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Inbound numbers might just be the #1 opportunity in business telecom right now.
If you’re already selling SIP trunks or IT managed services, inbound numbers can be a great way to add revenue and diversify your product suite.
The market for Australian inbound numbers is large – and growing. Over 300,000 Australian businesses operate an inbound service – whether a 13, 1300 or 1800 number.
Yet, with over 2.5 million businesses operating in Australia, the total addressable market is almost 10x larger. That’s because inbound numbers aren’t just for big business and call centers. They make sense for sole traders and small businesses too.
Inbound numbers work nation-wide and offer callers a memorable, low-cost contact option. If you have business customers that rely on customer calls, or have dedicated sales and customer service lines, then an inbound number is a perfect fit.
The key to selling inbound services is providing more value than just the numbers. A more lucrative and differentiated approach is to sell numbers in combination with advanced features: a complete inbound number management solution.
At Telcoinabox, we believe there are three secrets to selling inbound services: empowering customers to self-serve, preventing service outages, and improving call handling.
With the big telcos, managing inbound services takes time and effort. Even a simple routing change can mean calling an account manager at the big telco (if they’re not already on the golf course).
Then waiting on the phone, waiting for a support ticket, and waiting for the update to be made. All of which might take 48 hours, or longer. What small business owner has that kind of time?
You can stand out from the competition by showing your customers how your inbound solution will save them time and effort. The secret is offering a self-service portal for inbound number management.
A self-service portal will empower your customers (or your admins, on their behalf) to make changes in real time. Portal users will be able to create custom call flows and IVR menus, or update ring groups and staff extensions. All with the simplicity of a few clicks.
Today’s business voice services operate over the internet, often using SIP Trunks. This means that if the local internet fails – due to an emergency or a planned outage – then calls to that location will fail too. For businesses that rely on customer calls, number downtime means lost business.
You can stand out as an inbound number provider by offering business continuity. The secret is to have real-time, customisable disaster recovery routing.
In the event of an emergency, disaster recovery can be used to divert all 13 / 1300 / 1800 calls to an alternative line, alternative office location, or alternative call plan. For small businesses it may be as simple as diverting inbound calls to the owners’ personal mobile.
Ideally, this failover routing will be as simple as clicking a button in the management portal. Then once the issue is resolved, the original routing can also be restored in a click.
You can stand out as an inbound number provider by offering features to help your customers handle calls efficiently. One of the best examples is call queuing.
Many businesses will pay a premium for the ability to queue inbound calls. Call queues are used to retain callers, and reduce their frustration, when all available phone lines are busy. In addition, call queues mean that businesses have flexibility to handle call spikes, without having to pay for expensive surplus SIP channels.
Call queuing is not always available as a standard phone system feature. By offering call queuing as part of your inbound solution, you can cost-effectively fill a feature gap for business customers.
If you’re keen to launch or grow your inbound numbering business, you need a wholesale telecom supplier that can provide you with more than just basic numbers.
Look no further than Number Manager. Our unique, call management software that ticks all the boxes for MSPs and telecom resellers.
Number Manager is delivered through an online portal for easy, self-serve management. Plus, it comes with a suite of advanced features, including disaster recovery and call queuing. Helping you protect your customers from outages and improve call handling.
