Telecom company VoxSun opens new doors by communicating in French
Montreal-based telecom company VoxSun prides itself on helping companies across Canada and the United States communicate with its hosted phone systems in the cloud. But in their home province, they’re especially proud of being able to deliver the same great service in French. When CTO Paulius Gedrikas was helping to build the company in 2012, he and founder Jeremy Pastel noticed a lack of companies serving Quebec in French. When it comes to technology, being able to serve a client in his or her language using the proper technical terms is imperative. “What we realized is there’s a lot of untapped potential in the French-speaking market, both on the island of Montreal and especially off it,” said Gedrikas. “We found certain parts of Quebec where their choices were limited and they were paying a lot as a result.” But to properly enter the Quebec market and attract new clients, Gedrikas — whose first language is Lithuanian — knew he had to get his French up to par. Although he attended primary and secondary school in French and could communicate fairly well, his French was a bit rusty. “The main thing that always bothered me about my French was my speed,” he once they got more comfortable. Internal emails are sent in French, and Gedrikas, who started his first company at 15, credits the habit of email writing and editing as having helped him improve the speed at which he communicates in French. It’s now become second nature to him. The positive results of speaking French at VoxSun have been noticed, with increased business both on and off the island of Montreal. It’s one thing to have said. “I can think faster and type faster in English. But it’s the aspect of my French that has improved by leaps and bounds the last few years. It took perseverance.” Recognizing the benefit of having everyone at the company on board, VoxSun instituted programs to help employees improve their French, with specialized language software they could use to study while on company time, as well as conversational learning classes with teachers over the phone marketing materials in French and being able to sell the right products, but afterwards there’s a lot of work to be done to keep the phone systems up and running, and any miscommunication can turn a small issue into something much bigger. “When it comes to small companies, their tech teams usually only consist of a few people,” Gedrikas said. “They’re usually overworked and averse to change because they’re trying to keep everything running. By being able to speak in French, we can put technicians at ease and work towards finding solutions to their needs.” Gedrikas called technicians his “eyes and ears,” and by being able to speak with them directly and build trust, VoxSun has been able to gain pivotal new contacts. The next step for growth at VoxSun was to design features specifically adapted to the French market in Quebec. They’re the only cloud phone system provider in North America with a voicerecognition system included for free, meaning clients can pronounce someone’s name instead of having to key in their last name in a directory. “We specifically tweaked our system to work better with Quebec names and pronunciation,” Gedrikas said. “We also ensured that all aspects of our system are available in French — web interfaces, the phones themselves, system prompts, user guides — and easy configuration to be bilingual. “There are a lot of opportunities in Montreal and even Quebec itself that people are starting to recognize,” Gedrikas added. For anyone in business who’s perhaps nervous about entering the francophone market for the first time, Gedrikas observed that their attempts were met with positivity and support. He continues to learn new words and expressions every day. “I’m a big proponent of jumping in the water and trying. Try to get some French clients, try a French marketing campaign,” he said. If a company doesn’t, Gedrikas said they’re missing out on the chance to grow. “When you’re growing a company, you want to make the most of all the opportunities that come your way,” he explained. “By not serving the French market, you’re losing out on opportunities. It’s about reaching your potential.”