Becoming an advisor is a great way to supplement your income and build your brand while helping others. But as with anything else in life, you get out what you put in. Below we've created a list of 10 helpful tips you may want to consider to help ensure your lines stay ringing and that your callers stay happy.
- Be reliable/update your availability - Try your best to honor the commitments you make to your callers. If you schedule a call for Thursday at 11am, be available for the call. Some advisors have been known take the extra step of confirming the scheduled appointment the day prior by using the direct message feature straight from their account. Equally as important, if you have your hours of operation listed on your page, make sure your 'call now' button is on during those hours. And in the event you are not able to take calls, simply change your status back to ‘unavailable.’ The more your customers can rely on you, the more likely you can rely on their patronage.
- Respond to questions/emails - When someone sends you a message or has questions about your services, respond to them. Each call has the potential to become a recurring, paying customer, so it really is in your best interest to reply to any inquiries you receive.
- Return missed calls with a message - Life happens, and sometimes we all miss calls from time to time. However, keep in mind that people are not only seeking your advice, but they are paying for it as well. Fortunately, your PaidByTheMinute call log has a record of all activity, including calls that you miss. These are easy to identify by the 00:00 marker under the ‘duration’ section. Don’t forget that you can always send the missed caller a message letting them know when you will be available.
- Make great listings - Think of your listings as an actual store front. Your store front represents who you are and it’s the first thing customers see. What do you want people to know about you? The better quality of listing and the more informative it is, the more likely you will attract quality callers.
- Verify your account - Verifying your account is the first step to getting paid. This is an important step, as it helps us help you run your advice line as efficiently as possible. The process usually takes 24hr - 72hrs. Once your account is verified you will be given the option to enter your payment details and receive automatic payments every month. Also, if you're an affiliate, verifying your account ensures that your referrals are getting paid and that you are receiving your percentage, as well.
- Don't go beyond your max call time - This is important! When you go beyond your max call time, you’re actually losing money. This is how it works — when you receive a call the system informs you of the maximum call time allowed for that specific caller (which means you know exactly how much money and time they have to spend with you). For example, if the maximum call time is 15 minutes, you’ll want to keep track of this time and end your session once it has been reached. If you miss the 15 minute mark your call will still continue, but now, each extended minute will be overdrawn from your caller’s account, and the listed pay per minute amount you’ve set (i.e., $0.99) will be deducted from your account (per minute) as well. This is why monitoring the maximum call time allowed is so important as you don’t want the money you’ve already earned to be counted against you. Most of our advisors set a timer to ensure the calls end when they are supposed to and some of our callers have been known to do so as well. The best part? Callers can always add more funds to their account and immediately call back to continue.
- Be kind - Unless your customer requests otherwise, you can’t go wrong when you’re kind to your callers. Simple pleasantries and decency go a long way, and if your goal is to make money, being kind can’t hurt.
- Establish a rapport - A rapport is a state of harmonious understanding with another individual or group that enables greater and easier communication. Each advisor has a different method of interacting with their callers, which is why PaidByTheMinute is so popular with both advisors and users. Our platform provides room for people from every background and for every walk of life. What matters is how well they communicate and how they make the person on the other end of the line feel. Getting to know the person you’re interacting with not only keeps the conversation going, but it can also make your callers feel valued and ‘heard,’ so to speak. Taking advantage of the opportunity to familiarize yourself with your customers can help establish a long term communicative relationship that will not only be helpful to them but will also help to grow your brand as a PaidByTheMinute advisor.
- No personal information, payment information or traffic redirect - For your safety, please do not display personal information anywhere in your listing, including the title. Do NOT request anyone to pay you outside of your PBTM account or send any payment method info i.e. PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, CashApp, Bank Account, or any other outside website links to receive payment. Doing so is a violation of our polices and it also makes you vulnerable to those who do not have your best interest in mind. To receive payment verify your account and enter your payment method. PaidByTheMinute.com takes privacy very seriously and appreciates your understanding.
- Use your "call now" button - Never underestimate the effectiveness of using the ‘call now’ button! This small but powerful feature is a great way to expand your business and to extend your online reach. Placing this button on your various social media pages and website (if you have one) helps to spread your listings without having to do anything more. Simply copy and paste the "call now" button found on your profile page to any webpage and with just a click, your new potential callers can take it from there. As always, if we can assist you in setting up your call now button, send us a message at info@PaidByTheMinute.com and we’ll be happy to do so.