The first thing you learn on most time management courses is to switch on your voicemail and screen calls. But by missing that call, you risk losing business.

Most customers won’t leave a message on a machine, and even if they do, they’re likely to immediately call the next company on the list. If your rival picks up the phone – you’ve lost the deal.

Yes, being available for inbound phone calls can seem to take up a lot of your time, and even stop you from working productively sometimes, but remember that the telephone is a business tool and as such, needs to be managed effectively.

First things first, always answer the phone with a proper business greeting. Make sure you say your company name and your name clearly. This will not only confirm to your caller that they’ve reached a business number, but save a surprising amount of time on questions from them.

Try and stay professional. You might be working from home on your mobile, but a caller doesn’t need to know that. Nor do they need to know that you have two children and a dog. Make sure you can leave the room and go to a quiet place to take your business calls.

Do you really want to discuss that potential new deal in the supermarket?

If you do run a home based business you should really consider having a separate telephone number just for the company. It’s so much more professional. And at very least this number will need to have an answering machine and voicemail for the times when you can’t reasonably get to it.

Unfortunately this brings us back to the problem of missed calls. Do you risk sounding unprofessional? Or losing a customer? Not much of a choice is it.

Well there is a solution. The virtual receptionist service from CSnotepad.

Have your telephone answered by a professional and fully trained human being who will deal with the call appropriately, as per your instructions. You’ll easily recoup the cost by not missing those important calls from potential customers.