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GH in the news- @Grasshopper
- Interested in getting an 855 number? We're taking reservations now - http://bit.ly/ailETt
- RT @chrisgeyer: excited i get to talk with more of our @grasshopper customers today as well
- RT @melilitts: I use @grasshopper as the main means of communication within my business, since our team is spread all over the US!
virtual number Archive
Why Your Business Should Have an 800 Number
In today’s economy, it’s important to make your business seem like number one. That means as a small 1-5 person business, you need to look and sound as professional as the big guys. An 800 number can not only help you sound bigger but can also make life easier for everyone. Here are seven reasons your small business should have an 800 number:
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An 800 number centralizes your business. Even if your employees are located in five different states, you still only need one number.
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It’s easier for customers to remember your number, especially when you use vanity numbers (think 1-800-Flowers).
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Customers are more likely to call an 800 number simply because it’s free!
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You own your 800 number. Change businesses, locations, etc…the number is still yours.
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They are easily transferable. Your business has grown tenfold and you need a bigger phone system but you don’t want to have to change your number. Good news, you don’t have to! Take it with you.
3 Fun Ways to Use Your Virtual Number
One of the things we talk a lot about is using Grasshopper to help your business sound more professional. Yes, it’s true, a virtual number with custom greetings, on-hold music and voice mail can help your business sound bigger and certainly more professional, but it can also be fun.
Having your own 800 number with unlimited extensions, voicemail greetings, custom music…imagine the possibilities!
Here are three fun ways you can use your virtual phone number:
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Joke of the Day
What if you were put on hold, only to be told a joke? Being on hold wouldn’t be so bad would it? Knock knock jokes, kids jokes, puns, jokes about your industry or profession, etc. Just be sure to keep it tasteful.
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Dating Extension
Single? What if you could know it was a personal call before you even picked up? Just like you can create dedicated extensions for specific clients, you can create dedicated extensions for love interests. No more awkwardness, no more wondering who is calling or what you are going to say. When the caller ID shows your dedicated extension, you can be ready.
Stay Up to Date on March Madness with Grasshopper
As the tournament kicks off today, productivity all over the U.S decreases dramatically. For those of us in the office, we can check the scores online and for some brave souls, watch the games at CBS.com with the “Boss Button“.
But what about those who are in meetings or on sales calls and can’t check the score? What if your favorite team is on?
With Grasshopper, this tragedy can be averted.
While you may not be able to break out your phone to check the score, you can take an important call right?
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Using your Grasshopper 800 or local number, set up a March Madness extension.
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Tell your friends who are not working to call this extension to provide updates (lets just stick with half-time, 12 minutes and final).
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When the call is forwarded to your cell phone, you will see the extension and immediately know it’s a score update.
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Politely excuse yourself, stating you have to take this call, and immediately get the latest news.
Colleagues and associates will be none the wiser and you won’t have to worry about missing any news about your team.
*We don’t actually recommend doing this but hey, do what you have to do.
Voice Mail When You Need It
You are in the zone, ideas are flowing, work is getting done and the phone rings. You don’t want to miss an important call but you also don’t want to interrupt your work flow. With the Grasshopper virtual phone system you can see who is calling and send the caller to voice mail without worrying you are going to miss important information.
Why? Because with Grasshopper you will immediately be emailed the MP3 and the voice mail transcription (if you subscribe to the “Read Your Voicemail” feature). Voice mail is a great asset for your business and we have included some of the best ways to get the most out of it below.
Voice mail when you need it:
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Out of the office?
The great thing about having Grasshopper is that you can choose when you want calls to be forwarded or when you want them to be sent to voice mail. When you are out of the office, you can have calls forwarded to your cell or home phone. Don’t want to get calls after 8 pm? Set up an after-hours greeting and send calls directly to voice mail.
10 Facts About 800 Numbers You May Not Know
While we have an FAQ section on the site, I thought we could address a few things specifically about 800 numbers right here on the blog.
Here are a few common facts about 800 numbers that you may not know. 
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A “true” 800 number is simply a toll free number with an “800″ prefix.
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You own your 800 number.
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800 numbers are portable. If you change service providers, you can take your 800 number with you.
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800 numbers that spell out a company name, product, etc are called “vanity numbers”.
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800 numbers have been around for over 35 years.
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800 numbers are regulated by the FCC.
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800, 888, 866 & 877 are all toll free numbers. The only difference is the numbers themselves.
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800 numbers can be used for home numbers as well as business numbers.
Create a Good First Impression with Custom Greetings
Remember the Seinfeld episode where George decides to create a catchy jingle for his answering machine?
Aside from a website, your phone greeting could be the first impression customers or potential customers have of your business. While it doesn’t have to be as clever as George’s, it’s important that it sounds professional and helps the caller with what they are looking for.
Here are a few tips for creating a main greeting:
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Make sure there is no distracting background noise i.e. ambulances racing by, phones ringing, tv commercials.
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When using background music, make sure you choose music that fits your business. Pop music for a spa probably isn’t the best strategy.
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Enunciate your words clearly to ensure the caller can understand your greeting. Avoid strong accents.
Using Phone Numbers to Track Marketing ROI
As a small business it is often hard to track exactly where your customers are coming from; Television, radio, web, partners, etc, etc. While analytics have certainly made it easier to track web traffic, offline efforts aren’t as clear cut.
A great way to track offline marketing efforts and determine ROI is to use multiple phone numbers. Using separate phone numbers for separate campaigns can help you track where your visitor came from and give you insight into which campaign is working the best.
Using Multiple Phone Numbers to Track ROI:
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Place a phone number on your website that is found no where else. This will allow you to track conversions from people visiting the site and then picking up the phone and buying. You can even create use separate numbers for your pay-per-click ads.
How To: 800 Forwarding with Grasshopper
One of the top features of the Grasshopper virtual phone system is the ability to forward your 800 number to any number on any phone. No really, ANY phone/phone number in the entire world! Your home phone, your office phone, your cell phone, your mom’s cell phone…it doesn’t matter.
Setting up call forwarding for your 800 (or local) number is easy through your online account manager.
We have broken it down into 3 simple steps:
1. Login to your Grasshopper account, choose “Settings“
2. Under Settings, choose “Call Forwarding“
3. Choose “Add Number” & Put in the desired forwarding number (click image to see full size)
That’s it!
Grasshopper vs. Google Voice: What’s the Difference?
With the launch of Google Voice this past year, awareness surrounding the virtual phone, virtual pbx, hosted pbx industry has skyrocketed, and here at Grasshopper we have been fortunate enough to enjoy the benefits. More awareness means more people wanting to know what a virtual number is, what a virtual phone system is, how it works, who does this, how it can benefit them and how they can get it?
It also means more people asking, “What is the difference between Grasshopper and Google Voice?”.
The first thing we say is, Grasshopper is designed for small businesses and entrepreneurs versus the general consumer. We are dedicated to helping our customers sound professional, stay connected and ultimately grow their business.
That being said, our feature set has been built as a focused set of tools for entrepreneurs and their businesses – that is really the key difference.
Below we have highlighted just a few of the core features of the Grasshopper virtual phone system – all items not available with Google Voice:
Call Forwarding: Stay Connected While Traveling
Whether you are across the world on a business trip or on your way to the office, the call forwarding feature from Grasshopper can keep you connected to your small business. No missed calls, no missed sales and no angry clients.
With that in mind, we have prepared a few quick tips to make sure you stay connected on those days you aren’t simply traveling to the office.
Going Abroad
With Grasshopper and your cell phone, you can be reached just about anywhere you go. But what happens when you’re abroad? Many cell phones don’t work out of the country, or they are just too expensive. Renting a phone or buying a SIM card could mean you’d have to give everyone your new number and hope for the best.
Make it easy. Even if you do get a different number, simply update the call forwarding number in your account and have calls forwarded to the number you will be accessible at. Callers will dial the same toll free or local number they always do and you are reached on whatever phone number you’re using while traveling.
