Five reasons why SMBs should make sales calls over the cloud

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Although we live in the age of DMs and comments, they can't compare to the liveliness of phone conversations. Despite the overwhelming advancements in communication, good ol' phone calls are never out of style. And with everything migrating to the cloud, the telecom sector upgraded to VoIP service.

What's a VoIP service?

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that enables phone calls to be made over the internet instead of through traditional wired phone connections. These calls can be made through any device, including traditional desk phones, smart mobile phones, desktops, and tablets. All you need to do is subscribe to a VoIP service provider, and you and your team will be good to go!

How does VoIP work?

As mentioned above, VoIP uses the internet to make phone calls instead of landline connections / mobile networks. Over a VoIP call, the analog audio signals of the caller are converted to digital signals through the internet router and forwarded to the VoIP service provider, who then routes these signals to the receiver of the call. 

In case you utilize a desk phone, it needs to be plugged into the router and then connected to the VoIP service provider through the internet. In case of mobile phones and laptops, VoIP service providers provide an app through which their services are offered.     

Cloud telephony for SMBs

VoIP sounds sophisticated and technologically advanced, which is why there's a general misconception that they're best suited for large scale enterprises. But the truth is, when integrated with a CRM, cloud telephony solutions can transform sales calls for the better for small and medium businesses, too. VoIP is the new standard for telephony and it's time for SMBs to join the trend. They can be extremely beneficial to your business for many reasons, five of which are listed below:

1. Sales made personal

One big advantage to cloud telephony is CRM data. Before you get on a call, you can find everything you need to know about the lead right from your screen—their name, designation, deal status, notes from previous interactions, links to their social media, etc. This helps you craft a killer opening line, make a pitch that resonates with them, and secure the deal with a personal touch.

2. Manage calls better

You can make calls, forward calls to other departments, record calls, hold and switch between multiple calls, and much more with just a few clicks. There's no need to take those long walks with your mobile to find a spot with good signal; you don't have to smash those loose buttons on desk phones or squint your eyes to read what's on a tiny screen. Your call logs are digital and the analytics provided help you understand the life cycle of the contact as it concerns the deal on the table. This way, you'll be able to provide a faster, more seamless experience to your soon-to-be customers.

3. Talk to leads on the go

With cloud telephony, you don't have to be confined to your office desk phone to make or take calls; since every incoming and outgoing call is mapped to your account, you can contact people from any device you've logged in with. You can talk to leads over your smartphone, home telephone, home laptop, or tablet. As a salesperson, you're constantly on the move to attend meetings and other sales events on a daily basis, and having a cloud voice service is a lifesaver. You can do sales on the go, anywhere and anytime.

4. Scale up or down easily

When it comes to cloud-based telephone systems, there's no requirement for on-site equipment. Since minimal hardware is involved, scaling your sales force is easier than ever. You can bring new sales people online with just a few clicks, while also not taking over too much office space. If you want to scale back down a bit, you can just remove a few accounts and voila!—no telephone gets thrown into the basement.

5. They're economical in the long run

Cloud telephony solutions are priced more cheaply than conventional telephone networks. There are minimal physical hardware expenses, no installation charges, no upfront fees, and no maintenance/repair expenses, as most of it's done on the server side. Also, these services usually come with a pay-as-you-go subscription model, which is a blessing for small businesses with a tight budget.

New technology can often be overwhelming, especially when it challenges something that you're comfortable with. Although cloud-based telephone services have been around longer than Facebook, small businesses still seem to be on the fence about it. You can find a trial version for most of the popular cloud telephone services in the market—integrate it with your CRM and find out how it works for you.

Try Bigin!

You can also try Bigin by Zoho CRM, built exclusively for small businesses run by big dreamers. Bigin comes with built-in telephony, removing the need to integrate different software. Check out our trial version now and start enjoying seamless communication with your leads and customers over cloud telephony.