There’s no doubt that Google Voice has changed the way we communicate. Whether it’s making calls, sending texts, or even just checking voicemail, Google Voice makes it easy to stay connected on the go.
But what about when you’re trying to sell something on Craigslist? Can Google Voice help you there too?
Here’s a look at how you can use Google Voice with Craigslist to make your next sale.
First, a little background on how Google Voice works. When you sign up for a Google Voice number, you’re given a unique phone number that can be used to make and receive calls and texts. This number can be used on any phone, including your cell phone, landline, or even a VoIP service like Skype.
When someone calls your Google Voice number, it will ring all of the phones that you have linked to your account. You can even set up different rules for how each phone will ring (e.g., always ring my cell phone first). And if you’re not available to answer a call, you can set up voicemail so that the caller will hear a recorded message from you.
Now that we’ve covered the basics of how Google Voice works, let’s take a look at how it can be used with Craigslist.
If you’re selling something on Craigslist, chances are good that you’ll be dealing with strangers. This can be a bit of a daunting task for some people, but it doesn’t have to be. With Google Voice, you can screen your calls so that you only take calls from people who you want to talk to.
To do this, simply set up voicemail for your Google Voice number and include instructions on how to leave a message. Then, when someone calls your number and hears your voicemail message, they can decide whether or not they want to leave a message based on what you’ve said. This is an easy way to weed out unwanted calls from people who are just looking to waste your time.
Another way that Google Voice can be used with Craigslist is by setting up live chat for your listings. This is particularly useful if you’re selling something that could benefit from a bit of negotiation (such as negotiating price). By setting up live chat through Google Hangouts, you can easily chat with potential buyers in real-time without having to give out your personal phone number or email address. Best of all, Hangouts offers video chat so that buyers can see the item that they’re interested in before making a purchase decision.
Finally, one of the best things about using Google Voice with Craigslist is that it gives you the ability to track your results. With most online classifieds sites (including Craigslist), there’s no way to know how many people are actually seeing your listing. This makes it difficult to gauge whether or not your efforts are actually paying off . . . but not with Google Voice!
