SMARTER STRATEGIES

How Tech Makes a Small Business Bigger

Dennis McCafferty | Date: 06-29-10 | Comments

A phone-based CRM solution has SMB owners dialing up increased sales.

Even if your business has only a few employees, there are always ways to look bigger. Take the company name: A handle like �Image Dynamics Quest� may make a small Web design shop seem much bigger than, say, �Fred�s Web Wiz Biz.� And even if you operate out of your mom�s basement, you can look like you�re in a prime commercial real-estate zone by getting a post office box in an enviable downtown location.

But not all SMB owners realize how much of an impression is made with the simple answering of a customer call�an interaction in which sales and repeat business is often won and lost. Atlanta Pro AV is one shop that has recently discovered the value of this, and is taking advantage. It�s a full-service audio/visual production and commercial installation business that focuses mainly in the hospitality market and works with event planners in greater Atlanta. With most work conducted in the field, Atlanta Pro AV found itself missing potential opportunities when a prospective client would call the office and would have to leave a message. So the company invested in a phone-answering solution called FonGenie, which acts as a virtual receptionist.

The tech tool answers and routes calls, and allows clients to play daily promotions for potential customers. It can even qualify customers as leads when they call and set up appointments. It can be programmed and monitored direct from mobile/texting devices, as well as Twitter. The Web interface also reports to the SMB staff what the customer is calling about before the phone is picked up, allowing for more efficient one-on-one interaction.

And FonGenie is providing tools that take time-proven CRM technologies to allow SMB owners to make better marketing use of customer phone time. Among other information, the tool can track where calls are coming from, what menus were chosen and the reason for the call. It compiles the data into a Web-posted, graphics-rich page that can calculate the average time spent on a call, the percentage of callers who listened to the entire menu and how many of them pressed multiple menus.

�At the end of the day, we review the reports generated by FonGenie,� says Atlanta Pro AV Managing Partner James Taylor Jr., who estimates that sales have now increased by 22 percent a month. �It�s very valuable information when we�re making sales and marketing decisions. The Web-based interface has improved our productivity. We can forward calls and add numbers and lines at the drop of a hat, to wherever we happen to be.�

In Stevens Point, Wis., Steaming Stone Spa has seen bookings increase by 25 percent since deploying FonGenie. The business could never hire a receptionist before, so all incoming calls went right to voicemail if all therapists were busy with clients. �It�s more cost-effective than hiring a receptionist, and it allows us to advertise last-minute specials and promotions when customers call in,� says Steaming Stone Spa owner Brian Polzin. �We�ve been able to book using this tool, thanks to the suggestive selling.�