How Do I Get a Virtual Phone Number?

When it comes to modern-day business communications, legacy phone systems can no longer suffice the purpose. A better way to manage business communications is by getting virtual phone numbers. In this blog, we will explain virtual phone numbers for businesses, their benefits, and the procedure to get these numbers.

What is a Virtual Phone Number for Business Communication?

A virtual phone number is a telephone number that is not bound to any physical location but works on cloud-based technology. It facilitates calling by making use of the internet instead of wired public switched telephone networks. Virtual numbers are not tied to SIM cards, EPABX systems, or wired networks.

In other words, a virtual phone number for business provides the opportunity to communicate with anyone around the globe at any time of the day. One can use a virtual phone number in the same way as a regular telephone number - to make and receive calls. The only requirement is to have access to the internet and an internet-enabled device such as VoIP desk phones, cell phones, or softphones.

Why Businesses must use Virtual Phone Numbers?

Though the primary purpose of using virtual phone numbers is to make and receive calls, there are several other situations when businesses can benefit by using virtual phone numbers. Take a look below:

Remote Working

Traditional landline phone numbers connect to one desk phone per number. So this means a business can easily lose a golden business opportunity when the agent is not present on the desk.

Virtual Phone Systems offer more flexibility for on-the-go and remote agents. They can make and receive calls from anybody, from any device, and at any time. Moreover, calls landing on virtual phone numbers can be forwarded to other available agents which greatly reduces the chances of missed calls.

Cuts Down Expensive Call Charges

In the business landscape, mainly DID or Toll-free numbers are popularly used. Toll-Free numbers are special phone numbers that are typically free for the callers and the charges are incurred by the business. This means that whenever a caller calls a business, he/she won’t be paying any charges for the call, rather the business will be paying the call charges. These numbers are made available by companies so that existing and potential customers can connect with them without worrying about paying expensive charges for the call. Toll-free numbers generally start with 800, 888, 866, etc.

Read Also: Why is Direct Inward Dialing (DID) Important For Your Business?

Provide Training to Employees

Calls that happen between customers and agents through virtual phone numbers are automatically recorded by business phone systems. These call recordings are an excellent opportunity for supervisors and managers to seek areas of improvement and to provide training to employees by showing them real cases of interactions. These call recordings can also be used as samples for new joiners to help them understand and onboard more easily.

How to Get a Virtual Phone Number?

It is quite clear that virtual phone numbers are way more beneficial for a business than traditional landline numbers. These numbers are suitable for small companies that have remote employees as well as large corporations with huge call center workforces.

A simple way to get virtual phone numbers for your business is to sign up for a cloud-based business phone system that offers virtual phone numbers. By having multiple numbers, you will be able to showcase your company as a local brand in different regions of the world. Cloud-based business phone systems also offer other useful features like call forwarding, call recording, call reports, IVR, click-to-call buttons, and much more.

These phone systems are hosted by third-party service providers so hardware installation, maintenance, and upgradation are all done by them. A company only needs to sign up, choose a suitable plan from the available options and subscribe to it. You can start your search for a reliable cloud business phone system with a virtual phone number facility to get started!