How Many Names Does Your Answering Service Have?
Having multiple business identities for your TAS may be strategic or happenstance.
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
Not that I expect many readers to notice, but did you see I made a small tweak to my byline? Instead of Peter L DeHaan it has become Peter Lyle DeHaan. There’s a reason for this. Let me explain
I’m working on some books for the TAS and call center industry. Though I have one finished, I need time to publish it. I planned on listing my name as Peter L DeHaan to distinguish this from other books I’ve written under the name Peter DeHaan, which focus on biblical spirituality. I want to keep these two areas separate, so as not to confuse—or frustrate—readers when they go searching for a particular book using my name.
However, I learned that when most people encounter authors with a single middle initial, they drop the initial. In my case Peter L DeHaan would become Peter DeHaan, thereby defeating my goal of using two different names. The solution, I understand, is to use two initials or a full middle name. Readers tend to not drop those. Therefore, all my writing for the TAS and call center industry now carries my middle name.
Why am I telling you this? Because answering services often do the same thing.
You may have one answering service, but for marketing purposes you use different names for different audiences. One example is having one name for medical clients and another one for commercial accounts.
In other instances, answering service names reflect a geographic location, such as a state or city: Answering Michigan, Answering Grand Rapids, or Answering Kalamazoo. (These aren’t actual TAS names. I know, because I just checked. But you get the point.)
Another multi-name scenario occurs when making acquisitions. For strategic reasons the new owner opts to keep the old name. This may be a short-term decision or a long-term strategy.
What I do know is that having multiple names complicates marketing. Whether you’re an answering service or an author, you need a separate online identity for each name that you use. For my three author brands, each one has its own website.
However, I stopped short of having separate social media pages for each name. That’s sheer madness. Maintaining multiple social media identities is a challenge. I know because I have a separate Facebook page and Twitter account for each of my publications. (And this is the point where I’m obligated to encourage you to like TAS Trader on Facebook and follow TAS Trader on Twitter.)
My decision to use three author names is strategic. I have a well-considered reason for doing so. The same thoughtful process applies to many multi-named answering services, too.
However, other answering services accumulated multiple names over time. These names now complicate their branding and their marketing. If this describes your situation, I encourage you to streamline your business names as much as possible. Phase out and redirect those old brands to one consistent, strong brand. It will make your life easier and your marketing and branding simpler to manage. You’ll be glad you did.
Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD, is the publisher and editor-in-chief of TAS Trader. Check out his latest book, Sticky Customer Service.
Classified Ads:
TAS Sales Rep: 40-year-old, multiple-location, answering service seeks outgoing, highly professional, hard-working, and self-motivated sales representatives. Previous sales experience is preferred. Strong written and verbal communications skills are required. Must be comfortable with phone sales, computer-literate, and capable of creating written sales proposals. Email resume to Janet Livingston at janet@callcenter-salespro.com.
Seeking Acquisitions: Reputable TAS, in business since 1967 and still owned by the founding family, seeks a small TAS acquisition in the USA. Ideally, you’re billing under $50k per month. Smaller is better. We’ll treat you right, and your employees and customers. Let’s talk. Contact Doug at 888-693-7935 or douganswerphone@gmail.com.
Four Ground Rules for Successful Conflict Resolution
By Chris Ciardello
A major subject in many businesses is conflict resolution. Every office has conflict, but not every office handles it the same way. Here are four ground rules for successful conflict resolution.
Ground Rule #1: Each side must listen fully to the other side before responding. Often when one party explains something, the second party wants to justify their actions. There is nothing more frustrating when someone interrupts you, especially when trying to resolve a problem.
Instead the first person listens to everything the other person has to say. Then the second person can explain their side. This process repeats until both sides have sufficiently made their case.
Ground Rule #2: Identify the issues clearly, professionally, and concisely. Unless the issue is identified, a resolution cannot be found. This morning Betty came into work and snapped at Sally when she said good morning. The reason Betty snapped at Sally could be that Betty got a text from her son saying he forgot his homework. This has nothing to do with Sally, yet the frustration was taken out on her, which caused tension between them the rest of the day.
In some cases this kind of tension can slowly come to a boil, making it extremely important to have open communication with co-workers. You may not always know what is going on in another person’s life, so try not to jump to conclusions.
Ground Rule #3: When both parties meet to discuss their issues, they may only use “I” statements. “I felt ignored at the meeting this morning when I was trying to explain the details about Mrs. Jones.” Framing an issue you have with another person with an “I” statement helps to lower their defenses and move to a resolution.
“You” statements put people on the defensive because they feel their integrity is attacked: “You always leave your things in the breakroom,” or “You never take out the trash.” When someone gets defensive, they stop hearing. But when you bring the problem back to how it makes you feel, it lowers guards and a conversation can begin.
Ground Rule #4: The final and most important rule is: no personal attacks, name-calling or finger pointing. These are surefire ways to put the other person on the defensive. There is no room for this in a professional environment.
Having conflict in an office is okay; in fact, it’s actually healthy. However, preventing conflict from turning into heated confrontation is crucial to avoid division in an office. Everyone wants to work in a happy, peaceful environment, so it’s important to talk it out.
Chris Ciardello is a practice management consultant with Global Team Solutions. Passionate about sharing his expertise in technology and marketing, Chris has a distinctive knack for understanding the needs of office environments and assisting companies in building productive, cohesive teams. For more information visit www.GTSGurus.com.
Telephone Answering Service News
Amtelco Tests Cox SIP Trunking: Amtelco and Cox Communications successfully completed interoperability testing of Cox’s SIP trunking services with Amtelco’s Genesis intelligent soft switch, the internet protocol (IP) based private branch exchange (PBX) capability of Amtelco’s Infinity platform, and the Telescan Spectrum Prism II platform. Cox SIP trunking is a scalable, IP trunking telecommunication solution that provides traditional telephony services. Cox SIP trunking calls are routed over Cox’s proprietary fiber-optic network, with guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS), rather than over the internet. To use Cox SIP trunking, Amtelco customers must maintain a separate business agreement with Cox Communications.
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Quotes for the Month
“A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.” -Bob Dylan
“Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.” -Leonardo da Vinci
“In a democracy it’s your vote that counts; in feudalism, it’s your Count that votes.” -unknown