In this post, we will address the most important aspects of building out your own business communication systems. This is not meant to be an exhaustive DIY guide, however. If you have questions about how to improve your company's phone, voice mail, mobile, and video conferencing, give us a call.
1) Determine Your Communications Goals
To build the right communications systems for your company, you need to determine your communication goals:
- Do you need to improve internal communication?
- Do you need dedicated customer service/support?
- Do you need to communicate with team members in the field?
- Do you need video conferencing?
- Do you need a call center with a call routing management?
- Do you need customer live chat for sales/support?
- Do you need a call center that works across multiple locations?
- Do you need to record calls for quality assurance?
- Do you need to track leads that sync with your sales software?
- Do you need a cloud system that works for your team and/or clients?
- Do you need internal instant messaging?
- Do you need fax capabilities?
Answering these questions will help you get started building out your communications systems. One of the issues you may encounter, however, is determining whether you need one or more of these systems. You do not want to waste time and resources developing video conference capabilities if your team is not going to use them effectively. At the same time, without consulting with an expert, you may not realize the benefits of internal instant messaging.
2) What You Need to Get Started
The equipment you need to get started will depend largely on your communication goals. This will require extensive research as you will want to avoid purchasing more than you need, but you do not want to find yourself missing important components while you’re in the midst of your project. In order to avoid this, make sure you develop your list before you begin building out your communications. Your needs will range from servers and computers to phones and cables.
3) Determine How to Build Out Your Systems
If you proceed with a DIY communications system for your company, you will need to make sure enlist help from people you trust with the knowledge and the skills to be precise and efficient. As you build out your system, remember the following:
- Organize and label your cables and equipment
- Make sure your software matches your hardware
- Identify troublesome dead zones for wireless routers
- Someone will have to be the expert on how the systems work
- Someone will have to train the team on the new systems
- Organize data consistently
- Servers need access to air conditioning
- Do not make short cuts that could affect you and your team later
Even if you choose to perform your own research and develop your own communication systems, consider hiring experts for installation and implementation.
4) Determine Who Will Maintain Your Communications Systems
Before you start implementing new communications systems, determine who will maintain them. Whether it’s a team member or group, your IT department, or the same person who installs the systems, it is vital to know who to call when things are not working. It may even be worthwhile to contract an external company to perform routine inspection and maintenance.
5) Determine If It Is Worth It to DIY Your Communications
Is it worth it to you, your company, and your team to DIY your communications systems? From customer service and support and closing new prospects to the morale and effectiveness of your team, there is a lot on the line. If you are considering whether to consult experienced communication experts, contact ISS Technologies.