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On the surface, these three items fit well together.  Lawyers write contracts and need phone service.  Phone service providers have contracts. Well, only two of these things need to belong together...lawyers and phone service!  Many hosted VoIP phone providers are re-writing the rules in the communications industry and not requiring their customers to sign term contracts!

In taking such a position, these hosted VoIP providers are displaying tremendous confidence in their service delivery and billing practices.  "When we started the business ten years ago, we knew just how frustrated business owners were with being held to term contracts for their telecommunication services," indicates Robert Conner, CEO of sipVine, Inc.  "We wanted to take a dramatically different position in how we approach customer service and contracts.  By not requiring term contracts, we are seen as more of an extension of a business rather than a provider.  Thus, our customer churn rate is negligible."

Although attorneys have a place in their heart for contracts, they gravitate towards these "no-contract" providers for the benefits they can deliver to their firm.  Like other businesses, hosted VoIP phone service appeals to law firms for a variety of reasons:

• An Enterprise-level System at a Low Capital Investment - Many attorneys starting their own firm or managing their own firm have worked for a large practice before and have experience with the value of an enterprise-grade phone system. Where a hosted product can deliver similar features, it comes at a capital price tag of a fraction of an on-site phone system.  Because the actual phone system exists in the "cloud" (really the data center of the hosted VoIP provider), all the law firm needs to purchase are the VoIP phones and some other minor equipment.  VoIP handset manufacturers differ in price and quality, but it is easy to secure high quality VoIP handsets from a top tier manufacturer (such as Cisco and Polycom) between $100 and $200.  Thus, the price of their "system" is minor in comparison to on-site systems.
• Features that will Enhance their Communications - The features available with a hosted VoIP phone system are vast and have broad appeal. Attorneys utilize many, but several drive specific benefits to the firm. Examples include call detail records to aid billing efforts, call recordings to assist documentation, voicemail to email to relay important messages while the attorney is away from the office, and automated attendants to best route callers to the right individual.
• Custom Settings - Call flow design can direct callers to paralegal or other support as a screening step before an attorney is engaged. Good hosted VoIP providers can custom build a call routing routine that matches exactly the desires of the firm and which will better serve their customer base.
• Expert Administration - Law firms are in the business to serve clients, not to spend resources on administering their phone system. Good hosted phone companies provide administrative services for their clients, leaving law firms to practice law. Even self-service portals can take time away from the practice, so a telephone "concierge" service is very well received by firms of all sizes.

"Although sipVine serves many businesses from all market segments, one of our most highly represented vertical markets is the legal profession," continues Conner.  "Certainly, the features and benefits are a big driver, but how we support them has created a very loyal base.  They also network with each other well, and we're always receiving new clients based upon a recommendation from one of our law firm customers."

If you are a law firm, or a business who is compelled by similar features and benefits, a hosted VoIP system is a perfect fit.

About the author:  Mark Greim is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at sipVine, a provider of a variety of VoIP phone solutions and services. Mark has extensive experience working for start-up or entrepreneurial organizations and has a passion for affordable, reliable, and purposeful technology solutions in those environments. 

When looking at the customer demographics of Hosted VoIP buyers, professional service firms represent the largest category.  Marketing and Advertising firms are included in this category and are moving their phone services to Hosted VoIP at a rapid rate. 

Market Statistics

A recent report published by Software Advice  suggests that 33% of small businesses business buyers are in the Professional Services category.  At sipVine, a Hosted VoIP company based in Kansas City, we examined our customer profile and determined that 20% of our customers fall into this category, as we have a stronger percentage than normal in the finance, insurance, and real estate industry.  Within the professional services category for sipVine, 20% are made up of Marketing and Advertising type businesses. 

Traditional advertising agencies, web design, and marketing consulting firms dominate the customer profile, but we're also seeing many new entrants in this category.  Start-up firms specializing in digital marketing and social media are in need of a low investment, scalable solution for their business phone needs. 

Driving Factors for this Industry's Move to Hosted VoIP

As with most businesses, the advanced features offered by a hosted system are very attractive to firms in this market segment.  Many employees of these firms are very mobile, working with their customers on location or moving from meeting to meeting.  Having features such as voicemail to email, find me follow me, or soft phone applications, allow them to be reachable and very responsive with their client base. 

Further, these businesses do not need to invest in an expensive, on-site phone system to receive the benefit of these features.  One of the great benefits of a hosted platform is that the up-front investment is very affordable.  You are not paying for the system, installation, or the on-site resources to administer it.  Businesses only need to pay for the VoIP phones utilized. 

Another common feature valued by marketing & advertising firms is three way conferencing.  A account executive can conference a customer and an internal resource with a few strokes on the VoIP Phone.  Conference bridge services offered by many hosted providers can pull together large meetings of remote employees or customer contacts.

Finally, with a hosted service, employees or contracted resources can be on the company phone system wherever they are deployed!  We have seen where marketing firms hire resources where the expertise exists or deploy them where they can be most effective.  Thus, employees or contractors deployed on a customer premise, out of town, or simply working from home can all be provided VoIP phones or soft phone applications that provide the appearance that they are all working under the same roof!  They can be provided direct dial numbers and internal extensions and calls can flow to them.

Common Features are Great, but Customize Your Service

We've discussed several of the great features or attributes that make Hosted VoIP services right for these agencies and firms.  However, one thing that is apparent to us at sipVine is that most businesses operate differently and have divergent priorities when it comes to their internal and external communications.  The power in Hosted VoIP is that it is essentially a program, one administered by professionals.  Thus, Hosted VoIP providers are in a great position to listen to the needs, priorities, and unique characteristics and build the call flow, auto attendant, and phone set-up to match.

Take time to find a provider who will do just that for your agency or firm.  Hosted VoIP, custom built and deployed for responsiveness, should provide the communications platform that will arm your agency with another point of differentiation in a very competitive market.  Wow, I'm even sounding like a marketer!  

About the author:  Mark Greim is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at sipVine, a provider of a variety of VoIP phone solutions and services. Mark has extensive experience working for start-up or entrepreneurial organizations and has a passion for affordable, reliable, and purposeful technology solutions in those environments.