out on benefits far exceeding one or two immediate sales. A recent article on sixrevisions.com reinforces how Social Media can be a huge factor in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and how utilizing these tools can boost a company’s overall search engine ranking. Beyond improving one’s “find-ability” online, creating an online community of friends, fans and followers can lead to improved customer retention and provide an outlet for inexpensive promotional marketing.

What we do
At Main Street Webworx, we are active on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. We also frequently share tips via our Blog. We strive to post things that are fun, educational, and conversational. We interact with companies we follow and our followers, fans, and friends.  Even better, we learn new things and make more connections along the way. We also work closely with clients to help them achieve their Social Media and Online Marketing goals. Click on the widgets below to see how we’re using Social Media at Main Street Webworx.

If you have made the move to Social Media - stick with it! Don’t abandon your efforts after one to two weeks. Social Media is much more than a “gimmick” to get quick sales – it’s a commitment to your customers and you get back what you put into it – maybe even more.

If you’re still not sure how to make that next move or simply cannot find the time needed to do so, give us a call! We’re more than happy to help guide you in setting up, maintaining or simply getting your social media presence up and running.

Your company website is essential in building customer relationships

Since we launched Phoneworx in January of this year, we have been made increasingly aware at how the world is shifting in terms of getting to know local businesses. We’ve run a really dynamic postcard campaign to introduce ourselves to the market. In the past, if someone had received our postcard in the mail and were interested, he might call us to inquire and find out a little bit more. Not today.

As we review our web traffic, we are finding that the World Wide Web is the first place people go to find out more information about a business. Even if they were referred to you, they still want to know your company’s story – where you’re from, who your people are, and how you’re different before ever picking up a telephone. Beyond this, even with our direct mail campaign, approximately 30-40% of our jobs come from someone finding us through Google (or other search engines) on the web – and we wanted to be darn sure once they found us, we didn’t lose them.

Based on this, we took a hard look at our original company website.  It was functional, but not as customer-focused and user-friendly as we knew it needed to be.  Customers need to get to know you, like you and even begin to trust you through your website – we knew we needed to “refresh” our message, content and look in order to get over that hump.

Check out the before and after here: http://mainstreetwebworx.com/phoneworx-portfolio/

Overall, we’ve learned that 70% of Americans use the internet to find and research products and this number is growing every day. Having a website, and even better a quality-built website, can really be a driving factor in why someone chooses your business over the competition. If your small business still doesn’t have a website, or it isn’t delivering how it should, maybe it’s time to do something new.

Just as your business phone system can impact your image, ability to grow, and bottom line – so can your website.  Both are platforms to stay connected to and build relationships with your clients, and both are integral to success in today’s information age.

Can your prospective customers find you online?

If the answer is yes – will what they find entice them to call you? Would it entice you as a customer?

How VoIP will grow your business

In some of our early blog posts, we explored the inner workings of VoIP and SIP – both of which are functions of IP or “Internet Protocol.” Of course, it is great to learn something new and understand how these technical things work, but when it comes down to it, what we all want to know is: What can it do for me? How can it help my business?

 Today, I’m going to do my best to answer this for you. There are many benefits to VoIP and SIP and when their capabilities are combined with certain hardware and software, they become powerful cost-saving, money-making tools! How do you ask? 

1. IP Phones have built-in features, meaning no additional charge for things like voicemail, call-forwarding, caller-id, etc. These items are things that the phone company can, and does charge you for when using traditional analog phones. 
2. IP Phones have auto-attendant built in – meaning your customers are always greeted in a consistent, friendly manner and are able to get to the right person without having to be transferred repeatedly. Happy customers have higher lifetime value.  
3. IP Phones can easily integrate features like Music-on-hold or On-hold messaging. Since 60% of customers put on silent hold NEVER call back – avoid losing customers who are calling you!  
4. Built-in IP phone call forwarding features like Find-Me, Follow-Me and Remote Office provide 24/7 connectivity to your business. If you cannot make it into the office or are out on another call, you can make sure you never miss another potential sales opportunity again! 
5. Utilizing high-speed Internet is a great way to unify your business communications. Your phone and computer are working on the same network – meaning these devices can “talk to each other” and work together for the benefit of you, your business, and your customers!  
6. Many times, broadband Internet service can be less expensive than traditional analog telephone service from the phone company. By using broadband for telephone service and Internet, you are eliminating a redundant utility cost and saving money.
7.  Overall, these state-of-the art phones save you time and money – giving you MORE OF BOTH which means you can use these extra resources to grow your business and your bottom line!

 What are some other tools you are using to make your business more efficient?

How can you boost sales? Ask your customers!

Recently, I listened to a great webinar by John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing. He conducted this for free during the celebration of Small Business Week and I wanted to pass along one of his particularly good pointers.

As small businesses, we are always looking for ways to improve our processes and procedures in order to grow our business.

The burning question: How?

The answer: Ask your customers.

After each customer experience you have the opportunity to not only ensure client satisfaction, but to also gather high-quality marketing insights. A bonus, you’ll gain stories you can use as testimonials to your prospective clients. The best way to do this is to ask every customer the following questions:

1. What made you decide to hire us?
2. What’s one thing that we do better? What did you like most about the experience?
3. What could we do better? How can we improve?
4. Would you be willing to refer us?
5. If you were looking for our company, what would you “Google”?

Reaching out during a follow-up call or in a final client meeting provides that added-level of client devotion that can lead to engaged customers, i.e. customers that refer others to your business. Customers, just like everyone else, appreciate the extra attention and the value that you place on their opinion. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Even if you’ve been in business for 20 years and have yet to conduct this type of customer survey, it’s never too late! Set a plan in place and start enhancing both your client experience and your business.

Is your business ready for Facebook? Read this first!

So, you’ve finally decided that you’re going to bite the bullet and get into this whole social media “thing.” Good for you! It truly is a great way to extend your reach and create a community for your customers.  But, don’t jump in too quickly.  There’s a lot more to it than simply creating a page, entering your information, and uploading a couple of pictures.

Consumers in today’s market want the real deal. And not only do they want the real deal, they want it to be current, up to date, and new. Here’s where Facebook can be a huge asset to you – you can keep your customers up to date on promotions or company news. You can also send out “Facebook fan only” one-day specials, creating a sense of urgency and making them feel special.

However, these high consumer expectations are important to consider when embarking on adding social media to your company’s marketing strategy.  If you have a Facebook page, Twitter account, LinkedIn Group, etc. you must, without exception, update that page on a consistent basis.  If a potential visitor visits your Facebook Page and finds you haven’t done an update in the last month (or even the last week) you can actually lose credibility. Now social media and all its “coolness” is working against you…

So what’s the right thing to do?  It all depends on your goals, time, and staff.

Social media can be a great tool in terms of loyalty, SEO, and advertising. However, if you or another employee can’t invest the time to keep it current – it can actually harm you.  Luckily, even if you don’t have the time to invest, this doesn’t mean you can’t still utilize these great tools – there are companies out there who can get you started, help with maintenance, or custom design your fan page.

Main Street Webworx is one of these companies. It is our goal to help our clients build their businesses and differentiate themselves from their competitors. We’re here to take the “scary” out of getting on social media or getting a great website! Every budget deserves a great website, and social media marketing is just another piece of the puzzle to take your business higher.

So… are you ready to take the leap into social media marketing?

Save Money and Grow your Business through Lean Strategies

Lean business strategies are a hot topic. There are entire B2B companies dedicated to auditing utility bills, project management, and supply chain strategies in order to help other businesses save time and money – ultimately leading to happier customers and future growth. You see, running a lean business isn’t all about just-in-time inventory and maximizing employee efficiency – it’s also about periodically evaluating fixed cost items and looking for ways to reduce your operational overhead.

For the last four months, Phoneworx has been performing FREE business phone system checkups for small businesses in Greenville, Spartanburg, and throughout the Upstate. By far the most impactful insight we’ve gained is how often companies are overpaying for telephone services. One client in particular, had a phone bill of over $2000 each month! We’re finding that customers assume these costs are just something they have to accept – like paying taxes or hang-nails. Many also are under the belief that if they’ve signed a 3-year contract then they have no options until the contract is up.

I’m here to tell you, right now, that you are NOT helpless against the telephone company!
New VoIP technology provides small businesses with a cost-effective option to reduce telephone expense over the long term. VoIP phone systems include many additional items that a telephone service provider usually charges extra for like Caller ID, Call Forwarding, or Voicemail. Plus, a quality phone system can last you up to 10 years, if not longer – making it a much more effective investment of your company dollars.

Furthermore, even if you have a contract in place, you likely have the ability to cancel or make changes at any time. Yes, you may pay early termination fees, but often times this amount is small compared to the sum of money you’ll save long-term.

So if you are like most other small businesses out there, I know that running a tight ship (i.e. being lean) is very important to your short-term gains and long-term growth. So why would you continue to pay more than you have to? Phoneworx’ Client Relationship Representatives can help you evaluate your current telephone service provider bill and provide alternatives to get your company in ship-shape!

Ask yourself, when’s the last time you took a thorough look through your company’s utility bills?

Do You Really Know How to Answer the Phone?

Ok, so here’s another topic where you are thinking: “Duh! Of course I know how to answer the phone… I pick it up and say ‘Hello’.” Simple, right? Maybe not. Have you ever really thought about how you and your employees answer your company phone? Does the manner in which you do it change according to the weather, time of day, or day of the week? If so, you might need a quick phone etiquette ‘refresher’ with your team, or possibly want to look at other options to best greet your customers. You remember how important they are right? Without them, you don’t have much of a business, or at least won’t for long…

Now that I’ve sparked your interest, here are three key things to do when answering a company phone call:

1. If you are going to answer, always answer by the 3^rd ring. Americans generally have a very short attention span – the quicker you can pick up the phone, the better.

2. Be consistent. It’s a good idea to develop a standard script or method of answering the phone. This helps to eliminate those “oops” moments when an important client or high-value prospect calls. Make sure your employees know what they need to say; winging it is never a good idea.

3. A friendly tone is a must. Tone of voice may be the single most important factor in how a caller perceives not only the individual answering the phone, but also your business. Tone can convey an entire slew of business qualities – whether or not they are intended.

So, what can you do to ensure that your company phones are being answered in a timely, friendly, and consistent manner? Surprisingly, you’ve got options, and don’t we all love those?!

Option 1: Take the three key items above and lay out expectations with your staff. Write out a basic greeting and tape it to your office phones – this way, employees won’t have to remember it off the cuff. Once you’ve set the standard, pay attention to how well your staff is adapting. If necessary, call your office from an unknown number to test their consistency. When they do well, give positive reinforcement. Continue to coach those individuals who might not be “getting it.”

Option 2: There are outside companies you can actually hire to answer your phones (remotely) for you. If you are a one or two man company and cannot afford to miss calls or let them go to voicemail, having someone to answer the phones live can be a comforting prospect. It can help to boost your image, legitimize your company, and both gain and retain more customers. Unfortunately, you have now entered the realm of “outsourcing” a portion of your business. There really is no way to guarantee that these companies’ employees will always be in a good mood. Furthermore, because you aren’t there with them, how confident can you be that they are consistently giving the desired impression?

Option 3: You can do what we’ve done at Phoneworx and utilize an auto-attendant – a built-in feature available on our VoIP business phone system options. Auto-attendants generally answer a call on the first ring. They are always in a good mood and can provide a menu of options, ensuring callers are delivered to the phone of the employee best suited to meet their needs. Overall, auto-attendants offer a level of consistency that cannot be matched by any “live” staffers. What’s more? You can change the greeting and message at any time, giving you exceptional control over a client’s first impression of your business.

Overall, answering your office phone isn’t quite as easy as it may appear. However, it’s great to know that you have options. So, do you really know how to answer the phone?

Until next time,

- Megan

Values-Based Hiring: One Bad Apple CAN Spoil the Bunch

Prior to my relocation to Greenville, SC, I worked in retail banking for about six years.  During that time I worked in seven different branch locations. Over the years, one thing that became abundantly clear is that hiring the right employees, although it can be incredibly challenging, is also integral to the success of any business. 

You’ve probably heard the expression that “one bad apple can spoil the bunch.” Trust me, this is SO true! If one employee out of 25 has a poor attitude or negative outlook, he or she will not hesitate to spread “poison” throughout the organization and sour the attitude of even your star employees. So what’s a manager to do?  Well, let’s start with the basics, and go from there…

Myriad factors that go in to what makes a good employee and most jobs require certain skills in terms of education, technical capabilities, and past experience. But don’t be fooled, these things are only one piece of the puzzle.  If you hire based solely on a checklist of technical and/or educational requirements – you will likely be grossly “underwhelmed” once that employee comes onboard. 

True Story: With a theatre degree, my first manager “took a chance” and hired me as a banking management trainee – a position requiring a business degree. She looked beyond my education, which caused some of her colleagues to think she was little crazy.  But she had the last laugh. I ended up being one of the most successful employees among my hiring class.  Why?  Not because I took accounting, management, or finance – but because I was hungry for knowledge, a quick learner, determined, and driven to prove those wrong who didn’t believe a theatre major could cut it in the banking world! 

Positive attitude, optimism, determination, desire to learn, and work ethic are all desirable attributes. So, what if the person you’d like to hire doesn’t have a required skill like QuickBooks or a degree in the desired field?  Don’t rule them out! 

Fact: it is relatively easy to hire an employee. Unfortunately, many times it is extremely complicated to remove that individual from your organization.  It hurts team morale, can cause distrust or fear among those who remain, and sometimes it can become a legal nightmare! So, when you need to find a replacement “yesterday,” take a step back and remember how essential it is to be patient. It may stretch your remaining office staff in the short run, but choosing correctly is worth the strain. 

Overall, you can teach someone an industry, software, or how to perform specific tasks like opening a checking account, managing website content, or even advising clients on financial decisions.  What you CANNOT teach are fundamental personality traits like loyalty, hard work, positivity, and determination. 

At Phoneworx, we’ve got a great team of employees with varied background experiences – bringing different perspectives to the world of Business Phone Systems sales and service.  We may not all live and breathe business phones like our technicians, but we are all driven to succeed, eager to learn, and committed to delivering unbeatable customer service.  So when it’s time to hire that next employee, if there’s even one thing that seems awry in terms of attitude, or you foresee potential personality conflicts between a candidate and your current employee team, you must look elsewhere. 

Hire smart. Hire for attitude. Hire based on values.

Until next time –

Megan

Options are not Optional

By reading our blog, you know that we work pretty darn hard to keep ourselves abreast of trends in the marketplace. We make every effort to share this knowledge with you – our friends and clients! Here’s a tidbit of knowledge that we recently gained through listening to our customers and prospects. 

If your small business provides a service or a product, it is exceptionally important that you provide your customers with options. If you cannot provide multiple options, you cease to be the central resource or the “one-stop” shop that can help them with their needs. In Phoneworx’ case, if we can’t offer a “good, better, best” set of options, we no longer hold the place of “business phone systems expert” in the mind of the customer. In order to retain the position we’ve worked so hard to achieve – being the best or only option to help with business phone system needs – we must provide options! 

The power of three

With so many choices available to customers, combined with the information-saturated World Wide Web, offering options isn’t a new idea. However, one must be careful not to overwhelm consumers either. I recently found an article from 2001 on Snipsmag.com. The author shares:

Several recent studies of consumer buying habits show that the majority of customers will choose the middle-priced option; when two choices are offered, 50% of customers chose the lower-priced option. When three choices were offered, 57% chose the middle option.

Indicating three options is just right. Overall, customers like choices – so make sure you are providing them!  

At Phoneworx, we’ve discovered, albeit the hard way, that options were the key in achieving our goal of giving the customer everything they need and nothing they don’t. Although a business owner may initially gravitate to the lowest priced option, it may not provide all the features that he needs for his business. Conversely, a different business owner might want the “really cool” more expensive option, but realize that she simply doesn’t need all the features and can get by with the less expensive option. Either way, by truly listening to customers’ needs and demands, we are improving as an organization and better positioned to “win” within our market.

Are you doing the same for your business?

Until next time,

Megan   

Differentiation: Being a PURPLE Cow!

Earlier this week, my boss told me that we needed to continue to position and brand Phoneworx as a “purple cow” within our industry. Seeing my confusion, he painted the following picture: “Imagine this – as you drive down the road, you pass by a field filled with cows.  Most of them are black or brown, but one catches your eye. Why, because he is so dramatically different – he’s bright purple!  Strange? Yes. But he definitely got your attention!” With so many small businesses competing for customers, differentiation and proper image have never been more important. 

We live in a world of commodities. There are hundreds of banks, dentists, website designers, realtors, landscapers, and the list goes on and on!  In almost every way, these companies offer the same or very similar products and/or services. So how does one choose?  Let me give you a great example.

As a new resident in the Greenville area, I needed a new dentist.  So, the first thing I did was ask a coworker for a referral. He suggested I go see Dr. Brian Derrick at Falls Park Dentistry, located right downtown.  His personal referral carried a lot of weight, but didn’t seal the deal.  I had to be happy with the service if I was going to stick with this dentist. I called the office, was greeted kindly, and was able to set an appointment at the desired time on short notice – off to a good start. When I arrived (only having to walk a few blocks from the Phoneworx office), their office was really cool, clean, up to date, and the staff was responsive and friendly – still lookin’ good!

But, here’s what did seal the deal… Prior to beginning the actual examination and cleaning, I was offered a warm neck pillow, a paraffin hand treatment, and my own personal HD television to watch. Further impressing me was that the dentist used all the latest gadgets in the dental world. To top it off, Dr. Derrick was kind, funny, and willing to answer any questions and concerns that I had – I felt like I had been his client for years and it was only my first visit. The only thing missing was music-on-hold for the phone system. Phoneworx took care of that right away.

WOW! Now, that’s what I call a “purple cow.” 

Similarly, at Phoneworx, we work hard at being purple. We want to be much more to our clients than simply a company that services and installs business phone systems. For example:

1.       We don’t ask clients to pick a business phone system out of a catalog! We have a state-of-the art showroom where you can touch, see, and hear our products prior to purchase. 

2.       We’re located in beautiful downtown Greenville, not an industrial park or some garage. Clients can stop by anytime to visit, to ask questions, or simply to enjoy the balcony overlooking Main Street.

3.       Our salespeople are non-commission, your assurance that you’ll never be “up-sold”. Suggestions are based solely on your needs – nothing else.

At Phoneworx, we are not content to sit on our hands or “ride the wave.” We are committed to continually being on the cutting edge in our industry, and sharing that knowledge and information with our clients. Above all, we are committed to helping small businesses to differentiate themselves!

What color is your cow? 

Megan