Okay, not many people these days are listening to their voicemails. The hustle and bustle of life has gotten so hectic, a businessperson could save 30 minutes a day from erasing every voicemail left on that day! How’s that for efficiency? Still, if you’re a small-business entrepreneur, you need to make sure you’re in contact with your clients. And that, unfortunately, means keeping an eye (actually an ear) on your messages. It’s absolutely crucial.
The Idea of Hunt Groups
Halloo has the answer, peeps. They’re called ‘hunt groups.’ You’re going to need them.
Chances are most small businesses run mobile — this means either you’re traveling by car or byairplane, or simply on the move on foot from business to business (that’s for all those B2B companies out there! Praise you and your hard work!).
What happens when you have clients calling and leaving messages at the home office or regular office, and you’re not there? Remember: you’re a small business. It’s not like you’re paying an assistant to take your calls.
That’s what a ‘hunt group’ is for. It’s a feature utilized by phone systems, particularly Halloo, that allows any client to call the business phone number. What happens, though, is the call immediately gets transferred to wherever you, the businessperson, happens to be — with the use of your cell phone.
Think of it as an ‘automatic transfer.’
Yes, Voicemails Are Evil
That’s the whole point of the situation, really. We really don’t like those voicemails anymore. They’re annoying.
So why not circumvent the annoying? Get the calls directly. Be more readily available to your consumer.
In this small business world, it’s essential to always be on call, always have the phone on you when there’s a call coming. After all, you’re not paying an assistant to take your calls.
You are taking the calls.
However…. Are Voicemails Really That Bad?
Personally, I don’t think so. No matter how you slice it, you’re going to have voicemails!
A hunt group will provide quite the service, but seriously — what if you’re using the toilet? What if you’re at a meeting? What if you accidentally left your cell in the car?
These are all valid concerns. No matter what, you’re going to be left with voicemails, and you’ll have to deal with them.
You, as a small business owner, has to especially deal with them. You can’t ignore them. That one call may be a potential client. It may be your mother wanting to discuss your father’s bowel movement size and consistency. Who knows.
The point is this: you’ve got to listen to that voicemail. Your life depends on it.
So the Bottom Line Is….
This is why ‘hunt groups’ have this rating: 4 out of 5.
They’re handy, yes. But use them for the right reasons. If your reason is to avoid your voicemails, please don’t. This is the small business arena. You’re on call 24/7 (okay, not really, but you have to have that mentality).
So act the part. Take the call. And if you can’t take the call, listen to the voicemail left behind. It might be a golden nugget for your business.
Want to know more? Check out our comprehensive guide to hunt groups.