subject: A Virtual Number Keeps The Mobile Professional Connected And Efficient [print this page] For a professional on the go, a virtual number may be the best solution to ensuring that no call is missed and that every call gets routed to the right place.
A virtual number is a phone number that is not directly associated to any one phone line. It is not supplied by a local phone company in a hard-line format, but typically purchased for a monthly fee. Perhaps the best known example of this is the 1-800 number used by many businesses to call attention to ads or services. These numbers are paid for by a business and can then be used exclusively by them. While common thinking pegs these virtual numbers as staples of the large business community, a mobile professional in industries such as consulting, Internet based businesses, home based businesses, start ups and virtual businesses could also benefit in a number of ways from having a virtual phone number.
The first is the ability to control where calls are sent. Virtual numbers will typically come with the ability to set up multiple extensions in addition to an automated answering system that can direct calls. Some virtual phone numbers will allow for recorded greetings or information so that potential clients can obtain some information before being connected to someone or leaving a message.
Virtual numbers have a call forwarding feature that allows all calls to be forwarded to any other phone number the user wishes. This is a huge benefit for mobile professionals that don't have one brick and mortar office where they can be reached. So calls coming in to the virtual number can be forwarded to a mobile phone, home phone, VoIP phone, even international numbers - literally wherever the user wishes. If a client chooses to leave a message, it can be sent as an audio file to an email address. This allows mobile professionals the ability to access incoming voice mails instantly to ensure important calls are returned in a timely manner. This also means that callers will never receive a busy signal the forwarded call reaches a phone number already in use, as the 1-800 number will always be available to supply information and take messages.
In addition, most virtual number systems will come with ANI (Automatic Number Identification) technology, which is essentially one step up from residential caller ID. This allows any incoming number to be captured, regardless of whether or not the caller chooses to leave a message. What's more, a professional is permitted to return the call of anyone who has called their virtual number so long as it was displayed on advertising or promotional materials, as this falls under the 90 day business inquiry rule drafted by the federal government as part of Do Not Call List Regulations.
For mobile professionals that have more than one item or service to sell, virtual numbers often offer the advantage of multiple extensions. This allows a professional to list a slightly different number on each sign they put up, and keep track of when and where calls are coming from, and which number is getting the most calls. This ability to track who is calling and when can help a professional spend their limited advertising and marketing budget wisely and in places where it will have the most effect.
A virtual number is no guarantee of success for a mobile professional - without a worthy product or service and without taking the time to call clients back who leave messages, the system will be more of a money sink than a great idea. But if a professional takes time in crafting their recorded announcements and is diligent about returning calls to their customers, a virtual number can often pay for itself in a matter of months.
