Almost every small business will get calls from customers, clients, and vendors. Some will be sales calls, some will be customer service calls, and some will be for general information. Thus, small businesses need to know how to use caller identification to their advantage.
What’s Caller Identification
Have you ever asked yourself, ‘Who called me?’ or ‘How did that person learn about my number?’ when receiving calls from unknown sources? If you’ve had it, maybe caller identification can help you understand how it’s possible.
Caller identification, also called a caller ID, is a service that displays the telephone number of the incoming call on the recipient’s phone. If you’re a small business owner, you can even use it to handle the different kinds of calls you’ll receive.
- Sales Calls
Sales calls are essential to running your business as a small business owner. If you’re getting a lot of sales calls, it can be helpful to know who is calling to decide whether or not to answer the phone immediately. As a business owner, this can help you focus on sales calls from customers and clients you know too.
- Customer Service Calls
In addition to sales calls, small businesses will also get customer service calls. These calls are usually from current customers who want to know about your product or service and how to use it. At times, they may have a complaint about it.
Regardless of the reason for the call, it’s essential to quickly identify if it’s a customer service call so you can address the issue promptly. This strategy can help you stay consistent in promptly attending to customer concerns, as lack of consistency is one of the top reasons businesses lose customers.
- General Information Calls
Sometimes, there are calls from people just looking for general information about your business. This could be someone considering using your product or service and wanting to know more about it. It could be a journalist or blogger writing an article about businesses in your industry as well. In either case, knowing that a call is coming can be helpful so you can be prepared to answer any questions.
How To Use Caller Identification To Your Advantage?
Most of the top phone offices nowadays come with caller ID, which works to your advantage as a small business owner. You can use it to screen and measure sales and customer service calls. You can also use it to gather information about potential customers.
- Screening And Managing Calls
As a small business owner, you’re likely wearing multiple hats and don’t have much time to spare. Thus, screening calls can be a helpful way to manage your time.
For example, if you’re expecting a call from a high-priority client, you can make sure that you answer their call as soon as possible. This will show them that you expect their call and are ready to talk to them.
On the other hand, if you’re receiving a general information call, you can decide whether or not to attend to the phone based on who’s calling and prioritize other tasks that need your attention.
- Measuring Calls
Small businesses can also use caller identification to measure calls. This means you can track sales, customer service, and general information calls.
For instance, if you’re running a radio ad, you can track the number of calls inquiring about the product or service you’re endorsing about. This will give you an idea of how many people are hearing it and are interested in your business. The results can help you understand how effective your marketing campaigns are and how well your business is overall.
The number of complaints you receive in customer service can also indicate how well your business is doing. If you’re receiving many customer service calls, it could signify that something is wrong with your product or service. This information can help you troubleshoot the problem and make changes to improve your business.
- Gathering Information About Potential Customers
Another way small businesses use caller identification is by gathering information about potential customers. You can do this by looking up the number in a reverse phone directory.
A reverse phone directory is a database of phone numbers you can use to find information about the person who owns the number. This will give you the name and address associated with the number.
Plus, you can use the caller information to research the potential customer. Case in point, knowing their address can help you assess if they live in your target market. You can use the information to learn more about their buying habits as well and determine whether or not they’re a good fit for your product or service.
Conclusion: Caller identification can be a helpful tool for small businesses. It can be used to screen and manage calls, measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, and gather information about potential customers. When used correctly, caller identification can help you improve your business and better serve your customers.
