The conventional phone system was designed for another era. The digitalised world requires modern communication systems and legacy location-based phones aren’t the right choice anymore. What you need is a business phone for the demands of the modern, connected workplace.

If you’re wondering what makes a good business phone, look for the following six essential features.

6 essential features of a good business phone

1. Mobility

In a remote world, your business phone should enable on-the-go communication. You should be able to receive calls from multiple devices seamlessly whether you’re in the office or not.

The business phone system should let employees search for phone numbers in an easy-to-access corporate directory, no matter where they’re. A second-line app can enable you to take your call from your laptop, mobile or tablet, irrespective of your location.

2. Caller ID

With caller ID, you would know who’s calling you before you take the call. Caller ID can either display the number of the caller or both the name and the number. They will be shown on the display unit of your phone. If you miss the call, since you know the name and time, it will be easier for you to return the call.

As a business owner, if you know who’s on the line, it will give you time to mentally prepare yourself. If it’s a client, you can get the necessary information and be ready when you answer the call.

3. Call forwarding

Another essential feature your business phone should have is call forwarding. This is how you can transfer incoming calls to another number. This is of immense significance in customer support as you’ll be able to direct those calls to multiple devices, which will ensure that someone is there to take the call.

A second-line app also does it with the utmost ease. When a call comes in, you can set it up to ring on multiple devices, enabling any of your employees to take it.

4. Conferencing

A remotely connected workforce requires remote-friendly communication systems. Your business phone should let you hold voice or video meetings with clients or employees in different locations.

This will make your business operations cohesive and save you both time and effort. This will also give you the flexibility to coordinate with ease. You can also get conferencing facilities through a second-line app, which will enable employees to join through multiple devices.

5. Call waiting

With this feature on your business phone, you’ll be notified of any incoming calls while you’re talking to someone. This gives you the freedom to decide on the next step. You can either take that call or put that caller on hold.

You can also direct that call to voicemail while you finish the call. All these features are readily available on a second-line app. You can set up a professional voicemail and auto-reply. When you miss a call, auto-reply will inform the caller through a pre-determined text why you couldn’t take the call and when they can expect to hear from you.

6. Dashboard

A good business phone will also provide you with a dashboard to manage your communication. The administrator will be able to change the passwords and other settings from anywhere. The dashboard will also give you data on your business phone usage.

A second-line app is a cost-effective business phone solution since you don’t have to buy a new device or SIM and can start with comfortable subscription plans.

In short

How do you choose the right business phone? It should make your operations run faster and smoother while making you more productive. It should also be cost-effective, easy to set up and simple enough for all your team members to use.