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GITEX 2025: Trends & Conversations Shaping MEA Communications

Gitex trends shaping MEA communications

Another incredible year exhibiting at GITEX has just come to a close in Dubai. As a long-time attendee, it was clear this year’s event marked a significant acceleration in the …Read More »

How to Choose the Best Phone Integration for Zoho CRM

how to choose best phone integration for Zoho CRM

You rely on calls as a salesperson to communicate with potential clients. But without proper tracking, digilent follow-ups and successful outcomes can be tedious. Disorganized call logs might result in …Read More »

Global Call Forwarding Returns to GITEX to Showcase Smarter Global Voice Solutions for Tech Teams

Gitex press release

DELRAY BEACH, FL, Sept 2025 – Global Call Forwarding, a leading global provider of enterprise-grade virtual phone numbers and cloud communication solutions, will return to GITEX Global 2025 to exhibit …Read More »

Why Cloud Telephony is Essential for Scaling Tech Startups

Cloud Telephony for Scaling Tech Startups

Over 150 million startups operate globally, with approximately 50 million new businesses entering the market each year, highlighting the exceptional growth of the global tech startup ecosystem. For tech startups, …Read More »

What to Look for in a Helpdesk Software (Guide)?

What to look for in a Helpdesk Software guide

Imagine a customer reaching out with an issue—and without any manual intervention, your helpdesk software assigns the ticket to the right agent, sends an acknowledgment, and arms your support team …Read More »

6 Ways to Use the GCF Softphone in the HubSpot CRM

How to use the GCF Softphone with our Hubspot Calling Integration

The Global Call Forwarding HubSpot integration gives your sales and support teams the tools they need to communicate effectively — right from within your CRM. With features like click-to-call, automatic …Read More »

Improving Internal Communications in Your Company

Failing to address the challenges that arise when companies due to poor communication within a company is a recipe for disaster. Miscommunication leads to losses in productivity, creates tension amongst coworkers, and results in a higher turnover rate.

Overlooking internal communication issues in your company also makes the hiring process much more difficult because the lack of communication makes it harder to translate company goals to new team members. When a new hire is brought into the business, it’s difficult for the individual to learn or seek guidance from other team members because there isn’t a clear path to follow or specific strategies for success. Furthermore, team members will not know how to properly represent the company.

The Importance of Improving Internal Communications In Your Company

Why is improving internal communications in your company so critical? There are many answers to this question, but one of the main reasons would be harmony and balance must exist between coworkers and management to build trust and encourage open, honest dialogue.
A lack of proper communication has a major impact on productivity and it can be the difference between reaching company goals and falling short on completing critical tasks.

Another negative impact of miscommunication is a high turnover rate. Turnovers cause companies of all sizes to lose money because the business must invest in the hiring and onboarding process, not to mention the training and compensation of new employees. When a new hire leaves unexpectedly, the process must start over and it will require more funding. When this happens on a frequent basis, the high turnover rate also brings the integrity and management of the company into question.

Strive Towards Improving Internal Communications In Your Company Regularly

Many business owners wonder what specific methods can be implemented to improve internal communications in your company. This answer will depend on your unique company structure and team, but there are actions that every company should take to improve their ways of communicating.

Internal communication can be improved in your company with the right mindset, transparency, and the use of technology. Whether your business is large or small, communication is key.

These key methods should be helpful for companies striving to communicate and improve their workplace with more clarity and efficiency.

Establish A System For Sharing Information

One of the biggest communication errors companies make is deciding to use a middleman to relay information. This can go wrong for various reasons. If communicating information between select employees, they may not understand the importance of making sure that everyone on the team receives the message. With so many daily tasks to handle, it’s easy for team members to forget sharing information that is not related to the immediate task at hand.

Another conflict that may arise from handing off information and priority documents to specific employees is the possibility of favoritism. If your staff feels that only one person or a few people on staff can be trusted with sensitive information, it may result in tension in the workplace. Hence, another reason improving internal communications in your company will be necessary.

work meeting
Source: Stockphoto.com O#100052465503

Maintaining a high level of transparency through the use of technology is the best way to avoid communication gaps. This is crucial for improving internal communications in your company. There is a wide selection of cloud communications technology that will allow managers to quickly upload important documents and notes so that all employees can access with just a username and password. When looking to share quick notes and attachments, there is the option of Dropbox, along with team messaging services such as Slack and WhatsApp for constant convenient communication. These apps also allow employees to give their input and ask questions in real time and read responses on similar topics.

Host Online Meetings

Consistent meetings are great for improving internal communications in your company. Just as the internet allows companies to share important documents, businesses can also use online technology to host online meetings, which is especially beneficial if you are working with remote teams.

Remote teams will not be able to attend most company meetups due to their location or time zone differences, however, this can be easily supported. The best way to make meetings convenient and cost-free for everyone is by using cloud phone numbers for conference calls or video messaging. Employees appreciate this because a feeling of inclusion through the sharing of information is great for team morale.

Hosting meetings online makes sure that everyone has access to the same information, eliminating silos and hierarchy. Hierarchical environments can make employees feel isolated, and this can make everyone more reluctant to communicate openly. This resentment often results in a loss of motivation and prolongs the time it takes for teams to take action and achieve success.

Define Your Company’s Mission and Set Goals

You know your company goals and mission, but do your employees know? When your aim is improving internal communications in your company, this is really important to set a foundation. Discuss company goals in meetings and have your company mission statement clearly visible in the workspace and online. These reminders will help keep everyone on track while helping employees better assist customers.

Understanding a company’s goals and mission creates a better customer service experience because representatives will demonstrate more confidence in their role and product knowledge. Along with in-depth knowledge, customer service associates will be able to provide support while respecting the tone and communication style of the brand.

Is it Hard to Open a Virtual Office in Singapore?

Before starting your own business in Singapore, try minimizing your overhead costs by opening up a virtual office first. Although it is no easy task to start your own business, virtual or not, there are perks to choosing a virtual office. For some business owners and entrepreneurs, it might be easier to build an office from scratch in Singapore. While others might find that they can work out of a virtual office in Singapore and save on expansion costs. So, what does it mean to open a Singapore virtual office?

Working from a Virtual Office in Singapore

In order to choose the right option for your business, you must first weigh the priorities of the company. If your company can survive while you work remotely, then opening a virtual office is the best option for you. In Singapore, businesses must register with an office address. However, it is very simple for a virtual office to rent a business address while remaining remote. If you are considering the idea of opening a virtual office in Singapore there a few key things to keep in mind:

1. A Business Address

As previously mentioned, a business address is required for all companies doing business in Singapore. But in Singapore, it is all about location. You will find that the most trustworthy addresses will be located in a business district or located very near one. Having an address in a business district will show potential and current customers that your business is a thriving company that is aware of the established business network. Many corporations are located on Battery Road, Raffles Quay, Robinson Road, Clarke Quay, and Shenton Way.

2. A Call Forwarding Service

It is nearly impossible to communicate with foreign clients and customers through one company number. When expanding, it is important to note the characteristics of your future customers. If a customer in Singapore sees that the only way they can reach you is by dialing an international phone number and get charged international charges, they will hesitate and look for a local competitor instead.

At Global Call Forwarding there are many options available for Singapore virtual phone numbers as well as international call forwarding. You can get Singapore toll-free numbers and enable locals to call your business for free, irrespective of your location. These incoming calls from Singapore get forwarded to your office or customer service headquarters located anywhere in the world.

A business should always make communication more accessible for their consumer. Therefore, providing a local virtual phone number for your international customers will encourage more interaction from them and will establish trust.

Related: Singapore Phone Numbers: The IMDA Numbering Plan Explained

3. A Comfortable Working Environment

Since your teams will be working remotely for your virtual office in Singapore, it is essential that you create a satisfying virtual workspace. This means equipping yourself and your teams with the right communication and project management systems. Your work environment could make or break your productivity. The best kind of virtual office is equipped with the best technology, a phone line, a reliable WiFi connection, with faxing and printing capabilities.

4. Forwarding Your Mail

Once you have your business address, you can begin to receive mail. But since your office address will be virtual, you must set up a mail forwarding system. This is very useful when you are trying to manage multiple businesses overseas. You can set up the mail to arrive in one stockpile, on a weekly basis, or as soon as it comes in.

5. What Are You Willing To Spend?

Once you have decided on all of the items that you will need in order to start your own virtual business in Singapore, you can begin to narrow down your search to a few different virtual office providers. Create a budget and don’t forget to include the services that you might need that come with an extra charge, such as rollover minutes for Singapore virtual phone numbers. It all depends on your individual business and how fast the company grows. One service can be more cost-effective than the other based on your individual needs.

Open a Virtual Office in Singapore

While opening a virtual office in Singapore requires time, energy, and planning, it is a relatively simple task once you find the right virtual providers. Before you begin your research, remember to have an established plan of action and a list of everything that you may need. Once you have those things outlined, you can start your own virtual office in Singapore. Learn more about Singapore phone numbers by speaking with our representatives!

Empower Your Business to Succeed with the Best Communication

Effective communication is essential for your business to succeed. Not only does it transform the way your team works together, but it also reduces in-house conflicts and redundancies. If you communicate effectively, your employees will like you and will listen to you. So, what is effective communication and how do you develop it?

What is Communication?

Communication involves the exchange of information and the method used to make this exchange. In a company, whether it’s a small business or a global corporation, communication is the means by which people exchange information about various business operations. Maximum effectiveness of communication within any organization is very desirable. Here are the elements of effective organizational communication. It is necessary for it to be:

  • Verifiably factual: Optimal communication is comprised of information that is completely factually correct.
  • One hundred percent complete: It must express absolutely every important piece of information that needs to be said.
  • Completely accurate: As well as being complete, communication must be completely accurate.
  • Well-targeted: The information you are communicating must be aimed at the right group of people within your organization.
  • Easy to understand: You must organize the information so that the people who are listening to it do not need to spend a lot of time processing it to understand it.
  • Timely: The information you are conveying must be passed on at the right time.

Why Effective Communication is Vital for Your Business

Ineffective communication can cause all sorts of issues within your company. Workplace risks, incoherent policies, and under-performance are just a few. Optimal communication is key for decision-making and for allowing the flow of back and forth communication through your organization’s vertical channels.

A further benefit of effective communication is that it assists with cross-departmental coordination. This enables your organization to not only have a highly efficient system, but also one which is optimally collaborative, so that all your departments, be they marketing, HR, admin or acquisitions, are all aiming for the same goals.

Strategies for Developing the Most Effective Communication

Here are some measures to help you develop more effective communication throughout your company.

1. Make the most of multiple channels

By using more than one communication channel, you can establish exchanges of information that might not happen otherwise.

2. Improve two-way feedback

Nurture a positive environment and a sense of mutual respect by asking for and giving feedback throughout your organization.

3. Keep the steps to communication short

By making it easy for intra-communications to take place at and between all levels, you ensure improved fidelity in the exchange of information.

4. Be mindful of clarity

Encourage an organizational culture that always aims for sensitivity to the needs of the recipient of the information.

Strategies to Make You an Strong Communicator

If you introduce these tactics into your daily routine, they can help you become a more effective communicator.

1. Lead by example

Practicing what you preach goes a long way in the business world. If you always deliver on your promises, people will follow you because they trust you, so it always pays to be genuine and honest.

2. Keep it simple

Don’t over-inform your team. Too much information just causes confusion. Simply say what you mean; in the world of communication, less is always more.

3. Be authentic

Always strive to be the best version of yourself that you can be. Be who you are, and your team will know you are expressing yourself honestly.

4. Be here now

Always be present. That doesn’t mean that you can’t take a break from work from time to time, but when you are working on planning and strategy, be focused and be visible to your team. Make sure your presence does not go unnoticed. Always allow people a chance to see you around the company.

5. Leave your door open

Make sure that your team members feel they can talk to you when they need to. If you can’t leave your door open all the time, then schedule a time at least once a week when you can. That way your team will know that they can count on you.

6. Encourage self-improvement

Every time a member of your workforce learns a new skill, it’s better for your company as a whole. Many companies support continued education within or outside of the workplace. If you can’t support your employee’s self-improvement financially, at least try to maintain a little flexibility with their schedules.

7. Support vacation time

The last thing you need is a workforce that is burned out and unproductive. To make sure this never happens, be supportive of vacation time. Your team will be much more productive and creative if they are well-rested and refreshed.

Remember, improving your communication skills and strategies can make for a more productive workforce and more loyal employees.

Does Your Small Business Actually Need a Toll Free Number?

If your small business doesn’t have a toll free number yet, you need to ask yourself why not. A toll free number is an indispensable asset for any size business. The benefits of having a toll free number are countless. It helps your company way more than simply enhancing your brand recognition and boosting your credibility; it also increases your sales and bumps up your ROI. Here are just a few reasons why your small business should have a toll free number.

5 Ways Small Businesses Can Use a Toll Free Number

The main attraction of toll free numbers is that they are free for customers to call. The business using the number bears the cost of customer calls. But while this may sound expensive, phone service providers have found ways to make toll free numbers inexpensive for businesses. This is because toll free numbers are a great marketing and sales tool for businesses as the ‘free calling’ option attracts more customers.

So, why should your small business get a toll free number?

1. Increase Customer Satisfaction

When consumers were surveyed, they pointed out that one of the most annoying things about a company was finding out that there was no easy way to contact them when they needed assistance.

Your customers will quickly become frustrated if they cannot find a phone number on your website. Why not make it really easy for them and give them a toll free number that’s easy to find. That way they will realize that you have respect for them and they will stay loyal to your brand.

2. Make it Easy to Remember

One of the other great things about a toll free number is that they are really easy to remember. Toll free numbers usually consist of a sequence of numbers that stick in your mind. For example, 1-800-444-4242, or 1-800-505-5050. Another way you can make your toll free number unforgettable is by buying a vanity number. A vanity number is one in which the number sequence is replaced by letters representing the number. The word or words should be relevant to your business. For example, 1-800-CONTACTS, 1-800-MATTRESS, or 1-800-FLOWERS. If they can remember your number, people will call you, and this is a very good way to generate sales.

3. Boost Your Company’s Legitimacy

Toll free numbers aren’t just for the huge corporations out there. By using a toll free business number, you are giving your business credibility and enhancing your company’s image. This is great if you are just starting a business. You could be working out of your garage, and no one will ever know.

4. Maintain Portability

When you have a toll free number, your physical location doesn’t matter. If you decide to relocate your business, your customers won’t even know because they will still be able to reach you on your toll free number wherever you are. All your calls to your toll free number can be forwarded to your smartphone or any other number of your choice. What’s more, once you buy a toll free number, it’s yours for good. Even if you decide to change your toll free number service provider, you can port your number to keep it.

Related: 5 Phone Number Porting Myths Debunked

small business toll free phone number
Source: Stockphoto.com O#100222581688

5. Use it as a Marketing Tool

Toll free and vanity numbers can both be used to help you keep track of your marketing efforts. For example, if you have a website, billboard, print ad, or even a radio or TV commercial, each time someone picks up the phone and makes a call to your company, you will always know which ad is drawing them in because you can use a different extension for each marketing campaign.

6. High Availability

Right now is a great time to purchase a toll free number because new prefixes are available, such as 833. The new numbers mean there are more available number combinations. So you have more chance of finding an easy-to-remember combination like 1-833-333-3333. Keep in mind though, they won’t last long, so you should act quickly. New prefixes only come along as and when they are needed, and this isn’t usually very often. There is not likely to be a new prefix released until almost all of the 833 numbers have been taken. Learn more in our toll free number prefixes guide.

How to Get a Toll Free Number?

If you’re interested in getting a toll free number, you can get one from a variety of sources, such as national phone service providers and any communications company which has access to toll free numbers, such as Global Call Forwarding. You can call them directly to see if the phone number you want is available.

Once you have chosen your toll free number, you will have a monthly payment plan, rather like any other phone plan. You can add on or remove extra numbers whenever you wish without penalty. While a lot of toll free number providers charge per minute for calls to the numbers, some will charge a lower rate if you have more than one toll free number. No contract or additional equipment required. Have questions? Call us or chat with us online!

Tools for Starting a Business at Home

Running your own business from home can feel like a dream. You get to make your own rules, you get to pick the background music, and there’s no fear that a co-worker might steal your lunch. However, starting a home business is no simple feat, but luckily there are plenty of tools available to you that might make the road to success a bit easier to manage. The following list of tools have been designed to make your work more efficient and your life easier whether you’re starting a business or currently running one from home.

Google Docs

Not only can you create a document with Google Docs, but you can also easily share your documents with several people at once. You can give them access to edit and make comments. If you’re both working on the document at the same time, there is even a tool to start up a chat. This is a great tool for those who are working from home and need to stay in touch with their teams.

Trello

Trello enables you to manage any project you’re working on. The site allows users to create lists on a card that you can then add to a board. Just like in Google Docs, it is very simple to share with a team. Open a card to add details, comments, or upload files.

Virtual Phone Numbers

When working from home, it can be extremely difficult to separate your personal life from your work life. That is why getting a virtual phone number for your business can be one of the best tools for your growing company. Having a virtual business number allows you to greet customers professionally, set solid business hours, and transfer phone calls with ease. Also, when you have a virtual phone number, you can access the phone calls and messages from multiple devices, including your tablet or computer.

EchoSign

EchoSign was created to free your life from the clutter of paper. It also a great way to get signatures from clients, employees, and other third-parties. Whatever you need to be signed, simply upload the documents to EchoSign and send them over to where they need to go. The third party simply needs to type in their name and initials, and Adobe Sign (formerly EchoSign) will do the rest. You can also keep an archive of your contracts, making it a breeze to find signed documents.

Asana

Asana is a great tool to use in lieu of multiple meetings. Asana is great if you have many people on your team working remotely. You can manage projects, start conversations, see what progress has been made, and create tasks from conversations in real-time.

Slack

Slack is an app for chatting and sharing ideas. It is a good tool for entrepreneurs because it allows you to create multiple conversations in one app. You can have public chats with your team and private conversations with one or two people. You can keep discussions about each project separately in a clean and well-designed app. It is also very simple to find old messages in the archive, and it can be synced on all of your devices.

Canva

Canva is a design website that can help turn anyone into a graphic designer. You can easily create artwork for any advertising you’ll need for brochures, business cards, Instagram posts, Facebook banners, and more. The site is easy-to-use with a drag-and-drop design tool and ready-made layouts.

Haro

Haro stands for Helping A Report Out. It is the perfect tool for small business owners who want to get the word out about their business but do not have unlimited resources to do so. This tool connects you with members of the media who are looking for content to cover. You can find amazing writers and have open discussions with them and read their media pitches. You might soon find your brand getting recognition from high profile publications you only ever dreamed of.

Jira

Jira is a tool that lets you capture data from every aspect of creating and executing your product. Finding the statistics of any product from the beginning to launch and monitoring the statistics after launch is possible with Jira. You can even get feedback from trusted sources. Since production is always changing, edits are easy, and your entire team will be able to see the new changes being added and taken away.

Decision-Making Techniques to Keep You On Top

When you’re a business owner, decision making can be even more stressful than usual. If you want to be a superior leader, decision making is an essential skill. Knowing how to make timely, well-thought-out decisions can earn you and your team legitimate success. It doesn’t matter what type of decision you’re making, whether it’s who to hire as an addition to your team, or which financial strategy to adopt, the ability to make the right decision utilizing all the available information is crucial. There are tried and trusted techniques that you can use as you approach decision making, which will help you avoid making bad choices and give you confidence in your judgment.

Establishing an Objective

From the outset, you need to establish the right environment for making a decision. For this to happen, you and your team must understand the issue at hand and agree on an objective. This will ensure that the appropriate concerns are being discussed and that the process will continue to move forward. You must initiate interpersonal considerations from the get-go. Don’t forget to keep the stakeholders keyed-in to what’s going on, and facilitate an honest and open discussion between all involved.

Generate Alternative Solutions

Another vital aspect of a sound decision process is to generate numerous realistic alternative solutions for consideration. Attempting to implement the first solution you come up with, is almost certain to preclude much better options. Take your time to brainstorm with your team and think up a number of ideas.

Weigh the Alternatives

Now that you have a list of alternative solutions; it’s important to consider each one carefully and assess the pros and cons of each possible outcome. This is usually the most time-consuming stage of the decision-making process. Three of the most important factors to consider are risk assessment, consequences of your decision, and the feasibility of implementing the decision.

Making the Decision

Here comes the part that is the most exciting and also the most stressful. At this point, you must be able to deal with these emotions objectively. Don’t rush to make a decision, even though you may have a deadline. Taking time to consider what will make your decision the right one, will increase your accuracy.

Assess your Decisions

When you are making your assessment, don’t forget that not every aspect of the decision process is objective. It should also make sense to you on instinctive and intuitive levels. If you assess your decision from all of these perspectives, you will be able to validate it more readily.

Implementing your Decision

You have now reached the final stage. Don’t try to force other’s acceptance. Communicate your choice clearly, and explain your reasons behind it. This is the best way to garner the support of your team.

Can you Be Decisive?

  1. Before making a decision, do you evaluate all the potential risks?
  2. Do you consider a variety of potential options before deciding?
  3. Do you take the time needed to make a decision?
  4. Do you often have doubts about your decisions?
  5. Have some of your decisions been more difficult to implement than you anticipated?

If you answered no to the first three questions and yes to questions 4 and 5, you need to reassess your decision-making techniques in order to avoid making a bad decision and to boost yours’ and your team’s confidence in your decision-making skills.

Think about developing a structured plan to help you implement your decision. Individuals respond to a clear plan with a positive attitude. Once your team knows exactly what to expect and what they need to do, they will understand and respect your decisions. Think ahead and take the time to figure out exactly what would make your choice the right one.

Decision-Making Mistakes

There several common mistakes people make when faced with making decisions. One of the biggest is that people either rush into making a decision without thinking it through carefully, or they procrastinate for so long, they lose sight of the objective. Another mistake is a failure to trust your gut instincts when trying to make a decision. When you tune into your intuition, you can make much better decisions in the long-run. Another pitfall to avoid is trying to make a decision without having enough information. If you’re faced with a big decision, and you’re feeling uncertain about what to do, it may benefit you to consult an expert for advice. Getting another party’s opinion can help you keep things in perspective.

There are many different tools and techniques you can use when faced with making a decision. Choose one that feels right for you and be prepared to be flexible and modify your decision-making techniques.

Secrets to Achieving the Elusive Work-Life Balance

Managing a full-time job and finding the time to set aside for the things that you enjoy is a problem for many people. A majority of people believe that their work commitments demand too much time from them. Not every 9-5 job ends at 5. Being successful means having success in both business and your personal life. In order to achieve this elusive success, a balance must be struck.

In order to begin setting aside the right amount of time for work and play, first, you must become cognizant of how to establish boundaries and set goals. Read on to find out how you can get started on achieving harmony in your life today.

Be Prepared

The best way to achieve more in your week is to set up a plan and execute it. Write down every task that you need to accomplish and organize each task by importance. Give each task an amount of time that it will take so you don’t take on too much in one day. Taking one-half hour out of your week to plan the days ahead will save you a lot of time in the long run.

Focus

Now that you have a list to refer to, concentrate on finishing one task before you move on to the next one. Looking at your list, you may start to feel overwhelmed with all of the items left, but as you slowly tick them off, you will begin to feel relief. Try to prioritize harder tasks at the beginning or when you know that your focus and energy is highest.

Create a Morning Ritual

Crafting out the beginning of your day saves on time, too. Having a strong routine that prepares you for the day ahead will create a more productive workday. For example, if you like to enjoy a cup of coffee before work, be sure to set your coffee maker in the morning. You don’t want to end up in a long, stressful line at Starbucks when you’re running late to work. When something goes wrong in the morning, it tends to make people spiral out for the rest of the day. It is best to set up more than enough time to get ready and get to work to avoid any morning mishaps.

Don’t Let Your Vacation Days Go To Waste

So many people let their vacation days expire and disappear. They are there for a reason and you’ll be refreshed and ready to work once you get back. Even if your budget only allows for a staycation or a weekend trip to visit family, make time for it.

Don’t Miss Out On The Holidays

Holidays are similar to vacations because they are a break from routines. Make plans for every holiday and carve out time for the people you care most about. Even if you have to be at work, it’s fun to celebrate with little things like holiday cookies, office decorations, and costumes. Without holidays, how would we break up the months and distinguish one from the next? We all need a moment to sit back and think about the things that we are grateful for because that is where the fruit of our efforts really comes in.

Set Boundaries

At work, be present at what you’re doing at work, and at home, be present at home. Sounds simple? Not really. We live an age where we are constantly reachable by call, text, email, or fax. Set boundaries and designate work hours that work for you. Don’t forget to let your bosses and your clients know the best time to reach you and when you will be out of the office. A great way to make sure you don’t slip back into old habits is to stop staring at your phone. If you can’t resist the urge to check your emails while you walk your dog, then perhaps you should leave it at home. Or remove your email account from your phone.

When you have a full-time job and a full-time personal life, there is always something that won’t get done. However, that’s life and you should not beat yourself over it. The most important thing is that you prioritize what is important and recognize what is good or not good for your health and relationships.

Tips For Recording a Personal Voicemail Message

In order to effectively market yourself and your business, there are a few basic tools that you will need to have perfected. You may not be thinking that your telephone skills are of much importance, but a good or bad voicemail message could make or break a professional opportunity. If you find that your personal voicemail is pretty blase or not even set up yet, you might need to check out these tips and tricks to make a great personal voicemail message.

These tips will guarantee that you make a great impression and maybe even get someone to leave a message or two.

Get Rid of Background Noise

Find a quiet space to begin recording your message. Don’t be afraid to re-record if something goes amiss during the middle of your message, like if the dog starts barking or if your toddler starts calling for you. Nothing about a noisy background says that you’re a professional. Background noise is also distracting and can confuse a caller.

Identify Yourself

If you’re getting phone calls from people other than your grandmother, then they probably aren’t going to recognize that it is you by just hearing your voice. Letting people know your name and even the name of your business lets them know right away that they have reached the right number. And as an added bonus, it lets callers with the wrong number know that they’ve reached the wrong person and you won’t have to listen to messages for strangers.

It’s an instant vetting process.

Have Fun

This is the time to show your personality. People are more at ease with someone with a bit of excitement in their voice because it shows that they are capable of holding a conversation. Just because you want to come off as professional does not mean you need to come off as monotone or unapproachable. If you’re funny, you could even add a joke to your message. Just be sure that you sound approachable and warm.

Specify What You Want To Hear

Letting callers know to leave their name and number so you can call them back is an excellent way to get the right information that you may need from someone that you missed a call from. Otherwise, you might be left with a number with no name to ask for or vice versa. If you run a business and want to include something that usually comes up in professional phone calls, include that as well. For example, if people often ask you to check on business orders, ask them to leave the shipping number so you can get back to them with a ready response.

tips for recording a personal voicemail
Source: Stockphoto.com O#1202 – ID#100133781710

Smile

Smiling while you record your voicemail message can actually be heard on the other end of the line. People speak differently when they’re smiling and callers can tell if you’re unhappy. When you greet someone in person, it is usually done with a smile so your voicemail greeting should be no different.

Rehearse It

It might be a short voicemail message that you’re recording, but you do want to make sure you hit all the bullet points. It also helps to speak eloquently over the phone and that works better when you are prepared with what you’re about to say. You are trying to sell yourself in this message so put your best foot forward. If you practice and write down what you’re going to say, you can get rid of all the awkward pauses, ums, and stumbling over words.

Update Regularly

Don’t keep the same old voicemail greeting forever. Not just because it can get stale and boring, but because you’re missing out on the opportunity to let people know what you’re up to. If your business is having a sale, be sure to update your voicemail with that information. Or if you plan on being out of town for a few days, let people know that their phone calls will not be returned until the date that you return.

Get Voicemail to Email Service from Global Call Forwarding

We just shared a couple of awesome tips for recording voicemail greetings. Now you’ll have to decide what to do with your voicemails as they get recorded.

The best solution would be to forward your voicemail messages to an email address. This gives you a way to download the recordings and forward them along to friends. We offer a voicemail to email service that is available with all our numbers.

Give us a call if you want to learn more about it!

Ways To Make Your Customer Service Better

The best way to improve your relationship with your customers is to improve the way you provide customer service. Even if you have the best product on the market, people will remember if they were not treated well by your staff. If customer service is the face of your company, then you always want to make a good first impression. Companies that have been in business for a long time know the importance of having good customer relationships, and they constantly ask themselves how they can be making better customer service choices. Any good company knows the best way to grow a business is to consistently lookout for ways to improve customer service. After all, it’s much easier to keep an existing customer than to gain a new one, and loyal customers help their favorite businesses by marketing through word-of-mouth.

Read on to learn some tips on improving your customer service.

Listen to the customer’s wants and needs.

It might seem simple, but when you truly listen to someone, it not only helps you to understand their issues, it also shows great respect for the other individual. When a customer feels like they are being heard they will remember that feeling and how well they were treated. Your employees should not be going down a list of questions to get to the bottom of an issue, simply listen to the customer and what they have to say. Once you have fully heard them, you will be able to respond to them with the best solution for their issue.

Respond quickly to problems.

Customers don’t want to wait for anything, especially when they’re already not satisfied with something. If you are unable to provide the customer with exactly the response they need that day, at least acknowledge that you’ve heard their inquiry. If someone sends your company an email and you can’t resolve their problem without looking further into the issue, at least make initial contact with them to let them know that you are working towards a solution.

clients with manager
Source: Stockphoto.com O#1202 – ID#4910767

Provide support.

Never get angry with a customer because they do not have all the information that you need to help them out. Instead, provide them with as much assistance and support as you can until they can obtain all the necessary information. Treat every customer as if they are your next top brand ambassador. Staying calm with an irate customer is extremely important, too. Every time you interact with a customer you are establishing a relationship and creating a potential selling point.

Establish trust.

Customer and company relationships begin professionally, but once you have spent time on the relationship with them and have built loyalty you can go the extra mile for them. Showing that you care for your customer, like remembering his or her birthday, are small things that help to establish trust in your customer/ business relationship.

Train your employees.

It is important that all of your employees are trained in how to properly interact with customers. You should provide training for all possible situations, including how to deal with angry customers, and how to go above and beyond for loyal customers. Each time a customer comes to your store or calls your customer service line, they should know what to expect, and they should expect a pleasant experience.

Don’t sacrifice quality for quantity.

Yes, you want your company to grow and be successful, but if it happens too quickly, you might be headed towards a swift downturn. Some companies can survive a quick growth, but others are better off winning at a slow and steady pace. Organic word-of-mouth referrals can eventually be your best marketing strategy. And the best part is that word-of-mouth marketing is free! Slowly establish loyalty with the customers that you have and then sit back and watch your company expand into the company you’ve always wanted it to be. Good customer service is a powerful tool to not only get new customers but to keep them coming back.