How to Choose the Right Handsets for Your Business

Communication is essential to any business, regardless of its size or complexity. Choosing the right handsets for your business should match the needs of your company and also take its future growth into account. These tips will help you plan ahead and select the products that are right for you.

Planning for Business Needs

Start by determining the number of people in your company who are required to have a handset to perform their jobs properly. At the same time, consider your future staffing levels and which positions will need additional handsets. The type of handset will also be determined by what your staff need, and if they will need hands-free devices.

Next, consider the number of telephone lines you will need and whether these will operate separately or work off a centralised system. The options are straight telephone lines, a private branch exchange (PBX), or Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP). Compare the costs, benefits, and shortcomings of each option before making your decision.

Making Sure You Have Sufficient Business Lines

A single telephone line may be suitable for a small business. Once you have a receptionist, you want to be able to transfer calls to another office. At the same time, you want to be able to dial out. Having at least two lines allows you the basic capacity and functionality to receive a call while making an outgoing call, or to receive two calls while one line is busy, but you will need a system to connect the lines. Once the system is in place, you can add extra handsets fairly easily.

You can allocate numbers to extensions with Direct Inward Dialling (DID). This facility lets your customers dial an extension directly from an external line. It can extend the range of your system when you make use of your private branch exchange (PBX), thus requiring fewer lines from the line service provider. You won’t need a receptionist to operate your PBX.

If you want to limit your staff from making international calls or have a recording to greet customers, your PBX allows you to do this. Although tricky to program and more expensive, a PBX can have added handsets at extraordinarily little extra cost. It is advisable to check whether you are comfortable with any programming required, as you may need the services of a technician every time you want to make a small change, say to one extension. So, factor this into your decision.

Another option is VOIP which does not have a central switchboard system or equipment, but the instruments are pricy. They are, however, easy to use. VOIP is an expensive option if you have a lot of staff, due to the costs of the handsets, but it’s worth consideration for a smaller office. Provided you have internet, you can make calls from anywhere with VOIP as VOIP is digital. It converts the voice to digital code over the line and changes it back to voice when it reaches the phone line on the other end. By contrast, most systems are analogue.

Alternatively, you can opt for a single line, or even two. After this, it makes sense to get a system to manage your telecommunication needs. Once this decision has been made, you can start planning for your handsets.

Personal Connectivity

This may not be the time to look at upgrading private mobile phones after investing in providing a new system and handsets for your business. However, while you are sorting out your business communication needs, you may want to rethink options around your mobile phone data plan and earn money from home at the same time.

Lebara provides thirty-day rolling plans for sim cards. You can earn cash online by joining Lebara’s refer a friend promotion.  Lebara runs on the award-winning Vodaphone network. Additionally, it does not require credit checks to be done. So, if you want to earn extra income, take a look at the Lebara refer a friend site.

The Different Handset Options

Now that you have decided on lines, you can look at choosing the right handsets. There are different types. Thus, your company’s handsets may vary between employees as you make the best selection for every staff member. Remember to consider your future needs for new staff over the next five years.

The most common phone is the basic desk phone. It can be standard fare for all your employees. This is traditionally an analogue phone. This will provide the functionality to place a call on hold, to redial, and to put a caller on speaker. The specifics vary among suppliers, and you will need to compare prices and features.

Next are receptionist desk phones. Your receptionist is the first person to greet your customers and will establish who a call is intended for and transfer it. This phone is designed to handle calls rapidly and has exceptional sound clarity to make sure calls are correctly transferred or handled. This is essential to good customer care. It may have a full-colour LCD display, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB copying. In addition, it should be able to take headphones.

Phones for either/or the manager and a secretary are a lot like the receptionist phone. The features are similar. These phones can program keys, make use of a headset, activate the speaker function, add multiple VoIP accounts, and store numbers. Again, features will vary from one supplier to another.

Call centre operator handsets are an extension of the standard desk phone but with added features. They have multiple-line IP connections that have built-in programmable keys to ensure optimal productivity for these staff members. They also have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB copying.

If your business has frequent meetings, conference phones enable connectivity without having to find an available boardroom or leave offices and waste precious time getting to a venue. It will also allow you to conference with customers, suppliers, and other parties outside of your office.

Cordless handsets are a smart option that allows the user to move around while talking on the phone. Additionally, cordless handsets can provide the user with a smartphone experience. There is also the ability to handle two calls at the same time, app integration, and IP connection.

These are just a few examples of the most common handset options. Don’t forget that features will vary and that you should shop around for price, quality, and functionality.

Making sure your business communication needs are taken care of will enable your office to function effectively. No matter if you are a small, single business owner or have a much larger company, determining your requirements is simple. Start by deciding your staffing needs for now and the future. Determine how many lines you are going to use and if you will be getting a system. Choose between a PBX and VOIP if this is the case. Having a system will keep your business connected.

Finally, you can select your handsets to make sure that every member of your staff can work optimally. There are various choices to be considered but, in the end, you should have a tailored solution that is perfect for you, your business, your staff, and your customers. You can increase employee productivity if you have the right handsets installed, which makes everyday office functions simple and easy to use.