Want to Stretch the Life of Your Old Telephone Equipment?
In today's economy, many businesses are putting off acquiring any new equipment
as long as they can. We understand.
Our experts have compiled this list of the top 10 tips designed to breathe new life
into older telephone and voice mail equipment. They'll help you squeeze the maximum
benefits out of the old system, make it last even longer, and save you money.
Check out this list and then call us at 816–763–1100 if we can help
you with one or more of these "life saving" ideas.
10 Ways to Maximize
Phone & Voice Mail Equipment
- Programming Changes – The system was programmed to meet your
company's needs on the day it was installed. But your business isn't static. Has
the system programming been updated to keep up with the changes in your business?
Probably not.
Even simple changes can be important. Here's an example... this year Independence
Day falls on the weekend, so Voice Mail holiday greetings set to play on the 4th
of July may need to be reprogrammed to play on the following Monday.
- Database Backup – If you've ever experienced a computer "crash"
then you'll recognize the importance of having a current backup of the database
for your telecom system. This could save hours of reprogramming in the event of
a system "crash". Remember, hard drives do not last forever. How old is your system
hard drive?
- Preventive Maintenance Inspection – Schedule an appointment
for a Certified Technician to inspect your equipment. He/she is trained to diagnose
and solve existing problems and look for potential problems to keep them from happening.
- User Training –To get the maximum benefits from any equipment,
your staff needs to know how to use it. Newer employees never had the benefit of
the original training when the system was brand new. Chances are your old equipment
has capabilities that could increase efficiency and reduce costs – if someone
just knew how to use it.
- New Labels for Buttons on Phones – Look at the phones in
your office. Are there names of people who haven't worked there for years? Have
you scratched out the old names and penciled in new ones. It's tough to use a phone
that isn't labeled properly.
- Message On Hold – Update the information played for callers
on hold with a new professionally produced recording. Take advantage of this "captive
time" marketing and enhance your company brand. This is some of the least expensive,
most effective marketing you'll ever find.
- Batteries – Be sure to change batteries at least every 3
years. Fully charged batteries protect the equipment from power surges and can keep
you in business during our Midwestern power outages.
- Hardware and/or Software Upgrades – These enhancements can
bring significant efficiency and benefits to your company. Even small additions
to your telecom system can result in big improvements. Examples to consider include:
- Cordless Phone for mobility
- Wireless Headset for mobility, comfort and health
- Extra long handset cord for convenience
- Conference room speakerphone for better meetings
- Voice Mail for better internal and external communication
- Technology Review – Schedule a meeting with a Certified Technology
Expert to review the current programming of your equipment, how it's being used
in your business and measure the results. Then he/she will consult with you to plan
changes to the system designed to meet your business needs.
- System Administrator Training – Your System Administrator
will learn the capabilities of the equipment, how to do simple diagnostics and to
make programming changes.
Bonus Tip: COMMWORLD's exclusive "Partner Protection Plan" includes
service, discounts, training and other benefits. It's a great way to protect your
equipment, get the most out of it and control costs. Call us today at 816–763–1100
for more information and a quote.
Bonus Gift: Mention this newsletter for a complementary copy of
New York Times Best Selling Book,The
Answer - Grow Any Business, Achieve Financial Freedom and Live an Extraordinary
Life when you enroll in a Plan by May 29th.
Call Recording Increases Sales!
Now that we've given you some ways to get the most out of older telecom equipment,
here is just one of many reasons companies need new technology. It's Call Recording
and it will help increase sales.
The following advice comes from an article called "5 Ways to Improve Your Phone
Skills" by Mike Brooks, aka Mr. Inside Sales.
"Start recording your phone calls and make it a habit to begin listening to them
and finding ways to improve.
This is without a doubt the most important thing you can do but, surprisingly, it's
the last thing 80% of sales reps will ever do. You will learn and improve more in
a week than you will in five years of sales training. In fact, I've literally doubled
my income in 90 days using this technique. Try it – it'll change your career..."
If your business could do with more clients and more cash, then you should check
out the powerful business growth strategies in these videos…complements of COMMWORLD
of Kansas City.
John Assaraf, featured teacher of "The Secret", New York Times best-selling author
of The Answer and founder of OneCoach
- a small business coaching company - just launched these.
Looking for Another Way to Cut Costs and Improve Your Bottom Line?
Save from $50.00 to $75.00 per vehicle per week.
You've heard it before...you can't improve what you can't measure. Whether your
company has one vehicle or a fleet of 1,000, the right GPS system and reports will
measure what needs to be measured to make the improvements you want to make.
Some of the benefits include:
- Increased Productivity
- Reduced Overtime & Billing Errors
- Real–Time Asset Tracking
- Improved Employee Safety
- Reduced Company Liability
- Eliminate Some Paperwork
- Optimize Customer Service
- Gather Quality Control Data
- Lower Fuel Bills
- Stop Unauthorized Vehicle Use
- Some insurance companies offer discounts
If you'd like to learn more or want to see a demo, give us a call or just email
info@commworld–kc.com and ask for
information on GPS Solutions.
Congratulations to our Friends and Clients...
Kelly Scanlon, owner and publisher of Kansas City Small Business
has been named Women's Business Champion for Region VII of the Small Business Administration.
Paul Kushnir, CEO of Wireless Lifestyles, is included in Ingram's
"40 Under 40" Class of 2009.
A.L. Huber, general contractor and Canterbury Schools,
Montessori–based child care, preschool and elementary school education are
included in The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce top 10 small businesses
and nominees for the Mr. K Award as 2009 Small Business of the Year.
Questionable Quotes...
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
–Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
–Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp.,
1977
"So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built
with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we'll give it
to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they
said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett–Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't
need you. You haven't got through college yet.'"
–Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and H–P
interested in his and Steve Wozniak's personal computer.
"640K ought to be enough for anybody."
–Bill Gates, 1981
Source: newsgroup alt.humor
Fun Phone Facts...
If you've been watching TV's "Dancing with the Stars", then you know one of the
contestants this season was Steve Wozniak, founder of Apple Computer. We found this
tidbit from Mr. Wozniak's youth to be an interesting "Fun Phone Fact".
1970s: Phone Phreaks and Cap'n Crunch
Phone hackers (phreaks) break into regional and international phone networks to
make free calls. One phreak, John Draper (aka "Cap'n Crunch"), learns that a toy
whistle given away inside Cap'n Crunch cereal generates a 2600–hertz signal,
the same high–pitched tone that accesses AT&T's long-distance switching
system.
Draper builds a "blue box" that, when used in conjunction with the whistle and sounded
into a phone receiver, allows phreaks to make free calls.
Shortly thereafter, Esquire magazine publishes "Secrets of the Little Blue Box"
with instructions for making a blue box, and wire fraud in the United States escalates.
Among the perpetrators: college kids Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, future founders
of Apple Computer, who launch a home industry making and selling blue boxes.
Source: CNN.Com./Sci-Tech
|
