Choosing the right phone system is essential for all businesses. After all, it is how we communicate with partners, affiliates and customers. The process of choosing a phone system can be complicated and frustrating, but it doesn't have to be.
You just have to be able to pick the right vendor and dealer for your needs. This guide will walk you through the basics of making an informed decision when discussing potential phone system vendors. We'll discuss small office phone systems and systems used by larger corporations, average prices, advantages and disadvantages between the various systems and phone system terminology so you can setup your business communication lines with confidence.
Whether you operate a small business or large corporation, your business telephone system holds a great deal of power in how you are perceived by your customers. If your customers cannot understand you, you will not be able to sell your products leading to decreased productivity. On the other hand, the right telephone system can enhance the perceived value of your business in the eyes of your customers and lead to increased productivity by your employees.
When choosing the right business phone system, remember that it is not only about the actually cost, but how your company is perceived which will result in a greater long-term value for your company. Telephone systems are not cheap - this is a given. However, when you consider the bigger picture – the true values of an office phone system begin to reveal themselves when you consider how the phone system will affect, positively or otherwise, your business.
Think not only about what features you need in a phone answering system today, but what you will need in the future to save costs in the long-run.
Before you begin choosing an office phone system, you must understand the terminology used to describe some the systems, their components, and features. The technology for digital telephone systems is continually changing so it is important to understand what these words mean and which features are important to your business model. To help get you familiarized with the industry ‘tech talk’, we’ve put together a list of terms used by telephone systems dealers and vendors:
Prior to contacting telephone system vendors and dealers, sit down and think about what features and benefits your business needs. This will help guide you when seeking quotes from potential phone systems dealers and offer a base for discussion.
Phone system vendors and dealers will certainly be able to assist you with the specific features and needs for your business, but nobody knows your business’ needs better than you do, at least for the time being.
A few questions you should ask yourself before discussing your needs with a phone system vendor include:
Add up the number of employees you currently have considering growth in the near future. Be sure to include extension totals for fax machines, modems, and credit card terminals if applicable for your needs.
Whether you plan to grow proactively, or wish to remain relatively small over a period of many years, take note of this as it is important in your decision. If you think you will add more employees to your payroll and additional work stations over the next couple of years, consider this in your decision. It is always better to overestimate and have more lines than needed than to underestimate and customers receive a busy signal.
Choose how many lines you need with the next two to three years in mind. To restate the above, while you may only have four or five employees today, it would likely be a large hassle, not to mention an exorbitant expense, to switch from a Key system to a PBX telephone system. Failing to plan for future growth today can prove to be a costly mistake tomorrow.
Features such as call forwarding, caller-id, one-touch dialing, on-hold music, conferencing, and speakerphone options are all available and can be a valuable asset for your business. Voicemail should be a necessity for any office telephone system. When discussing your needs with phone system vendors, consider that these features such as voicemail may not be included and come with an additional price tag.
With the rise of mobile technology, you can also request your phone system to alert your mobile device when you receive a message which allows a quick real-time response any time of the week or day.
Note that not all office phone systems are capable of handling these features and you’ll need to discuss what is important to your business with vendors.
There are three main business phone system options to consider.
Key telephone systems are ideal for businesses with two to twenty five employees. This business phone system generally offers the right features that small businesses commonly need while keeping your overall costs within a manageable level if you are working with a smaller budget.
Key telephone systems are not as customizable as PBX phone systems, but do offer a wide range of features for a lower price. If you choose a key system, it is easily upgradable. However, it is said that PBX systems offer a better long-term value.
Hybrid options like Panasonic phone systems are also an option and can give you a bundle of features like a PBX phone system, but at a lower rate comparable to key telephone systems.
PBX phone systems are ideal for businesses with twenty five or more employees or businesses that require features that key telephone systems cannot offer. Offering more flexibility and the possibility of customization than key systems do, PBX phone systems are often the first choice.
Adding extensions and lines to a PBX telephone system is very simple and straightforward, making upgrades relatively simple and cost-efficient. PBX phone systems are more expensive up-front because of scaling, but the costs per employee actually decrease with the number of ports required In other words, bigger businesses spend less money per employee with PBX systems than smaller businesses.
Smaller businesses that plan to grow can also benefit from purchasing a PBX phone system because it is easy to upgrade than other systems.
VOIP, or voice over internet protocol, is an internet phone system that uses the internet, rather than traditional phone lines, to send and receive telephone communications.
Typically costing much less than other types of phone systems, VOIP are oftentimes portable and do not require the use of specialized telephones. You can purchase specialized telephones that will connect directly to your DSL, but most businesses prefer to purchase a router so the internet signal converts for use with standard business telephones. Note that if your business uses DSL, your phone service is technically running through your phone lines, but it is a different type of signal.
There is an average price for each type of business telephone system generally, but additional features, services and requirements can cause the overall costs to fluctuate quite a bit. For example – wiring, installation, the actual telephones themselves, the telephone system (cabinet), optional accessories such as CTI, on-hold music and your monthly service fees can be all included in the costs of a office telephone system.
We have outlined the standard costs per employee for each telephone system below.
Additional costs to consider when choosing a phone system There are other factors you will want to consider that affect the costs of your office phones.
Phone systems vendors do not just supply a product – they supply a service. Because of the complexity associated with phone systems such as professional installation, proper training and ongoing maintenance, you want to choose a vendor you and your team can rely on.
When making a sound decision regarding your business telephone system, keep these best practices in mind to save you money and time.
Choosing a telephone system for your office or place of business does not have to be difficult. Yes, it can appear overwhelming at first – but the truth of the matter is that you do not have to decide everything or even know everything yourself.
Your job as a business owner is not to know every detail of the inner-workings of the different types of telephone systems available today; rather, it is to estimate your needs to the best of your ability and to weigh out the options put in front of you by perspective phone systems dealers.
We hope that this guide has shed some light on the phone system buying process, the costs involved, and what to expect when you are ready to move forward. Choosing a phone system for your business is an important decision – one that you now should be able to make with the help of a competent professional.
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Business phone systems have come a long way in the last decade. With the explosion of the internet, VoIP systems have become widespread for businesses, and for homes. Before choosing a system, it’s always useful to identify the needs of your organisation and match these requirements against what’s available on the market.
1. Identify Your Business Needs and Goals
What are the immediate telecommunication needs of your business? How may they change in five years’ time?
2. Additional Features
What kind of additional features will you regularly need? For example, do you expect to make conference calls or video calls? Do you need a system that offers mobility, call forwarding, auto-attendants, and voicemail? Start by making a list of your needs in terms of additional features to refer to as you come to compare systems.
3. Handsets and Equipment
4. Calls
Identifying the key types of calls that you make can help you narrow down the types of telephone systems you’re considering for your organisation.
For example, what types of calls do you and your staff make?
If you will be making a lot of long term calls, how cost effective are the different types of systems you’re considering? Land line systems tend to be more expensive than VoIP systems when it comes to setup and ongoing costs.
5. Growth
Identify your business plans in terms of growth and expansion.
6. Quality
You should also consider the call quality. For example:
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