Last Updated 17 August 2008
Can everyone reach you by phone?
Are you making the phone process easy so that everyone can actually call you?
Can your international clients reach you easily by phone?
First Steps To Website Internationalization
These questions may sound obvious. And you will probably say yes to all of them. Think again.
Calling from abroad is not always as easy as you imagine. Even today situations still arise often enough where people abroad desperately try to reach someone by phone and just cannot get through.
Cross cultural miscommunication happens often enough in all situations, including communication by phone.
Improve Your Reachability By Phone
When cultural miscommunication happens, you need to be reachable. Being reachable can help you to answer questions before they become issues of miscommunication.
The question is: Are you always reachable to your international clients?
Several factors come into play in international business communication:
Time Differences
Time differences complicate international communication. When you put up your phone number, think of your international readers.
Give clear instructions when to phone and show them how to interpret your times.
If you have a 24 hour service, say so.
National Holidays
Different national holidays complicate international communication.
The problem here is more about letting your international visitors know that you are on holiday. Give them an explanation why you are not able to answer your calls and when you will be back in the office.
Different Work Weeks
Even different work weeks complicate international communication.
In the Middle East the weekends are not on Saturday and Sunday. Their days off fall on different week days. If you are targeting those markets, you might want to indicate how to best to reach you on your weekend.
Different Telephone Systems
There are different telephone systems and habits throughout the world.
Toll free numbers are only accessible from within your own country. They do not work for international callers. International callers can only call you on your fixed land line or mobile phone numbers.
If you are only emphasizing your toll free number prominently on your website and do not put your other phone number up clearly, you are sending a very loud signal that you are not interested in foreign clients.
Unclear Automated Call Forwarding Systems
Once you have your phone number clearly indicated online and your international visitor actually dials your number, there is another major pitfall.
Automated computer call forwarding systems are not always clear enough for all of your international callers. They may not understand your jargon. They may not understand how to fit their question into the choices you offer them.
Do not understand the difficulties your foreign visitors encounter when using your automated call forwarding system.
The best solution is to have one direct line for all foreign callers. You will be able to get better international market research data this way. If only one person answers the phone, that person, in time, will be able to give you valuable insights into your foreign markets.
Culture Clash In Call Center Location
There are also problems with outsourced call centers. Cross cultural communication blunders can be multiplied by three. There are three different cultures:
- Yours
- Your international client
- Your call center employee
These issues are a totally different subject. You may want to consider providing a way for your international clients to reach you in the event your call center cannot provide them with the right service.
Listen To Your International Callers
There is little you can do to prevent all cross cultural blunders created through bad phone communication.
There is something you can do to improve your communication. You can:
- Listen to them,
- Learn to pick up the warning signs early
- Learn how to handle them better
- Use your international calls to learn more about your foreign markets
Make A Good First Impression
Don’t hide your telephone number somewhere in small print.
Your international users may not find it. If they do find it tucked away somewhere, they will assume your international clients are few and far between, or that you do not really want any foreign clients.
Use Your Phone To Get International Sales
If you implement the points outlined above you will make a good first impression and facilitate easy phone communication.
Put your phone numbers in a way that catches the eye. Show the world you are happy to greet everyone no matter what their preferred method of contacting you is.
This article is part of a series to Internationalize Your Website. Here are the other articles in this series:
- 7 Easy Tips to Internationalize Your Website
- Internationalize Your Website 1 – Make Your Website Easy To Read For All Of Your Readers
- Internationalize Your Website 3 – Show The World Your Location
- Internationalize Your Website 4 – Create Clarity With A Consistent Vocabulary
- Internationalize Your Website 5 – Use The Right Order Forms For International Sales
- Internationalize Your Website 6 – Publish A Glossary For Clarity And Consistency
- Internationalize Your Website 7 – Welcome Your International Visitors
