This post was originally published at advisors4advisors.com on July 27, 2009. For continuously updated news, information, and commentary relevant to financial advisors, sign up today.
Nearly all wealth management firms are experiencing declining revenues and increasing operating costs, compressing profit margins in all areas. Here is one simple solution to save time and money on a ubiquitous entry in a firm’s operating expenses: long distance phone calls.
Google has a free 411 service, GOOG-411, that allows users to call nearly any business nationwide and connect for free.
How It Works
GOOG-411 is simple to use. From any phone, dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-4664-411). At the prompt, say the business name followed by the city and state. GOOG-411’s voice recognition will attempt to match the request to businesses listed in its ever-growing directory. If the request is recognized, GOOG-411 offers the top listing and will automatically connect to the business unless given other instructions.
GOOG-411’s voice recognition saves time when calling businesses. Advisors no longer need to look up a business phone number in Outlook Contacts, the company CRM, a misfiled business card in a Rolodex, or (gasp) and handwritten address book. Simply pick up the phone, say the business, and get connected.
If the request is unclear or doesn’t match a listing exactly, GOOG-411 will announce top matches from which users can select by simply saying “connect me.”
Here’s a 90 second video from Google on how easy GOOG-411 is to use.
Is Your Firm Listed?
If GOOG-411 is a cost-effective solutions for advisors, think about how clients may use it, particularly those living in other states. Instead of dialing the firm’s toll number, clients can call GOOG-411, say the business name, and if the firm is listed, get connected immediately without having to pay a dime in long distance.
So stop reading this post right now. Call 1-800-GOOG-411. Say your firm’s name, city, and state. Are you in Google’s listing? If not, you need to change this immediately.
Get Listed on GOOG-411
Google 411 works on the information provided by Google Maps. To update your firm’s listing in Google Maps, follow the link provided in this FAQ:
http://mobile.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=76434
Eliminate Your 800 Number, Too
Not only can advisors save money by using GOOG-411, they may also consider dropping the toll-free number that cuts into the bottom line.
This is a great opportunity to touch clients, too. Communicate to clients located in other states and let them know about Google 411, how easy it is to use, and how clients can use it to call your firm for free. Not only can clients call your firm for free, but they can call nearly any business nationwide for free. That’s a great money saving tip that I’d appreciate receiving from my advisor.
In summary, saving on long distance calls may not seem like much, but it’s a simple step to reduce costs. It’s just one way advisors4advisors.com is trying to help advisors save money and operate more efficiently.
