Global connections: an interview with Maya van der Schuit, lead content marketer at Voys

This article is written by Neil Hodgson-Coyle and originally published on TechNews180 in July 2023.

We live in an era of rapid communication, where technological advancements have brought us closer than ever before. Today, we sit down with Maya van der Schuit, Lead Content Marketer at Voys, a pioneer in their field, to understand how they remain at the forefront of cloud-based phone systems for successful businesses and how they are helping to bridge the connectivity gap so that as many people as possible get the benefit of internet access.

As the world opens and businesses from all corners of the globe expand globally, strengthening the relationship between businesses and their customers becomes increasingly important. We look at what it takes to stand from the crowd and the nuances of expanding into the German market.

What motivated Voys to expand its VoIP service to Germany? Can you explain the key factors that influenced this decision?

We have a scalable product that’s a success in The Netherlands and we can easily bring the product to other countries. We have successfully expanded our business to Belgium and South Africa, and Germany was next on the list. We truly believe that our product enhances the relationships businesses have with their customers and we want to offer this experience in as many countries as possible.

By expanding our services to other countries, we can increase our impact. This is a key factor that drove us to expand into the German market.

How has the expansion into Germany impacted Voys’ overall business growth and market strategy? Can you discuss any notable milestones since entering the German market?

Entering the German market has had a significant positive impact on Voys’ business growth. Germany is the largest economy in Europe, and its strong business landscape presents a lot of opportunities for a VoIP provider like Voys.

In terms of market strategy, our entry into Germany required us to adapt and tailor our approach to the specific needs and preferences of German businesses. We conducted thorough market research to understand the local market dynamics and customer needs.

To cater to the specific needs of the German market, we have implemented customer support services in the German language, ensuring a seamless customer experience and effective communication. This localized support has been well-received by our German customers.

Notable milestones are for example showing the potential of growth we have in terms of customers. In January of 2023 alone we had approximately the same amount of new clients as we had in the whole year of 2022. All these clients were onboarded to our platform at high speed. Our product enables you to be up and running within 24 hours.

How did Voys differentiate itself from telecom providers in the German market? Can you highlight the features and benefits of Voys’ VoIP services that set it apart from its competitors in Germany?

Voys focuses on VoIP telephony for business and we are the most experienced VoIP provider in the B2B telecommunications market. We have been providing a cloud-based phone system for future-proof companies for more than 17 years. Our customers have been rating our service and product with an average grade of 8.8 in over 4.000 reviews. That’s the highest rating in the telecom market worldwide.

We sell a product that provides smart companies the opportunity to build better relations with their customers. We develop the whole platform, the smartphone app, and the browser-based webphone ourselves.

With our product, our customers can focus on what is important: the relationship they have with their customers. We offer many smart features to strengthen that relationship, for example Voys Reach. This feature makes sure calling customers directly talk to the colleague that can best answer their questions. Without the hassle of a queue, selection menu, or call transfers. This makes our product stand out: we’re the only one in the market that offers this solution without having to integrate with other systems or tools.

Also, Voys is organized in a non-traditional way: we work with self-management and we have a self-imposed 1% connectivity tax. With these donations, we support 48percent.org, our foundation that works on closing the digital divide. Connecting more customers means we can have a bigger positive impact. Not only by more donations for our foundation 48percent.org, also by being an inspiration in working together as equals and providing software that gives people an equal voice.

Could you provide insights into Voys’s challenges while expanding into Germany?

The German market is really interesting for us because in The Netherlands VoIP is commonly known and used. German companies tend to be moving to the cloud later than others, and it’s a very conscious decision.

When we started offering our services in Germany, we did so in English. Our website, product, and support were all in English. This was the most scalable and fastest way to expand and we gave it a try. The result? It didn’t work. We found out that the German market asks for another approach. Currently we offer our website, product, documentation, and support in German to match the needs of the market

Can you explain the decisions and steps to support German customers that ensure a smooth transition from Dutch to German customers?

We document as much as we can. We like to label ourselves as an information organization, which means that all processes are documented for example. This makes it scalable and easy for colleagues to follow the processes.

Besides that, we have German colleagues who can help and support our customers in Germany. Both the Dutch and German speaking colleagues are part of the same support or advice team. This way we make sure our work is aligned and everyone’s up-to-date about recent product developments and process changes.

We are committed to ensuring a seamless transition for our German customers, and that includes actively seeking feedback to understand their satisfaction levels, pain points, and areas where we can improve. This valuable feedback will be carefully considered to refine and enhance our service offerings, address any customer concerns, and continuously improve our ability to meet the evolving needs of the German market.

As Voys continues its expansion across Europe, what are the main lessons from the German market entry that will advise the company’s approach in future expansions?

The most important lesson is that we can offer the same product in different countries, but that we can’t use the same approach. Not every market has the same needs.

Other main lessons from Voys’ entry into the German market that will guide future expansions across Europe include the importance of thorough market research and localization, strategic partnerships with local entities, tailored marketing and branding, prioritizing a customer-centric approach, compliance with local regulations, and embracing a culture of continuous improvement based on customer feedback.