Belgium is the second most important export partner of the Netherlands. It is therefore understandable that you are casting longing glances to the south. But how does your company conquer the Belgian market?

When it came to internationalization, it used to be common to open physical branches in new countries. Then came the importers and distributors, who represented companies abroad and answered customer questions. Nowadays, it is even possible to have a foreign branch in, for example, Belgium, complete with an address and telephone number, without being in the country yourself.

Whether you enter Belgium with ‘heavy artillery’ and immediately open a branch, or prefer to see which way the cat jumps with a virtual presence, you must in any case be easily accessible to your Belgian customers. You do this on the one hand, of course, with a Belgian website (at least bilingual) and on the other hand with a Belgian telephone number. In this article, you will get to know the Belgian national number and discover how your company can use it.

Why Belgium?

Before we look at which types of Belgian telephone numbers you can register with us, it is good to take a step back. Because why is it actually so attractive to do business with Belgium? And what should you pay attention to when you move across the border?

A major advantage that the Belgian market offers is, of course, the language. Flemings and Dutch people can understand each other perfectly, which facilitates doing business. That is not to say that you can communicate with Belgians in exactly the same way as with the Dutch. There are subtle differences in word usage, expressions and pronunciation, which require local help when you prepare your communication materials.

The distance to – and accessibility of – Belgium make this country a logical first choice for entrepreneurs when the Netherlands becomes too small. The open borders in the European Union make it easy to send a truck full of goods to our southern neighbors. And those who sell services instead of products have it even easier.

How exactly does doing business in Belgium work? It is, much more than in the Netherlands, important to first win the trust of your business partner. Therefore, take plenty of time to get to know each other, for example by having a leisurely dinner in a restaurant. Patience and modesty are other qualities that the Belgians particularly appreciate.

Two types of Belgian telephone numbers

Belfabriek is your partner when it comes to telephone numbers abroad. Thanks to our large selection, you can register a suitable number for all kinds of foreign branches. We also offer various numbers for Belgium. Let’s take a look at which Belgian telephone numbers we offer you and what their functions are, so that you can make an informed choice.

070 numbers

The numbers with the prefix 070 are national numbers, intended for services, information and competitions. They are not tied to a specific city or region. For companies that want to operate in several Belgian regions, these numbers are therefore ideal; they give organizations a national image.

Because 070 numbers have a premium rate, you determine how much the caller is charged. The call rate can be between € 0.15 and € 0.30 per minute. If you mainly provide information and few sales result from the calls, you may want to choose a rate at the top of this spectrum. With a combination of information provision and sales, you can go a little lower. If many calls result in sales, a low rate, or even a 078 number, is obvious.

078 numbers

In Belgium, a 078 number is also not tied to a region. In other words: you create just as much of a national image with it as with a 070 number. The difference is that the call costs for 078 numbers are more friendly. From wherever in Belgium the caller seeks contact, the costs are always those of a national call to a landline.

078 numbers are also intended for services, information and competitions. Whether you sell pizzas, provide financial advice or run a charity, a 078 number can be the perfect choice for this. At Belfabriek, choose from various available 078 telephone numbers.

Advantages of a Belgian national number

You understand: a Belgian telephone number is a good first step for organizations that want to be successful in Belgium. With your Belgian image, you show that you know and respect the local market, while it is much cheaper for callers to make contact than when they call the Netherlands. With a 070 or 078 number, you do not bind yourself to a specific region, but you appeal to the entire Belgian market.

Free extras

Requesting a national telephone number in Belgium is easy at Belfabriek. But number owners get so much more than just a Belgian telephone number. For example, at Belfabriek you benefit from all kinds of free extras, with which you optimize the customer experience of your callers.

Selection menu

“Press 1 for Dutch, appuyez 2 pour le français.” With the Selection menu function, you can easily build a menu with which you can direct callers to the right person or department. That saves a lot of manual forwarding, which reduces the average call time.

Digital answering machine

Does a Belgian customer call outside working hours or on a public holiday, or are there too many people waiting to be able to speak to him or her directly? Activate this option to let callers leave a message. You will receive an e-mail with the link to the recording immediately afterwards.

Online statistics

Which numbers call you most often and how long do calls last on average? What are the busiest days of the week and at what hours is the phone red hot? The online statistics dashboard My Belfabriek answers these and other questions, on which you can then base important decisions.

Call recording

Whether it is for internal training or for legal purposes, recording incoming calls is easy with this function. We store the calls securely on our servers.

Queue

If you are not immediately able to speak to a caller, this function places him or her in the queue. The music or recorded message of your choice plays while the caller moves towards the first place in the queue. When an employee becomes available, the caller is immediately connected to him or her.

These are just a few of the many features to which you get free access with a Belgian national number. Other functions are Belfilter, Direct forwarding, Changing destinations and Pre-announcement tone. And as if that were not enough, you also get an app with which you can operate all these functions from your smartphone or tablet.

Request your number today

So what are you waiting for? Check the page Requesting numbers in Belgium to see which telephone numbers are available and complete your request online. We look forward to being of service to you. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact one of our experts.