Simple Guide To Phone Systems For Small Business UK
Every business wants to choose the best small business phone system for their needs. Being able to communicate with the outside world is all too often a commodity we take for granted. Every day, we open the office, the hum of the server stack whirrs away in the background and then we fire up our computers, ready for a day’s trade ahead. Nestled away somewhere on our desk is our business phone system. Always on, always ready. But, is your small business phone system the right one for your business? Have you looked at the business phone system options available? Are you cost-driven or functionality driven? What could an integrated phone system do for your business? Whether you want to replace your existing phone system or are looking for a new business phone system we can help.
What is a phone system?
A phone system is when many telephones are connected to a public telephone network through a private exchange network. VOIP or a KSU allows businesses to communicate through many phone lines or the internet. Phone systems have advanced features and functionality such as call forwarding, auto attendant, voicemail, and call logging.
Let’s look at the basics of phone systems first.
Most small businesses in the UK use the very basic phone system and broadband packages provided by their supplier. On the face of it, this isn’t actually a terrible thing. If you’re one of those small businesses, you will likely be getting decent coverage and a cheap monthly cost to boot. So why would you even consider changing?
Why Choose a Business Phone System for your small business?
Well here are a few things you should consider when choosing a small business phone system;
Yep, you might think your current provider is cheap, but you will be surprised. Certainly, if you’re with a large telecom provider there will be savings to be made just by switching to smaller providers.
Let’s talk about line rental first. There are in fact 2 types of line rental;
Wholesale – The rates that large telecom providers charge smaller providers for the usage of their network.
Retail – The inflated cost providers pass onto customers, sometimes the profit margins are enormous. This is why switching to another provider can often save you a bit of money.
Now the trick is looking around to see if there are business phone system providers that are selling just above their wholesale rates in a bid to attract customers. You won’t have to look far, there are quite a few around.
When you have had a true comparison of what is available cost-wise, you can then make an informed decision about whether changing the telecom provider is in your best interest. It is worth addressing the steps below before making the choice though.
Do you have the functionality you need? We are in the age of information, and gathering information about our business phone calls should be simple. The truth is though that many businesses don’t even monitor sales staff on calls. Even worse many businesses don’t have the in-built functionality to do that even if they wanted to.
Let’s set up a scenario. A phone system that is able to monitor calls enables you to be able to tell the difference between your top salesperson and your weakest. It could also give you the insight to fix the problem; it could be something as routine as closing properly. Think about the gap in revenue between your top salesperson makes to your weakest. Now think about how much of a difference it would make to your company if you were able to close that gap.
Okay, we have worked out that call monitoring is important. It provides a lot of raw data and information that is going nowhere unless you have the time to sit and manually input it into a spreadsheet.
What you need is a business telephone system that not only tracks calls in real time but also logs and records them for you. Many telephone systems will even integrate with your CRM ie salesforce. Most of the big telecom providers won’t have that functionality as they expect clients to work around their offering. Good phone system providers often go the extra mile to build a business telephone system offering that works for your business. Sometimes, even paying a little extra is worth having for the quality of service.
That’s right, you can use your business phone system to market to your clients while they wait on hold. It could be selling to your next prospect before they even reach you. Some phone systems have integrated automated messages that allow your team to put the next troubleshooting call through to a pre-recorded how-to-fix-it guide. Freeing up their time to get onto the next call and sell.
With the right phone system at your disposal, you have no more missed sales opportunities and enhanced sales prospects.
It could do wonders for your brand and reputation. Here’s a fun fact, the majority of customers prefer to watch “how-to videos” or listen to “how-to recordings.” rather than speak to a staff member. So, it is building a trusted and well-regarded image of your company and brand in the process.
What are the different types of small business phone systems?
There are 4 main types of business phone systems. Below is a simple rundown of each one. This will help you avoid confusion when dealing with a telecoms company and make an informed choice about which type you need. We also have a couple of articles going into a bit more depth on PBX and VOIP. Be sure to check those two out if you think they may suit your business best.
Key KSU Less
Standard, basic, and cost-effective (no added cost for installation of a central box) phone system that is ideal for small companies. Typically, this would benefit companies with up to 5 employees who are just looking for a phone that works. The advantage of a KSU Less phone system is it’s portable and flexible. Maintenance is often down to the customer rather than the telecoms company. They tend not to be interested in spending money to maintain their entry-level business phone systems.
KSU (Key System Unit)
Chances are if you haven’t had a VOIP or PBX phone system installed then this will be the phone system you have. KSU stands for Key System Unit. These systems rely on a central box (unit) to regulate connectivity across multiple lines. KSU is useful for companies ranging from 5 to 100 employees. Some call centers even use KSU so it is a robust system. KSU phone systems are easy to use and are comparable to the home telephone system. Maintenance is often done by customers in collaboration with a telecom company.
PBX (Private Branch Exchange Systems)
If you have a large company of over 75 employees, then a PBX system is likely to suit our needs. PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange. With all the functionality of KSU but more flexibility. PBX systems allow companies to have greater control over their phone systems. They include a full range of customizable features that a KSU system likely lacks. PBX systems are highly scalable and flexible. They allow businesses to configure the system to meet changing business needs. Maintenance is almost always done by the telecom company. As it is considered a premium system it has intricacies that may prove too complex for the average client.
VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol Systems)
You have probably heard of VOIP. It is an increasingly popular and robust system that integrates with the company’s CRM system. VOIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. A VOIP phone system does away with traditional phone system workings and instead uses the internet to send and receive calls. This means that a VOIP system can serve your remote employees as well as those in the office. It has a lot of the functionality of a PBX system. Plus it has the flexibility of being able to use your company phone line (same phone number) anywhere in the world that has an internet connection.
Cloud-Based Telephone Systems
Cloud-based telephone systems provide several benefits for small businesses. Hosted in the cloud and on a secure server online they can be accessed from anywhere and are extremely easy to maintain. It is more cost-effective than traditional phone systems and as everything can be stored digitally many businesses are starting to use cloud-based telephone systems as their preferred choice.
I hope you have found the above relatively jargon-free so far and has hopefully it has helped you have a better understanding not only of what phone systems are available but more importantly how beneficial it can be to have the correct phone system for your business. Upfront costs aside, having a smarter phone system can increase sales and reduce wasted staff hours along the way. Now let’s look at some of the top phone system providers for small businesses.
