Cell Phone -or- Landline 4 Your Biz ???

[joshril]

Vonage voice quality is better than cell phone... the same as a land-line. It is recommended to have a reasonable speed on your interenet connection.

It's much cheaper than a cell phone/land line as well. My home office costs less than $250.00/mo to run

Vonage: $57 (including taxes-2 lines)
MyFax: $10 (800 number)
RingCentral: $30
Cable Internet: $45
Norvax: $100
Web Hosting: $7 (21 sites)
SugarCRM: $0

Total: $242/ mo.

This business has a ridiculously low overhead if you do some research.

 

[padthaiforlunch]

I use ring central for my fax, cable internet and a cell phone for everything else. T-mobile has unlimited calling for $99/mo.

True, the quality isn't always as crisp as a land line, but do I really want the type of clients who wouldn't give me their business if I call on a cell phone. OMG! If they are that sensitive, imagine what else they cry about.

Dave: please don't take that as an attack on you. I respect you opinion on insurance matters -- and I agree with the speaker phone thing. I just find it hard to believe that a sensible person would use a cell phone call as a reason not to do business. And while people like that probably exist, I suspect they are also litigious and immune from logic when claims don't process as they want them to.

 

[Dave020]

I was speaking generally. It really depends on what business you are in. Some businesses a cell phone would indicate the wrong thing, with insurance it really does not matter much. My problem is the dropouts, reception in general and quality esp when talking to seniors. Certainly more convenient, but I hate having to ask them to repeat because of noise, static, or dropout on the call. Plus cell phones for some reason are really good at picking up all of the background noise.

For non-business I do use my cell exclusively and have no landline for home. Makes way more sense to use the cell.

 

[djs]

True, the quality isn't always as crisp as a land line, but do I really want the type of clients who wouldn't give me their business if I call on a cell phone. OMG! If they are that sensitive, imagine what else they cry about.

There is a lot more to the issue than just quality of talking on the phone, though that alone is huge.

There is the perception. Different markets, different products, and different people will see this differently.

In my case, I pay to have a nice office (not outlandish) so clients can come to me. I want to provide the perception that I've been doing this for a long time (and I have), I'm well established, they know where to come if there is a problem, etc. Most clients have never been to my office, but they know they can if they choose.

That perception of stability, the comfort of knowing that if they ever have a problem, I'll be here for them, gets me a LOT of business. This is part of the reason I don't work out of my house anymore.

Calling people on a cell phone, when they know it's a cell phone, doesn't give the perception of stability. It gives the perception of just getting started. Not always true, but perceptions usually aren't reality.

Many of my clients call my cell phone, they are welcome to do that. But when they do, they know they are calling my cell phone, not my office.

Of course, my office phone, 8-5, is answered by a person in my building. I have an answering service to do this so if I'm not here, or on the line, it sounds like a larger company. Since they are in the building, they can answer basic questions, such as he just stepped out for lunch, be back in an hour, or he's on the phone, he'll call you back in 20 minutes.

It's all about perception.

Dan

 

[padthaiforlunch]

Dave & Dan, you both have valid points.

I am fortunate to have good reception in my home, where I do most of my work from. The PITA is error connection about every 20 dials. And I have been considering a land line to hook up to a cheetah, as I think it will pay for itself with increased production. I need to find a computer geek that can hook up my cell phone to a speed dialer. Hmmm, as I write this, I'm talking myself into a land line.

Regarding perception, I need to think about it some more. Cell phone are so ubiquitous that I doubt it puts many people off. Perhaps if I was in the senior market I would use a land line.

Most of my clients know I relocated after Katrina, so I was addressing the stability issue with some regularity; but I ooze sincerity and integrity and easily establish rapport and trust with my clients.

 

[TimLett]

I'm not saying that this is what you should do, but here is what I do.

$30 Vonage for home office phone and outgoing fax.
$17 E-fax for incoming and forwarding pdf files.
$200 AT&T Family Plan for Wireless with 850 Anytime Minutes, Unlimited N&W, and Unlimited Messaging.

$247 Total telephone/fax communication expense

 

[Frank Stastny]

I just feel that cell phones, while great, sound like cell phones and I can always tell when someone calls me from a cell phone. I would think anyone trying to do business with me that way, I would find someone else. Same for people who insist on talking on speakerphone.

I totally agree. It only costs a little more to go "first class". It's called "the cost of doing business".

I have always found it interesting that it so many agents I have talked to are always looking for the cheapest way of doing things instead of the best and most professional way. It's as though they don't consider selling insurance as a real business, just a way of making money.

I always ask someone who is using a speaker phone to pick up the handset. I think that is extremely rude unless there are several people in the room and all need to participate in the call.

 

[somarco]

I'm with you Frank.

One of my pet peeves are folks who put me on hold to take another call. If it is an emergency, fine. I have done that a few times on family issues but never when another client is calling.

I also hate those phones that play 3 minutes of music before you go to voice mail . . . and then give you 5 seconds to record your message.

 

[Bob_The_Insurance_Guy]

We have a landline. I also have RingCentral. I also have a cell phone.

When I make outgoing calls, I use a headset with my land line, but always use my RingCentral number as the call back number.

The land line is clearer, and using the headset allows me to use my hands when I speak (sorry, it's the Toastmaster in me). The RingCentral also acts as my fax number, so there is only one number for anyone to remember to either get hold of me, or to fax me something.

When I make outgoing calls, I put my cell phone on silent (I am working from home, and my Ring Central number is forwarded to my cell number - this way I am not disturbed when I am talking on the land line).

Ring Central costs me $15 a month
Land Line costs me $28 a month
Cell Phone (with 4 phones - one for each member of our family and 1600 minutes, which we never use up) costs me $100 a month.

My two cents.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

To back up what's been stated:

In many cases doing business by cell has an unprofessional ring to it. I know when I'm talking to someone on a cell and yes, to me that insinuates instablity.

Maybe it's an outdated or old fashioned business concept but I beleve in using a land line. For those of you using cells - we can tell it's a cell.

The problem is this: you don't know how much business you lose since those are the people you simply don't get back in touch with. And it's not like you can call 'em back on down the road and ask "hey...why didn't you do business with me?"

I see a lot of agents struggling, yet you call them - they never answer - never; 10am - 3:30, 5pm - you hit their VM.

They are "call screeners" and would rather stare at their caller ID then simply answer their phone.

Professional message? No - you hit things like:

"the voicemailbox of the person you are trying to reach is not set up"
"this voice mailbox is full"
"Hey, this is Brian - you know what to do."

etc.....