phone systems brisbane - here how you can increase productivity with unified communications

© Greg Eicke 2012. All Rights reserved | www.phonesystemsbrisbane.net.au | 1300 851 411 | page 1

Here’s How

You Can

Increase

Productivity With Unified

Communications “Learn The Unfair Advantage”

By Greg Eicke


LEGAL NOTICE

The Publisher has strived to be as accurate and complete as possible in the creation of this report, notwithstanding the fact that he does not warrant or represent at any time that the contents within are accurate due to the rapidly changing nature of the Industry.

While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication, the Publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein. Any perceived slights of specific persons, peoples, or organisations are unintentional.

In practical advice books, like anything else in life, there are no guarantees of savings made. Readers are cautioned to reply on their own judgment about their individual circumstances to act accordingly.

This book is not intended for use as a source of legal, business, accounting or financial advice. All readers are advised to seek services of competent professionals in legal, business, accounting and finance fields.


Contents

Introducing Greg Eicke .................................................................................................... 4

Part 1 ............................................................................................................................... 5

Unified Communications .............................................................................................. 5

VoIP ............................................................................................................................. 5

Mobility and Smart Phones .......................................................................................... 6

Part 2 ............................................................................................................................... 7

Readymade solutions .................................................................................................. 7

Add value and re-harvest a vintage investment ........................................................... 7

The unfair advantage – Maximum productivity no matter where workers are. ............. 8

Part 3 ............................................................................................................................... 9

Briefly, what is Web Conferencing? ............................................................................. 9

In-House vs. Hosted Web Conferencing ...................................................................... 9

Once off Cost means a fast ROI. ............................................................................... 10

Security ...................................................................................................................... 10

Universal Attendance? ............................................................................................... 10

Have you ever seen a grown man cry? ..................................................................... 10

Part 4 ............................................................................................................................. 12

High Volume Incoming Customer Calls ..................................................................... 12

The cost of Poor Service ........................................................................................... 12

The Wallboard – Just plain good business practice for high call volume companies . 13

Part 5 ............................................................................................................................. 14

©© Greg Eicke

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Part 1

This is the first in a five part series on Unified Communications. In this first article I’m going to cover important issues such as the financial advantages of remote working and the depth of influence Tablets and Smart Phones have on UC.

The world over, Unified Communications (UC) is linked to the upswing in productivity. The trend has not gone unnoticed by CEO’s and senior management. In essence, UC is the streamlining of all types of communications in order to escalate the efficiency of information-sharing.

Unified Communications is a business and technology trend that has been on the upsurge for a few years now. Any business craving productivity improvements ought to weigh up acquiring more knowledge about the tools that are available to unify communications.

What is Unified Communications? Unified communications bridges the gap between IP Telephony and other computer related communication technologies.

Unified Communications is not a single product, but a set of products that provides a consistent unified user interface and user experience across multiple devices and media types.

Unified Communications

As the name implies, UC connects all forms of communications so that you can easily integrate them. An example would be voice calls and email together so that you may receive a message in one form (voice mail) but answer in another form (email) or perhaps collaborating on a web conference using instant message, video and voice all from your PC or Mac.

Now there is variety of different paraphernalia and software applications which are available to create unified communications. Here are some examples:

VoIP

The VoIP service was one of the first tools to begin unifying communications. This is a phone service channeled through data networks and the Internet. It allows for effortless integration of online information with voice interaction.

An excellent example of this would be where a VoIP user is on a call with a client and with one mouse click converts the conversation into a collaborative web conference with video and voice, a second click to easily include additional members.


Mobility and Smart Phones

It takes considerably more than a laptop and mobile phone to keep remote workers connected. Yes they are two important devices, however when operating as individual silos, remote staff are no more effective.

Nowadays, smart mobile phones are capable of holding a strong position in the unified communications mix. The smart phone has revoultionised our world. Here are some ideas for you to consider.

Empower smart phone and tablet users with VoIP phone system applications so users can be productive no matter where they are.

‘Real time presence’ is often referred to as a gimmick, however consider the following scenario. Before you call, instantly know if a person is busy or unavailable no matter where you are. Better still here’s a great example of eliminating telephone tag, imagine instantly knowing when a person becomes available in your office, when you are out of the office. That’s powerful!

Single number contact features for key employees like “Find Me”, “Follow Me” and “Mobile Twinning”. This is where your mobile phone rings when your office phone rings or perhaps converting your smart phone into your very own unified communications mobile office.

So far we’ve covered how unified communications positively impacts on our most fertile resource, time. Previously UC was more likely used by businesses at bigger end of town, now a small nimble micro business with the right tools has the ticket to compete on equal footing with their larger compatriots.

In part two of this series I’m going to examine a readymade UC solution, how to re-harvest existing technology investments and the ultimate unfair advantage.


Part 2

In part one I examined mobility as just one component of UC and how the business community profited, showcasing that Unified Communications is a vital tool in any modern business no matter the size. In part two I’ll be discussing the Zultys phone system and how UC can effectively re-harvest existing technology assets in your business.

Readymade solutions

We’ve just skated across the surface with these few examples. The Zultys VoIP phone system is a robust and comprehensive Unified Communications Solution in one neat and tidy box. You’ll enjoy the traditional time honoured telephone features in an impressive rich collaborative landscape. Don’t get lost in a mind-boggling feature set, simply focus on where you’d like improvements in your business. Note down some key points to discuss with a telco expert so you can see where the right phone system will take your business.

Here are just some of the things available to you with Unified Communications.

• Instant Messaging • Real time presence information • Video Conferencing and Collaboration • Complex call control • Speech recognition • Unified messaging • Voice mail • Email Integration • Desktop Fax Integration • Mobility • Remote Workers • Multi-Site organisations • 3rd Party Software Integration

Add value and re-harvest a vintage investment

Unified communications positions business owners to increase the efficiency of their business processes. Integration can yield a 2nd harvest on previously spent business investments. Information that can be received in various forms can now be responded to with more immediacy than information passed through only one form.

Several communication methods with more than one person, communications while traveling or working remotely. Additionally, the easy archiving and searching of all types of messages are just some of the ways that efficiency and productivity improvements can be realised with unified communications.


A perfect example is adding unified communications software to computers and smartphones in your business. Unlike most telecom sales folks today, a trusted advisor willingly offers you ways to improve your business processes. Phone Systems Brisbane has an envious track record of providing outstanding value with Zultys VoIP phone systems. Their brilliant business building ideas will astound you.

The unfair advantage – Maximum productivity no matter where workers are.

When workers are able to use their time efficiently, they are able to maximise their productivity. This enhances the business owners’ bottom line. Being able to communicate easily in numerous forms is the goal. Nowadays the demands on faster communications serve to strengthen the compelling argument for unified communications. Delays in our instant world are generally not tolerated by consumers and business alike.

Just as micro businesses (5 to 15 staff) using the Zultys Unified Communications phone system enjoy significant growth factors in customer satisfaction and staff morale. Which are two vital elements for continual business growth and a stronger bottom line?

In part 3 we’ll be exhibiting web conferencing and collaboration. This is where you’ll see the tremendous financial advantages of a truly unified and collaborative phone system.


Part 3

We’ve appraised the financial advantages of mobility and demonstrated practical productivity improvements. Point out to you that never before could one technology business investment yield so many harvests. In part 3 I’ll examine the desirable benefits of amalgamating the award winning Zultys VoIP phone system with their own in house Web Conferencing and collaboration module.

Briefly, what is Web Conferencing?

In essence, web based conferencing is a software application with collaborative facilities. But more than that, web based conferencing is a new communications medium unlike any other.

Web based conferencing technology may share qualities with other means of communication, such as teleconferencing and live video presentations. No silo’s here, we have a plethora of tools all blended into one easy to use application. Never has the power of the Internet been more emphasised than it has now by web based conferencing technology. The Internet allows people to prevail over the constraints of geography and connect with other people from the other side of the globe.

In-House vs. Hosted Web Conferencing

Hosted web conferencing has always been the trend ever since the technology emerged in the market. All in all, in a hosted web conferencing system, you approach your conferencing service over the Internet through a server hosted by your vendor.

Hosted web conferencing offers two pricing models – pay per use and pay per seat. In a pay per use basis, you’ll be billed for the amount of minutes used. Pay per seat on the other hand refers to a software user-license basis.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each model and they tend to make the selection task quite confusing. Add to that a whole gamut of other considerations which you’ll need to take into account and you have a nightmare in front of you. Price is not the only thing you need to pay attention to. You’ll also need to consider the features offered, usability and the reputation of the vendor.

But besides hosted servers, there is also a completely different side to web conferencing – one that doesn’t use an external server to conduct your online meetings. Such system is called in-house web conferencing.

The main difference between in-house web conferencing and hosted systems is that with in-house systems, you own it and you control it. Advancements in Unified Communications in the last 18 months have strengthened the financial reasons to migrate to in house units. Comparatively in house units enjoy fixed monthly costs opposed to its online contenders like


WebEx, LogMeIn and GotoMeeting. The most prevalent reason business owners consider the in-house option is cost and tight integration into Unified Communications platforms.

Once off Cost means a fast ROI.

MX Meeting is the Zultys Unified Communications in-house web conferencing solution. Purchase price depends on the number of users and conference rooms. The MX Meeting provides capacity for up to 100 users sharing 20 individual conference rooms. You can also brand your own conference rooms and integrate it with your web sites by placing a “host Meeting” and “Join Meeting” buttons on any web page. Furthermore these buttons can be added to Windows based software or CRM applications.

Security

Here are several reasons why MX Meeting adds so much hidden value to Zultys Unified Communications. No firewall, antivirus products, locked down computers or unsupported platforms will keep your key meeting participants from joining.

Universal Attendance?

Windows, Mac, Linux, Unix, Windows Mobile– Not all web conferencing is built equal

The amazing universal attendance technology enables anyone with a modern browser on any platform to join an MX Meeting. Windows, Mac and Linux are rarely all supported by MX meeting challengers.

Have you ever seen a grown man cry?

Well I nearly did the other day! Let me explain. I was speaking with a client recently who was complaining about having to constantly travel between Brisbane and Sydney for business meetings. Sometimes these meetings would last for only half an hour but he would waste a whole day traveling back and forth because the meetings involved several people all traveling from different locations.

I then casually suggested that he might consider web conferencing instead. He gave me the usual laundry list of objections including:

- too difficult to use; - unreliable; - too expensive;


- poor interaction with participants.

That’s when I introduced him to web conferencing.

After a quick demo he was speechless, but after using it for his next meeting he couldn’t say enough about it. He was convinced that my off-the-cuff suggestion had:

- Saved him over $11,000 a year in travel costs; - Massively reduced his carbon footprint, helping the environment; - Saved him a minimum of 200 hours a year of productive work time.


Part 4

We’d be delighted if you’ve raised an eyebrow somewhere in the first 3 parts. We’ve reviewed and examined some excellent strategies where you can win the productivity challenge. Here’s where we’ll show you the potent leverage call centre features offers single and multi-site enterprises alike. Terminology aside, it supercharges contact centre productivity.

High Volume Incoming Customer Calls

Let’s look at a very common yet frustrating situation experienced by almost every business. That is ‘Meeting the demands of incoming customer calls while retaining respectable customer satisfaction levels’. This is impossible to pick, and usually ends up with either poor customer service or excessive staffing for actual call demands. Sound familiar?

I’ll explain….

Whether you’re a busy single site business or a multisite enterprise the staff resources in your business will never running a peak capacity all of the time. Let’s say you’re experiencing a flood of customer calls outstripping the allocated staffing. There may be several staff available to receive additional calls however most are idle or occupied with non-critical duties. Typically this results in delays and lower customer satisfaction.

Bolt on the supercharger we mentioned earlier, instantly predefined idle or administration staff are presented with incoming call traffic no matter where they are. This is where you see an enormous reward from a smart well guided effort. Let’s face it, how frustrating is it when you are rolling around in a call queue waiting to be answered?

It’s worth noting here, the over flow calls can be directed to any worker no matter where they are located. This includes local remote workers or perhaps interstate or overseas.

The cost of Poor Service

Customers vote with their feet, bad service invariably means a lost sale and potentially the loss of a lifelong customer. Consider the potential value of this loss opposed to the elegant and simple fix.


The Wallboard – Just plain good business practice for high call volume companies

The wallboard simply displays real time information about the operation and status of contact centre to the workers on a computer screen. In some cases multiple large televisions broadcast these vital statistics. This is just like the screens you see in airports, large volumes of real time data constantly changing. Let’s not get bogged down in analysis paralysis here, focus on some key fundamental data that provides you with the tools to take your customer service levels to dizzy heights. Having world class customer service is not expensive and nor is it hard.

Let me explain…

Here’s an example in practice. A small enterprise company has their head office in Brisbane Queensland with two additional smaller offices in Melbourne and Perth. Brisbane has three sales staff manning the phones whereas Melbourne and Perth have two.

Sales calls into main office in Brisbane are in the order of 580 – 640 per day, with the secondary offices taking 370 – 430 per day. Customers too often experienced delays or simply abandoned the exercise. The frustrated general manager was prepared to hire one more sales person to expand the Brisbane office along with the addition of a third person in the busy Melbourne office. Disappointed with the additional cost of two more workers but believed there was no other option that was until she met Greg Eicke from Phone Systems Brisbane.

After a short discussion, Greg explained to the general manager that spending more money on more workers was not the answer, in fact there was only a tiny investment required to see all customer sales calls answered quickly. Surprised, the general manager was astonished to realise it didn’t matter which office was called. An annual investment of around $120 000 was reduced to a tiny once off injection of $8 000. That’s a tiny 6% of the total anticipated annual expense the company was willing to pay. Needless to say the business owners were delighted to witness a huge increase in customer service coupled with massive savings.

Now customer calls are automatically directed to available staff members in all three offices. 98% of customer sales calls are now answered within 30 seconds which is a distant memory from the previous delays and desertions.

A handy thing I hear you say. We think so too, just imagine appreciating exactly how many of your customers are waiting and indeed how long they’ve waited. Furthermore understand which of your staff are currently serving customers and the availability of others to assist, all in a quick glance? Imagine the heights you can take customer service levels to with that sort of information at your fingertips?


Part 5

In part 4 we touched on the productivity enhancements you can easily yield with the right unified communications system. In the next section we’ll show you how to catapult your sales using missed opportunities. Second place in sales means no sale and no profit. What if we showed you how you can win and profit from second place?

Let’s take sales one step further. Imagine for a minute having a second attempt at winning the business from a discarded customer phone call? I hear you say, ‘how can I do that when I’ve missed the call’? You see it’s quite easy when you are armed with Unified Communications.

In this section we’ll explore the incredible power of using basic call records so you can have another opportunity at success. In the world of sales, it’s a rare occasion where you’ll have this opening, let me explain how easily you can do this…

You are flat out busy running your business, making sure you have adequate staff to cope with demands whilst balancing the financial aspects to be sure that you remain viable. You’ve spent a lot of money on a campaign to win new business and the phones are ringing off the hook. However you’ve simply underestimated the response and you don’t have the staff to cope with the incoming call volume. Customers are now abandoning your offer because they can’t get through to sales staff or give up after a long wait. You are making good sales, but you become deeply concerned about the desertion rate statistics illustrated on your Unified Communications System. You’ve realised the true potential your offer has. A missed sale is a lost opportunity…. Well we believe that’s not true.

Let me explain why…

Ok you’ve had a great response from the campaign and things are going really well. You quickly run a simple report from your unified communications system on the abandoned calls. To your surprise you discover not only do you have their caller ID, but also the time they called as well as how long they waited. How easy is it for your sales team to make an apologetic call to the potential customer, perhaps offering a bonus because of their not so good experience?

Just how many additional sales do you suppose a good customer service person would achieve on that basis?

In this series we’ve covered productivity improvements, staff efficiency, improvements in business processes, intelligent call distribution and snatching sales from lost opportunities. Never before have we witnessed such a diverse and comprehensive arsenal of business building tools all in one neat package. We believe the true advantages of UC have barely been realised, its adopters have incredibly powerful tools on hand to propel their business to the dizzy heights of success.

Is your telecom supplier merely presenting you with a fancy phone system with all the new buzz words and acronyms to make him appear knowledgeable? We’ve found that most UC vendors stretch the truth when it comes to UC. We put this series together so you can


appreciate the true potential of working with the right UC vendor. Phone Systems Brisbane will expose practical ideas and concepts that will massively improve your business and its bottom line. Together we’ll explore individual parts of your business where you can realise substantial financial and productivity advances. These advantages barely scratch the surface of the unimaginable capability UC extends to business owners today.

In conclusion, Unified Communications allows the innovative business to be well organised, with efficient communication and most importantly be easily contactable. UC positions organisations with tools to achieve a market leading position in their chosen niche.

“Four things stood out to me the most… … Greg listened … he provided tremendous savings … he delivered on time and on budget … and, he gave us great backup and support David Young, CEO. Australian Recruiting Group.

If you are buying a complex solution like we were, you need to understand what you’re getting. Greg was the one who made sure we understood which gave us the confidence to move ahead.

Marcie Richards, CEO. Lincoln Brokerage Services.

phone systems brisbane - here how you can increase productivity with unified communications

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