Yes, you indeed can use an answering machine but studies have shown that people really do not like to talk to machines. If your customers are unable to easily reach a human voice, they will hang-up and call somewhere else — that’s a lost business opportunity. Think about when you call a business, don’t you expect someone to be there you can talk to? (Don’t you often press zero repeatedly until you do?)

It is nothing short of annoying when a person does not have a live receptionist — an actual, real human being answering the phone. Let’s face it: When it comes to business transactions, it is almost expected to have a knowledgeable person available to your customers during hours (and sometimes even after-hours). All businesses, whether a physician’s private practice, a small computer company, or a conglomerate, rely on the telephone as one of the fastest and most reliable communication tool in their businesses. Whether they are calling in with orders or calling in to ask questions, you need to have the proper tools for the job and that demands a live receptionist. But having an employee (or employees) dedicated to only answering telephones could prove costly, especially if calls come in erratically. And having random employees pick up the ringing phones while distracted or frustrated could lose clients quickly. What’s the best solution?

Today, forward-thinking employers are contracting people to answer the phones when it simply isn’t practical to do it themselves. The personal touch an answering service provides can make the difference in obtaining and keeping a client, or losing them to the competition. Hiring an answering service assures that you can take calls and messages, provide business and product information, clarify the intent of calls, and even arrange meetings with potential customers without having the expense and overhead associated with additional or inefficient employees.

Choosing the right answering service is one of the most important decisions that your company will make. Since service industry terminology and procedures are very industry specific, many business people find themselves lost when trying to find an answering service. Having a basic understanding of the answering service setup process and guidance from a knowledgeable sales representative can help businesses choose an answering service to meet the needs of the business and stay within budget.

The following are some concepts that you will want to understand when reviewing service options:

Live Person vs Automated
Having calls answered by a live person will be more costly than using recordings and voicemail boxes or combining live operators with automated functions, but research has shown that over 75% of first-time callers that are sent right to voicemail or a confusing auto-attendant will hang-up and call someone else! With that in the equation, having a live person handle calls works out to be much more affordable than the automated system by avoiding those missed opportunities!

Ideal Backup Strategy
Because unforeseen trouble can occur, receptionist services should provide backup plans for their accounts. Uninterrupted energy supplies and backup operators should be in place to ensure that your calls will always be answered. In addition, having an answering service can act as a backup to your own receptionist in the event of a power outage or natural disaster for example.

Estimating Call Volume
Because of staffing issues and system resources involved in the answering service industry, the amount of calls your account will generate is essential to the pricing of your account. The best way to determine your call volume is to look at past phone bills and adjust accordingly for new business growth. If you have a new business and are not sure of the volume of calls, estimate your volume based on planned advertising. The account sales representative at the answering service provider should be able to assist you in estimating where your call volume will be.

Not Always About Cost
Many businesses want to shop for the lowest priced answering service. Keep in mind that you are shopping for representation, and consider the old adage: “You get what you pay for.” If an answering service drastically undercuts quotes, you have to wonder if you are really going to receive the quality you expect. Shop around, but don’t let price be the only factor determining your choice for receptionist services. Take into account the attitude and expertise you receive when shopping around; the length of time the answering service has been in business; the quality of clients that the answering service serves; and the technology the answering service operates.

Since the answering service industry is unfamiliar to many people, the sales representatives at answering service providers are ready to answer many questions from potential clients. Make sure that you ask whatever questions that arise and do not hesitate to have them explain whatever you don’t yet understand. With the right information in your hand and a general understanding of the account setup process, your business should be able to quickly realize all the financial and practical benefits of receptionist service outsourcing with ease and enjoyment! Call us at 1 (877) 877-9473 and let us help get you started.

One of the unavoidable things about college, and increasingly work life, is PowerPoint. Most of us have, at one point or another, had to slap some slides together and give a presentation to our friends, family, class, co-workers, or boss.

Good PowerPoint presentations are more fun, more impactful, and more impressive to listen to. And all they do differently is follow a few simple guidelines.

The New 10 Commandments of PowerPoint Presentations

1. Thou shall be seen.

Ensure your text is large enough to be read easily by those sitting in the back of thy presentation room, suggesting 36 point font as your minimum. Use text, graphics, and colors that have high contrast with the background that are appropriate, complementary, and visually pleasing.

2. Thou shall make points, not paragraphs.

There is no reason to ever have more than a few words per slide.  Follow the 6 by 6 rule, which is using no more than six words per line and no more than six lines/bullet points per slide. Or, think of it like Twitter: If you can’t get your point across briefly, you need to further narrow your point.

3. Thou shall not only use text.

Pictures say a thousand words and videos are usually more interesting than you are.  Images, video clips, and sound bites vary the tempo and feel of the presentation. However, limit video and audio to no longer than 10-20% of your total presentation time.

4. Thou shall not bullet.

A bulleted list looks like something I’m not going to want to read.  Think like a graphic designer and use colors, fonts, and spacing to make your presentation more appealing to the eye.  Organize your content well and try to avoid using the big black dots.

5. Thou shall not over-clutter.

Generally speaking, an audience wants one or two things to focus on per slide, whether it’s a point of text or an image.  You need to balance your content with white space to ensure an uncluttered, aesthetic composition and a logic to your arrangement that audiences can easily follow.

6. Thou shall not use transitions.

Transitions are the optional animations between slides and really should be deleted from PowerPoint entirely!  No transitions ever, ever, ever. Keep it simple. But, do use “black-out” slides in your presentation at times when you want the audience to focus exclusively on you without distraction.

7. Thou shall cite thy work.

You must cite sources for any image, graphic, or text on the slide in which that material is presented.  Also, your presentation should include a works cited slide(s) visible immediately after your conclusion.

8. Thou shall not read the slides.

Your slides are a visual aid to enhance your speech, not replace it. Use slides as a jumping-off point for other things. Establish and maintain eye contact with your audience, not the screen.  You are the presenter, not PowerPoint.

9. Thou shall rehearse.

Things can go wrong sometimes.  You may easily find a typographical error on a slide or some slides may be in the wrong order than what you thought. Rehearse your presentation at least once — it’ll automatically make your speech better-sounding and better-timed when you do it for real.

10. Thou shall know less is more.

The key to a good presentation is how short it is.  Try not to ramble or add unnecessary information. Design presentations that are visually interesting, integrate well with your message, and engage the audience.  A great presentation should leave your audience wanting more!

Copyright 2009 Matt Rygelski. May be reprinted for educational/instructional use with appropriate citation.

The way a candidate dresses for an interview is very important because research shows that it only takes six seconds or less for someone to make a decision about what type of person you are, and if you could be a good fit for their company/organization.  This decision can be made before you even speak!  It is for this reason that your attire needs to be considered a crucial part of the interviewing process.

It is always best to be formally and conservatively dressed for an interview, even if the business is normally “business casual” dress, because you will feel more confident about your appearance, and as a result will be more confident when answering questions about yourself.  You always want to dress up, not dress down!  Below are guidelines for appropriate attire, accessories, and grooming habits when interviewing for a professional job.  Please remember, your resume has already got you this far and now its your turn to dress to impress!

MEN

Suits – A suit should be worn for all interviews.  The suit should be a dark color, such as black, pinstripe, navy blue, or dark gray, and should be conservative instead of trendy.  A suit makes a much better impression than a dress shirt and pants, and is something that will last well into your career.  Make sure that the suit fits properly; for example, the sleeves should come to the top of your wrist, the material should fit properly in the shoulders and around the neck, and the pants should just touch the top of your dress shoes.

Ties – Conservative is the key word.  Do not wear anything with bright colors or wild patterns on them.  A tie with a small print or conservative stripes that matches the suit is ideal.

Shirts - A long-sleeved white shirt should be worn under the suit, and should fit properly in the shoulders and neck.

Shoes, Socks, and Belts – Shoes should be a dark color, depending on the color of the suit, and should also be conservative.  Trendy shoes should be avoided, such as ones with buckles on them and ones made out of suede.  Shoes should be freshly shined and not scuffed! Socks should be dark in color, and should match the suit.  These include colors such as black, navy blue, and dark gray.  White socks should never be worn!  A black or brown belt should be worn, depending on the suit color.

Jewelry – Earrings, bracelets, neck chains, or any type of body rings such as tongue rings or eyebrow rings should not be worn.  Men can wear a wedding band and class ring, as long as it is limited to one ring per hand.  A nice watch is also acceptable.

Grooming – Hair, facial hair, and nails should be short, clean, and neatly trimmed.

Miscellaneous - Clothes should be clean and neatly pressed.  Avoid heavy cologne or aftershave. Try to keep tattoos covered at all times.  Do not chew gum.

WOMEN

Suits – A conservative skirted suit is considered appropriate business attire for interviews.  Dark colors such as black, navy blue, dark brown, and dark gray are best.  The skirt length should be at or slightly above the knee, and one that is shorter is considered inappropriate as business interviewing attire.  We recommend that you do not wear a pants suit to an interview.  Many interviewers view them as acceptable attire, but there are many who believe they are unacceptable in the interview process.

Blouses – A blouse that is white, ivory, or a dark color that matches the suit is best.  Bright colors and stripes should be avoided.  Long sleeves are best and the blouse should have a modest neckline.

Shoes and Pantyhose – Shoes should be black, navy blue, or dark brown, and should match the suit.  Trendy shoes should be avoided, such as ones with chunky heels and buckles, and ones that are open-toed.  It is best to buy simple and classic looking shoes for an interview.  Flats should not be worn, but heels should not be longer than two-and-a-half inches.  Shoes should be freshly shined and not scuffed!  Pantyhose should closely match the color of your skin tone.

Accessories – Minimal jewelry should be worn.  One pair of earrings, a simple chain and bracelet, a nice watch, and one ring per hand are acceptable.  Any other type of body ring, such as a nose ring, eyebrow ring, or tongue ring, should not be worn!  A lapel pin or neck scarf can also be worn as long as it matches the suit and is a subtle color.  However, do not wear any accessory that will draw bad attention to you or make you look unprofessional.

Grooming – Hair should be clean and neatly trimmed; if you have long hair it is a good idea to neatly pull it back from your face.  Make certain not to over-do your makeup; avoid bright and dark colors, and do not apply heavy makeup that day.  Again, you do not want to draw bad attention to yourself.  Nails should also be clean and neatly trimmed; nail polish is acceptable as long as the polish is a subtle color and is not chipped.

Miscellaneous – Clothes should be clean and neatly pressed.  Avoid heavy perfume/cologne.  Try to keep tattoos covered at all times.  Do not chew gum!

2. Keep it a one person show. Outsource everything you can’t do (or do not want to do).

3. Be exclusive! – Don’t take every project that comes your way. Raise your rates a little and say “no” more often. Focus on the projects you like, one at a time.

4. Take on no more than two product offerings at a time. Make sure they are complimentary or alternate seasonally.  When in doubt, see rule 3 again.

5. Work on a quasi-schedule. Change your environment from time to time, reminding yourself of the freedoms you enjoy that most 9-to-5′ers can only dream of!

6. Eat healthy & workout – It is proven that when you eat healthy and workout, you feel much better about yourself — mentally and physically — which makes you much more productive.

7. Forward your phones to an answering service and turn off your voicemail. When your callers are greeted by an answering service, they get more “to the point” and that helps you prioritize who needs to be called back right away (and who can wait).

8. Check your e-mail only 2-3 times a day. First after an hour of work in the morning, then after lunch, and again an hour before you leave the office.

9. Use a project-management software service, allowing you to quickly organize, delegate, and review tasks.  Even if, start-to-finish involves no one but yourself, starting the practice of time management now will make it easier to get help and grow/scale later!

10. Transition your “customer service” over to an online ticket-based customer support (and instruct the answering service to use it with callers too). This system is connected to your e-mail, prioritize customer needs, and reminds you when you’ve forgotten to follow-up!

First, think of a single document that could be viewed and edited by multiple users regardless of what computer they use or where in the world they might be located. E-mail works well when you are working with one other individual, but when you are working on a project that involves 3 or more people it becomes more difficult to keep everyone “on the same page”. Enter the Wiki!

A Wiki server places a document (or multiple documents) on a server accessible by any Internet browser software, Mac or PC, iPhone or Blackberry, which allows many users to easily view and edit using an interface no more complicated than a simple word processor program. The greatest advantage is that all page revisions (history) are all available for viewing or restoring older editions if necessary. Although you can control who can view and edit these documents, the goal (and convenience) of a Wiki is to encourage everyone to participate without the trouble of managing usernames or passwords. But in the business world, collaborative projects are usually internal and confidential so therefore Wikis that are used in business are often restricted to allow access on the internal network (or “Intranet”) only.

But are Wikis all about project collaboration? Not at all! In fact, Wikis can also be used as a knowledge database. One of the most popular Wikis known, WikiPedia, is a global encyclopedia of knowledge as a result of open, public collaboration using the Wiki server platform. Smart companies who have recognized the success of WikiPedia have installed a Wiki server for customers to share support and troubleshooting instructions with other customers by incorporating “frequently asked questions” and other customer support articles under the big umbrella of the Wiki server. These companies not only allow, but encourage, their own customers to edit and add helpful, searchable documents to the company’s knowledge library. Now, new customers have a wealth of information to help guide them through their technical difficulties and the company’s phone support personnel can search and contribute to the same system so all information is consolidated and consistent. A knowledge database that essentially manages and updates itself, as the readers are also the authors!

But what about Blogs? Blogs allow for a much tighter focus on editorial control. You can disable comments, for instance – and thus ensure that only one voice is being heard. Even with comments enabled, they typically are not shown when a visitor comes to the site – the visitor has to choose to view comments (as opposed to a Wiki, where anyone can add and edit any content they want anywhere on a page). Like a newspaper, there are individual “articles” and the start/end of an article is determined by the author. A reader can add comments, but they cannot change the content of the author’s original post because the author retains ultimate control.

With a Wiki, no individual or entity really has full control over the content and attempting to keep control will lead to “last one to edit wins” battles. If your goal is create an open community where constructive criticism is encouraged, a Wiki is going to be your best bet! Unfortunately many companies are uncomfortable with such freedom on their public website, so Wikis tend to be reserved for internal use or project-specific narrowly focused to small group of individuals held personally responsible for their own conduct and contributions.

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For your “public” business website, a Blog seems to make more sense. It is far more useful for getting your specific message out, without changes being made by someone else. When you control the content, you can control the image and overall message. Because a Blog allows for “permanent” pages, such as product or service descriptions, as well as “article” posts similar to an online newspaper, it allows any business to fill their website with new and interesting content while providing easier management of static information. However, a Wiki fits well as a format for a customer support resource (such as a publically-accessible “knowledge database” website). A Wiki is also an excellent choice for any project involving collaboration between 3 or more people. As expected, installation of either of these server solutions can be attempted by anyone but Phonewire does provide these technologies as a managed hosted solution so you can focus on your content and let us worry about everything else!