Ask the Master Newsletter Archives

Welcome to the previous editions of the Ask the Master newsletter. On your left you will find links to tips and the how to’s of running a Virtual Assistant practice. We hope you enjoy your stay and if you have a question you’d like answered send it to submission@vatp.ca.

Telephones as a Tool

Let's get connected and talk about telephones. Phones literally connect us to the outside world. And if connection is the wellspring of relationships, how well are you connected?

Since the phone is one of the main ways of communicating in your business it is important you put some thought into how to make the best use of this tool. Today's technology allows for lots of options to choose from.

Special thanks once again to VATP graduate and Ask the Master subscriber Heather Quick for inquiring about bridge line technology and inspiring this edition!

Warmly,
Mary-Lou Ashton
Master Virtual Assistant

Questions In This Edition
(Click on the links to go to that question.)

• What do I need to know about setting up my business phone?
• What features should I consider?
• How do I manage long distance costs?
• What is a bridge line?
• How do I get access to a bridge line?
  

Ideally you should have a separate line for your business and answer it accordingly. There is nothing worse than calling a business and having 5-year-old Sally say "Hello who's this please?" It's cute but unprofessional. If you cannot afford a separate line when starting out have a smart ring or distinctive ring feature added to your home phone. This is a separate phone number that rings differently on your phone. You can then educate family members and you will know which calls need to be answered in a business-like manner. Check with your local carrier.

I would also highly recommend, at some point, investing in a headset. I spent 3 years holding my phone in the crick of my neck, sometimes for hours, and suffered because of it. You want to be able to be on the phone and type at the same time. Another option is a speakerphone however sometimes the quality is not the greatest.

Voice mail, call display, call waiting, call waiting display and 3-way calling.

Let's talk a little about these features. Voice mail is professional and reliable and has features and options to help you manage your messages. I personally change my daily (or try to!) indicating my schedule for the day. That way people have an idea of when they may hear back from me. When I am away for a few days I put an extended absence greeting on which forces callers to listen to my message before they leave me one, they cannot skip past my message.

Call display should not be used as an avoidance system but as a tool to help you manage interruptions and maintain focus during certain times of the day. Call waiting should be used with discretion and call waiting display will help with the management of call display. The 3-way calling feature is helpful when you need to pull another individual into a call. It can also support reducing long distance expenses with team members.

There are lots of different options available with long distance carriers outside of your local provider. You will need to do some research on who would be the best for you based on the time of day, how long the calls are, where you are calling from and where you are calling to. Some companies require they are your only long distance provider to get certain rates, others have a pre-dial code such as 1010, some will have a lower rate but a connection fee attached so be sure you have all the information before using a service.

A couple of recommendations are Excel Communications (contact sales rep Kathryn Gray at 250-227-9331 or coach@netidea.com) Wintel at 1-877-904-0077 or www.wintel.ca, YAK Communications at www.yak.com or USA Datanet at 1-877-499-2368 or www.usadatenet.com. If you have any other recommendations send them along and I will share them with the group.

Another option for long distance is prepaid calling cards. These are especially handy when travelling out of town. Once again you need to look into the different options available and find one that works for you. This web site has links to all the top sites www.prepaidcards.com.

A bridge line is basically the same as having a conference call where several to over 100 individuals can connect on the same line. It allows for group learning, sharing and brainstorming to take place without location restrictions.

There are different sizes of bridges the smaller ones having about a 30-person capacity to the large super bridges that can handle upwards of 200 participants. Some require a PIN number to access, others do not, some have entry and exit tones, some you can only access at the scheduled time and some have additional features such as lecture mode or self-mute. To date the bridges are all US phone numbers.

There are free services available at www.teleconnection.com or www.mrconference.com however you do get what you pay for so buyer beware ;-) For the occasional bridge rental you can contact Telebridge Conferencing at www.telebridge.com or Telephone Bridge Services at www.telephonebridgeservices.com for short or long-term accounts. Check out Eagle Teleconferencing at www.eagleconf.com for monthly or yearly accounts.