Missed calls can end business relationships before they can start. This is especially true for businesses that require a knowledgeable person on the other line.
One option is to hire a virtual assistant who works remotely but is well-versed in a company’s specifics. Another popular option is to use an answering service and live transfers to quickly send callers through to the business.
The speed and simplicity of live transfers can make it an attractive option for handling a company’s call volume, but this kind of service has a few hidden downsides as well.
Don’t Allow For Preparation
There’s no such thing as a second chance at a first impression, and with live transfers, there is no opportunity to prepare and make the most of that initial conversation. Live transfers speedily send callers to the business, but this speed has a hidden cost.
Without the time to prepare, a business may rely on inconsistent improvisation or a generic script to engage the lead, neither of which is likely to establish a strong initial foundation. With a virtual assistant, the business has the advantage of the assistant’s notes along with a few moments to do research and customize the pitch before officially making that connection.
Can Waste Time
A business hires an answering service to help handle call volume because they are busy. However, live transfers with vague screening processes can result in conversations that are off on the wrong foot from the start.
This kind of slap-dash connection is a waste of time and money, resources that are crucial to a growing business. Callers can be specifically screened with a virtual assistant, and thus leads can be capably qualified.
Live Transfers Create Unnecessary Interruptions
A business cannot continue its day-to-day operations if it is constantly interrupted by phone calls, yet those connections are important to the company’s growth. Unfortunately, live transfers carry with them the tyranny of the urgent or the feeling that they must answer every call as soon as it comes in. However, a virtual assistant can answer the call and begin that professional relationship, paving the way for the future connection while allowing the business to do their work.
Live Transfers Give a Sense of Over-Availability
When an important person at a business can take phone calls at any hour, this can be an immediate red flag. If the person is so widely available, it can seem like they don’t have much business work to manage at any given moment, which can come across as unprofessional.
Live transfers can accidentally create this misperception by sending leads quickly along to the business person, making them choose between answering all the time (and appearing widely available) or selectively responding when it’s convenient (and potentially missing connections in the process).
The benefit of a virtual assistant, in this case, is that they provide an extra touch of professionalism and lay the groundwork for the business person to make the connection at another point in time. But, of course, if the relationship has already started off well with the virtual assistant, the lead will be more likely to wait.
Virtual Assistant Services Are the Best Answer For Your Business
Live transfers through a B2B answering service can sometimes create more problems than they solve, wasting time, money, and valuable future connections. Virtual assistant services, on the other hand, provide benefits well beyond simply managing a business’s call volume.
These benefits include accurately screened leads, time for pitch preparation, better business flow, and an extra polish of professionalism. With virtual assistant services, a business can say good-bye to missed connections and start saying hello to showing up at its best for clients.