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Snooze for Success

If you are working under a nine-to-five work schedule, chances are you may experience drowsiness, getting impatient and lose focus after eight hours of being awake. Studies have shown that a power nap or midday nap can do wonders for you and increase productivity in your work. This will truly be beneficial to you most especially when your work is filled with stress and you are having difficulty keeping up.

Studies reveal that power napping or taking a twenty-minute light sleep can help you physically and improve your cognitive thinking. Twenty minutes of sleep in the afternoon in actuality provides more rest than twenty minutes of sleep in the morning. Our bodies seem to have been designed this way as our bodies have the tendency to get tired in the afternoon even if we have had eight hours of sleep the previous night.  The knowledge about power napping’s benefits can help you overcome work-related exhaustion. Read on and be more productive as a result.

The Benefits of Power Napping

• Reduces stress – Power nappers wake up feeling renewed and full of energy as compared to those who do not. So if one is feeling burned out, this is recommended so that you can perform more productively for the rest of the day.

• Be more creative –If you are having a mental block or having problems writing your report taking a quick nap enables you to think of fresh ideas without too much effort. Relaxing your brain can also make you come up with innovative solutions to your problems.

• Good for the heart – Taking a midday siesta can help decrease your stress levels, which in turn reduces pressure to your heart. In the long run, this can lower risks of heart-related ailments.

• Improved cognitive functioning – You can also improve your memory after taking a power nap. It helps you to make better decisions since it improves the brain functions and your reflexes.

• Improves your mood – If you are feeling cranky or impatient, probably due to stress from your work, have yourself a quick nap to perk you up and make you calm but alert. Naps help balance your body hormones and boost your consciousness.

Perfecting the Power Nap routine

The best time to take a nap is between 1:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon after your lunch. Avoid drinking anything with caffeine and foods rich in sugar and fat, as this will inhibit you from sleeping. Eat foods rich in protein and calcium instead as they encourage sleep. To benefit most from your brief sleep, make sure that you have no disruptions.

Let your phone’s RingCentral voicemail feature do its job. Find a quiet, dark place to stimulate melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone. To avoid oversleeping, set your alarm that will ring after twenty minutes. Don’t stand up quickly as this will make you imbalanced or disoriented. Washing your face or drinking a glass of water can also help.

Coffee vs. Nap

If productivity is the issue, some office managers may discourage taking naps and suggest you drink coffee instead. Although both have restorative powers, it all depends on the situation given the correct approach you should take. If you are irritable, or you lack creative insight, a power nap can solve this.

If the work you do involves strenuous or continuous physical activity like in the case of a fast food crew, then coffee is the solution for you. To enjoy both, talk to your boss and enlighten them about the benefits of taking power naps. A little helpful information shared with coworkers could go a long way in making work less stressful.

Tags: business, lifestyle, self improvement, voicemail, working

Five Critical Voicemail Mistakes to Avoid

What would you do if you receive a message on your voice mail that goes like “Hello, this is Mary from Macy’s. Please call me back as soon as you can.” Would you actually give Mary a call or just ignore the message? My guess is as good as yours. There is a bigger chance that you’ll ignore the message because it is boring and dull.

What many business owners and sales people do not realize is that voice mail messages are powerful tools to generate leads. The earlier message was lifeless and wasn’t interesting at all. How will the recipient of the message call her back? And worst, the effort of calling several people will result in nothing. If you’re a business owner, use voice mail to your advantage. Do it right and avoid these critical mistakes.

1. Not Leaving Your Number. Come on, how can you expect someone to call you back if you don’t leave your number? The recipient of the call won’t have any idea on what number to dial and surely, he won’t be willing to look for it as well. It’s not as if everyone had a RingCentral voicemail number (imagine the convenience of not having to memorize another phone number!) that can trace back your call. Many sales people forget to leave their number at the end of the message. When they remember, they’d leave another message which is just totally awkward.
2. Being Dull and Boring. No one in this world would like to receive a dull and boring voice mail message especially from someone who is trying to make a sale. To put it simpler, be enthusiastic when leaving a message. Show confidence in the product and service you are offering. Show the prospect that they will be missing something if they don’t call you back. If you’re enthusiastic, you will rub off on the recipient too.
3. Not Saying the Purpose of the Call. When leaving a voice mail message, introduce yourself properly and follow it up by stating the purpose of the call. If you don’t, both of you will just be disappointed. The recipient would not know who you are to begin with. Hence, another wasted effort on your part. On the other hand, there are instances that the prospect may call you back but only to be disappointed in what he will hear. To set expectations, state the purpose of your message. Moreover, don’t forget to give a good reason why the recipient should call you back. Entice him and make him believe that calling you back is worth a shot.
4. Not Telling When You’re Free to Talk. Although the recipient of the voice mail message is not obliged to call you back, but when he does, he would also think about the best time to call you. If you state in your message the best days and time to call you, this can guarantee the prospect that he can get a hold of you and you’ll have a fruitful conversation. Aside from that, it will be wise to leave your e-mail address as well as some people are not really comfortable talking on the phone with a stranger.
5. Not Setting the Call Time Frame. You know why people avoid the calls of credit card agents? Because the call takes so long. Hence, you must guarantee your prospect that the call will not take long. Be specific. You can say that he only has to listen to you for a minute or less. Most people will feel more comfortable in calling you back.

Voice mail messages are an effective tool to generate leads for your business. Do not waste this opportunity to make a sale.

Tags: error, mistakes, voicemail

More Tips in Using a Voicemail Number

Voicemail number has been part of the business communication system for quite a while. Many users are already acquainted with it and somehow, its features and uses are no longer a big deal for them. We also know that the business world demands a lot from people who are part of it.  And so, reaching for business contacts over the phone should not be a tedious task. Busy people who hear a busy signal, out of coverage area or even a message such as “I will get back to you later” tend to just hang up because their time is so important. So to help solve these issues, you should know more about the innovative features and benefits of voicemail number for your mobile phones and phone systems.

These numbers are a must-have for everyone, even if you are just using it for personal use or business use. If you think that nobody uses the voicemail anymore or nobody owns a voicemail number these days, then you are wrong. Maybe you are not familiar with the advantages and benefits the voicemail number has to offer. There are several instances where voicemails are more ideal choice over other communication tools, and this is why a number of service providers like RingCentral have chosen to begin offering them. Voicemails are more likely to be received than text messages. For example, text messages can be lost over the network, but voicemails are always received, stored and received no matter what.

Customize your voicemail message

The business world has no room for any missed calls. Every call is an opportunity for business transaction. In addition, a business company that could be reached 24/7 is the current trend in the industry. This only means that you are ready to serve your customers, anytime and any day of the year. Of course, the right solution to this is by getting your own voicemail number. After acquiring a number, the next step you need to do is recording the effective voicemail greeting that will leave a good impression to your customers. Most phone services are now giving their customers an option to customize voicemail greeting. When creating your voicemail greeting, you need sound professional and formal. Make sure that you keep your greeting short but direct to the point. Nobody wants to hear a never-ending message or any unnecessary details and information.

Useful tips to make a good and impressive voicemail greeting:

• Your voicemail greeting should not last for more than 25 seconds.
• It should start with a greeting such as hello or thank you.
• Always state your full name in your message.
• Make sure you don’t forget your company or department.
• State in your message the reason why you cannot take the call.
• Encourage your caller to leave you a message.
• Never forget to include when the caller can expect a call-back from you or your office.
• If there is someone available to answer their call, state the name and contact number of the person they can reach for immediate help.

Voicemail numbers are designed to fit the different requirements of businesses and individuals. By personalizing your voicemail greeting, you can maximize the potential that a voicemail number can provide to you.

Tags: voicemail, voicemail number, voip

Getting a Separate Voicemail Number: Is It Necessary?

With the rise of technology and its continuous advancement, the use of a voicemail number may sound too outdated. Companies that provide voicemail options, like Ringcentral, for example, see differently. Many people think that talking to a machine is now a bit awkward, since mobile phones are often more accessible for those who want to send messages to a particular person.  But for business purposes, text messages are still a secondary option compared to voicemails. The latter involves speech and personality, thus, it is an easier and more effective way to communicate than any other method.  Since business calls entail vital details and messages, they should be expressed by the caller in a personalized, clear and accurate manner. The receiver, on the other hand, should be able to comprehend fully what the caller is trying to convey.  A voicemail for your business makes this all possible, even if you are unable to answer your calls.

Receive Calls through Your Number Anytime

No matter how much you want to be available for your callers 24/7, there are times when you simply need to get off from work, away from all the calls and demanding life.  These are the times when your number will be serving at its best, since all unanswered calls can be routed to it at your preference.  You can even choose to have a personalized greeting in line with your business slogan or the business type. This personal touch of will assure your customers that they are on the right line.

Trouble-Free Access to Your Voicemail

Whenever you want to hear your voice messages, you can opt to have trouble free access without having to dial your number anymore.  This feature is made possible by receiving notices through emails, an online account with your service provider or directly from your telephone unit.  A separate number does not imply additional efforts—rather, when combined with practical service features, will create an efficient telephone system for your business.

Optimized Security with a Unique number

With your business’s future greatly depending on your telephone, it is important to have your line secured from any unauthorized access.  A unique number other than your business telephone number will prevent anyone from getting access to critical voice messages without your permission.  This will not cause any trouble or delay in receiving voicemails from your callers because their calls will simply be directed to your voicemail without having to dial another set of number.  In other words, it is a vital security measure that will ensure the safety of decisive information involving your business, its relation with its customers and its overall operations.

If you are caught between getting a separate voicemail number or not, then the answer to your dilemma is your desire for competence, practicality and security.  If you want to achieve these things, then you should take into consideration the tools of communication that your business makes use of—including fundamental and key features that only premier telephone services provide.  Voicemail may sound too obsolete, but in actuality is part of the modern world of telecommunications and Internet combined.

Tags: voicemail, voicemail number