Remember the days of fumbling with tiny SIM cards, trying not to bend them while putting them in your phones?
Those days are fading faster. Using a sim card in Nigeria for your business is becoming less advisable for business owners. What if you could ditch your sim card and still get a business phone number with even better features?
Sounds almost impossible right? It’s even better than you’re probably thinking.
Is Getting a Phone Number Without a Sim Card in Nigeria Possible?
It is very possible to get a phone number without a sim card. A phone number that works without a sim card is called a virtual number. It does everything a sim card does, and even more.
What is a Virtual Number?
A virtual number is a number that you can use to make and receive calls over the internet, with or without an internet connection. You can use it on your phone or even make calls from your laptop.
It is a single number that can be shared with multiple people, and this is why it is usually recommended for businesses.
Rather than getting a sim card in Nigeria for your business, you can get a Nigeria virtual number as your official business number, making it easy to connect with customers without having to use different numbers.
How Does A Virtual Number Work?
A virtual number does not need any physical set up. You can get it in minutes. Amazing, right? All you need to do is select a monthly subscription that fits your business size, and make the payment.
For example, a service provider like PressOne has even made it affordable for African businesses.
Get Started, See How It Works!
Fill out the form below to get a demo and see how it works. You also get to talk to sales in case you need more clarifications.
Why Is A Sim Card In Nigeria Not The Best Option (For Business Owners)?
A sim card is not the best option for your business for the following reasons:
1. A sim card is tied to a device
A sim card has to be in a physical device for it to work, which means you can’t use the number on more than one phone.
This is a great disadvantage, especially for business owners who are not always around their work places and need a staff to communicate with customers on the phone, but can’t because the customer only knows and trusts the owner’s number.
Infact, compatibility issues arise with getting a sim card in Nigeria when you try to match the size of the sim card slot to the sim card you want to get. Nano, micro, macro and the list keeps getting longer. Getting a phone number without a sim card for your business is a better option
2. Can be lost, stolen or damaged
If you are using a sim card fin Nigeria for business, then, this may not be great for you to hear but you’re relying on uncertainty. What happens when your sim gets damaged? Or your phone gets lost or stolen?
How will you contact all your customers and tell them that you’re no longer using that number? Even if you do, you may never do so on time, especially if you have a huge volume of customers?
What happens when the person who stole it decides to start extorting your customers and some of them fall victim to it? What will happen to your brand image? Will customers trust you anymore? What happens to all our contacts and how do you get them back?
The bottom line is, a sim card is not dependable for businesses, no matter how small the business is. A phone number without a sim card becomes a better option here.
3. Cannot be used to expand your business
What happens when you get an opportunity to expand your business, say, you get a client from the US who is interested in your products/services, but your system of communication (which is a sim card in Nigeria in this case), makes them distrust you?
Think about it, you’re using a local number to call them, the phone bill for that international call is huge, the connection is terrible. Uh-oh. Are you about to lose a big client and the chance of expanding your business?
A sim card makes you look small, and untrustworthy to potential customers. This is why you should get a phone number without a sim card for your business.
4. No business features
Can you transfer calls to your team members whenever you’re busy or record calls between your customers and staff so you know what exactly they are saying on the phone and how to improve their sales pitch? Or are they even stealing your customers behind their back?
Using a sim card in Nigeria for your business always sets you up to be shocked.
A sim card has no business features to help you manage and monitor your team or understand your customers better. The best alternative? Get a phone number without a sim card
5. No caller greeting feature
Do you have a caller greeting feature that greets your customers with a professional message when they call your business line? A caller greeting feature makes you look professional to customers.
Customers will hesitate to pay you what you’re worth if a sim card is all you have as your business number and it has no special features to show that your business is a big one.
For You:
- What is an eSIM? How To Get One in Nigeria
How Is A Virtual Number Better Than A Sim Card In Nigeria?
A virtual number is better than a sim card in so many ways:
1. Can be used on multiple devices
You can use your virtual number to make and receive calls on your phone, tablet, laptop or any other gadget you have that can make calls. The reason for this is that it is not physical, hence, you don’t need to put it inside only one device. All you need to do is to make sure all the devices are connected to the number (e.g through your provider).
This is a great advantage for businesses. As a business owner in Nigeria, you can make sure all members of your team use this number so that you have one single number which all your employees use and which all your customers know is your official number. That way, you won’t need to put two or more numbers on your flyers, banners or your website
2. Can never be lost, stolen, or damaged
Unlike a sim card in Nigeria, a virtual number can never be lost, stolen or damaged because it is not physical. No one can steal it because it’s not something you can see. Even if you do lose your phone or gadget, you can still have access to it because it’s a permanent number.
Also, you don’t need to be worried about people using the number to extort your customers because you can easily disconnect the person whose gadget was stolen from your dashboard. This makes it extra secure and protects your business from scammers.
3. Helps to expand your business quickly
With a virtual number, you have the option to get an international number and connect with customers outside of the country easily. This could even help you discover international markets where you can sell your products/services easily and communicate with customers easily. You’re literally one click away from expanding your business.
4. Affordable
A service provider like PressOne has different affordable plans which you can select to match the size of your business. There is the standard plan, growth plan and international plan depending on how big your business is and how fast you want to expand.
5. No physical setup
There’s no physical set up with a virtual number. You sign up and you get a number in minutes, then you add your team members and voila! You’re good to go. This makes it easy and convenient.
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Business Features Of A Virtual Number
Here are business features you can explore with a virtual number
1. Make a Stellar First Impression
When a potential customer calls, eager to learn about your services, instead of a generic voicemail or a dead end, they’re greeted by a professional welcome greeting message.
This personalized touch establishes trust and sets the tone for a positive experience. Unlike a sim card in Nigeria, business phone numbers with caller greetings make your business sound established and trustworthy, giving you a leg up on the competition.
2. Capture Every Conversation (No Detail Left Behind)
Ever missed an important detail during a customer call? With a business phone number, those days are over. Call recording allows you to capture every conversation between your team and your customers.
This is a win-win. A sim card in Nigeria cannot do this. With a virtual number, Play back the conversation to jog your memory or fill in the gaps. Recordings are important for coaching your team as soon as you identify areas for improvement and refine their sales techniques based on real customer interactions.
You can also analyze calls to identify ways to make interactions smoother and happier for your customers. Call recordings also help protect your business because they act as a clear record of conversations, valuable in case of misunderstandings.
3. Easy Call Transfer: The Customer Hero Moment
Imagine a customer calls your business with a specific request, but you’re not the right person to handle it. A regular phone line could lead to scrambling and potentially losing the sale.
Here’s where a business phone number with call transfer helps you. You can effortlessly connect them with the experts on your team, ensuring they receive the best attention they need. This shows professionalism and boosts customer satisfaction.
Infact, go a step further! Use PressOne’s Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to automate basic inquiries, eliminating the need for unnecessary call transfers and keeping your customers happy.
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4. Turn Calls into Sales with Powerful Analytics
Feeling lost in the marketing maze? Business phone numbers with call analytics can be your roadmap to success. These insights show customer behaviour patterns hidden within your calls. You can easily track your marketing performance
Did that radio ad pay off? See if it triggered a surge in calls, allowing you to pinpoint effective marketing campaigns.
You can also see how many calls convert into sales and pinpoint areas for improvement. This valuable data helps you improve your marketing strategies, attract more qualified leads, and ultimately convert those calls into paying customers.
5. Understand Customer Needs Before They Ask
Can sim card in Nigeria help you understand your customers better? Imagine a loyal customer calling about a recent purchase. With a proper virtual phone number featuring CRM integration, their entire history pops up on your screen during the call.
This lets you see their past purchases and preferences, allowing you to address their concerns efficiently and offer them relevant recommendations based on their past interactions.
CRM integration gives you valuable customer data, transforming each call into an opportunity to personalize your service and build strong, lasting relationships. With a business phone number, you’re not just making calls, you’re building a smarter, more successful business.
Here’s How You Can Get A Phone Number Without A Sim Card In Nigeria:
1. Visit PressOne and subscribe to your preferred plan.
2. The ‘Buy now’ button under your selected plan will take you to a signup page. Fill in your details accordingly.
3. A suitable plan will be recommended to you after you fill in your details. Click on “Subscribe to plan” to make payment.
4. Upon making your payment, you will be redirected to sign in to authenticate your account. An OTP will be sent to your registered number.
5. After you sign in, you will be given a list of numbers to select from.
6. Complete your setup and you are good to go.
Not sure how to go about it?
