Do you want to improve communication in your office? Would you like to make it easier for clients and customers to reach you and your employees?
If you answered, “yes” to either of these questions, you might want to consider upgrading your phone system and utilizing a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunking device instead.
Never heard of SIP before? Not sure if it’s the right fit for you and your employees?
Read on to learn more about SIP trunking and all the different ways it can benefit your business.
What Is SIP Trunking?
Before we get into the benefits, let’s go over what SIP actually is.
SIP trunking provides you with a new way to looks at your run-of-the-mill office phone system.
In a nutshell, SIP is a mechanism that allows the phone systems in your office to work using an internet connection instead of a traditional phone line.
When you use SIP in your office, you and your employees are able to place calls through the PSTN, or Public Switched Telephone Network.
This might seem complicated at first. In reality, though, the process of setting up a is actually quite simple.
SIP devices are also lightweight and easy-to-use and are a great alternative to regular phone lines.
Top 10 Benefits of SIP Trunking
Okay, you understand what SIP is. But, what makes it such a great option? How can it benefit your business?
There are lots of ways that SIP trunking can be helpful to you and your employees. Some of the greatest benefits include:
1. Save Money
In a world where telecommunication costs are rising, one of the most appealing aspects of SIP is that it allows your business to save quite a bit of money.
Some businesses even find that they can cut their bill in half when they switch from a regular phone line to SIP.
2. See an Immediate Return on Investment
Not only does SIP save you money, but you’ll notice a return on your investment almost immediately after you make the switch.
This has to do, in part, with the low costs associated with setting up a SIP trunking system in your office.
3. Increase Global Growth Potential
When you switch to SIP, all of your calls become local calls. You no longer have to deal with the prices associated with long-distance phone calls.
If you’ve been looking for ways to globalize your business and reach people from all over the world, SIP is the way to go.
4. Increase Employee Mobility
SIP is a great option for companies that value employee mobility.
Your workers can be reached anywhere using any device, including their mobile devices. It’s perfect for both on-premise communication and staying in touch with remote workers.
5. Consolidate Your Networks
When you switch to SIP, you no longer have to make separate payments for a telephone voice service and data. SIP combines voice and data into one network.
This minimizes the demands on your data connections and helps you save money while also increasing your business’s accessibility and reliability.
6. Increased Convenience
SIP also makes communication — both between employees and with customers — much more convenient.
Your employees will be more accessible since they can communicate using multiple devices.
7. Easy Set Up
It’s much easier to set up a SIP trunking system compared to a regular phone system.
There’s no need to wait for the local telecommunications company to come out and set things up. Your provider will help you get things up and running much more quickly.
8. Increased Reliability
With SIP, there’s also less of a risk of connections being lost or calls being dropped.
When you don’t use a regular phone line, you don’t need to worry about missing calls or being unavailable for hours at a time during inclement weather or in the event that someone hits a telephone pole nearby.
9. Easier Management and Troubleshooting
Do you currently have to get in touch with the local telecommunications company every time something goes wrong? How much time have lost waiting for someone to get back to you about an issue?
SIP providers often offer very efficient, responsive customer service. They’re much easier to get a hold of and will help you resolve your problem as quickly as possible.
10. Easier Scalability
If you need more phone lines or want to upgrade your plan, you can do so easily.
You also don’t have to wait very long to add these new lines. Instead of waiting days or weeks for someone to come out and install them, you can work directly with your provider and get them set up in just a few hours.
How to Find the Right SIP Trunking Provider
Okay, you’re convinced that SIP might be a good fit for your office. But, how do you find the right provider? Where can you read more on the different providers and figure out which one is trustworthy?
If you’re interested in upgrading to a SIP trunking system, these guidelines can help you make sure you’re working with the right provider:
- Look for providers that offer a free trial
- Consider your desired coverage area — do you mostly make local calls, or are international calls sometimes necessary?
- Dissect their pricing model — do they charge per minute? Per user? Per port?
- Do you have to sign a long-term contract?
- Do they offer bundled services?
- What kind of customer support do they offer?
- What security measures have they put in place to protect your company’s information?
Pay attention, too, to the special features that they offer.
Are conference calls possible? Will you have a voicemail service? Is there an automatic receptionist feature?
All of these tools can be very helpful, especially if you run a particularly busy office.
How Else Can You Enhance Business Communication?
As you can see, there are lots of benefits that come with SIP trunking, including enhanced communication between you, your employees, and your customers.
Are you interested in other tips that will enhance communication in your office and make you and your employees easier to reach?
If so, be sure to check out some of our other small business articles. This one on choosing an answering service for your office is a great one to start with!
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