Dialing for Sales
We’ve said it before and it's always relevant, the telephone is essential to your sales team's ability to connect to as many prospects and customers as your operation can handle.
Traditionally, this was achieved through pounding the telephone until the numbers rubbed off. Then technology improved and platforms were created to solve one issue or another.
Furthermore, what has changed is that the days of meticulously using spreadsheets and manually dialing while updating the same spreadsheets are long gone. Technology has surpassed the legacy methods of traditional outbound sales operations.
The 3 Ps of outbound dialers
We’ve talked about it before - The 3 Ps of outbound dialers. An outbound dialer is technology that reduces the manual work of outbound calling so that sales teams and call center reps can focus on the most important part of the job: closing.
But there are different outbound dialer types, each suited to different business needs. Once upon a time they were analog. These days, though, most call centers use software — either locally hosted or cloud-based. There’s a lot you have to consider to make the right choice for your team. First, you need to know your options.
The Preview Dialer
The preview dialer first shows an outbound agent the record of a lead, then dials. Your agents may also have the option to skip the call or send it to another rep. This technology is ideal for situations where agents require background on who they’re calling.
The Power Dialer
The power dialer (or progressive dialer) calls numbers one after the other on behalf of an agent and connects the agent with answered calls. If a number is busy, wrong, or goes to voicemail, the dialer will automatically move on to the next number. When the agent’s call ends, the software starts dialing again. Your agents can spend the moments between calls reviewing customer information instead of calling.
The Predictive Dialer
The predictive dialer is similar, but it’s faster and more efficient. It dials multiple numbers simultaneously on behalf of a team and transfers answered calls to an available agent. With an advanced predictive dialer, you can choose parameters for call routing to ensure the right rep talks to the lead. This type of dialer may also automatically adjust its call rate to your agents’ availability so that calls don’t go unanswered. If your team prioritizes talk time, this could be the option for you. ReadyMode’s predictive dialer has the potential to triple agent talk time and increase conversions by as much as 300%.
Why A Predictive Dialer?
When looking for the best outbound dialer on the market, you’ll need to weigh the pros and cons of each type. Consider the calls you need to make, the size of your team and database, the way you work, your customers’ expectations, and the features you need to integrate with your system.
1. Increased efficiency leads to increased sales
Hitting sales targets is the number-one priority for all sales teams, call center representatives and managers. But when you’re using out-of-date technology, meeting those quotas is almost impossible. Dialing speeds and lines are capped, and when agents are looking at call sheets and keying in sequences by hand, the odds of making a mistake — whether punching the wrong number or calling the same customer twice — skyrocket.
2. Superior customer service for stronger leads
Whether you want blended inbound and outbound channels or not, predictive dialer technology can do wonders for customer service, satisfaction, and conversions. That’s because the best predictive dialer solutions are software-based rather than hardware-based, meaning they can integrate with customer relationship management (CRM) systems to improve lead targeting.
3. A significantly lower total cost of operation
Without modern solutions optimizing your call center, challenges abound. Legacy infrastructure, landlines, and a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system all cost money to maintain. Not to mention, scheduling lacks structure and cohesion. With legislation surrounding contact rates, the only way to reach a sufficient number of customers is by hiring more sales reps — which few call centers can afford.
With that in mind, the best call center improvement you can make is switching to a predictive dialer that’s cloud-based. As mentioned before, it significantly boosts efficiency, which means it also significantly reduces costs. And we all know that less manual entry, less human error, and less downtime leads to more savings. The overhead costs of maintaining legacy, on-premises hardware are simply too high, especially when there are such effective software-based alternatives.
Another benefit that can’t be overstated is compliance. One of the largest costs a business can incur is a fine when a call center inadvertently breaks consumer protection rules. An automated predictive dialer tool lets you cross-reference do-not-call (DNC) lists and add custom filters that keep you in step with complex and changing regulations.
4. Scalability according to your business needs
It’s impossible to mention cloud computing without talking about scalability. Across all industries, organizations are migrating their data to cloud-native platforms, allowing them the agility and flexibility to adjust operations based on their objectives, capabilities, and resources. This is critical for call centers, which frequently need to increase or decrease agent capacity on short notice.
Just as important is the ability to streamline processes. Having a complete call center technology stack — including both a web-based predictive dialer and a built-in CRM — means your agents and managers no longer have to navigate across multiple tools, platforms, and systems.
On that note: when investing in a call center solution, choose one that comes ready to deploy, with no downloads or integrations required. The whole purpose of a predictive dialer is to reduce complexity, and that means you shouldn’t be implementing new infrastructure that you’ll need an IT team to manage down the road.
5. Empowering agents to work from anywhere
In case you need another reason to consider moving to the cloud, look no further than the dramatic shift that's taken place over the past year. Distributed workforces are here to stay, and like all businesses, call centers need to be able to function remotely. A cloud-based predictive dialer and CRM empowers your agents to stay connected — and productive — from any location.
Bear in mind that the predictive dialers making the biggest impact for telemarketers are those with VoIP and a webphone, so that agents can place calls anytime, anywhere, with no extra costs or downloads. In fact, they technically don’t even need landlines or cell phones.
A strong call center improvement strategy starts with adopting a technology stack that checks all the boxes. That’s exactly what ReadyMode delivers. It not only enables your sales teams with a best-in-class, all-in-one solution that includes a predictive dialer, ACD, and a CRM, but also ensures top-of-the-line engagement opportunities and experiences for your customers and leads.
Even better, you’re not just getting a solutions provider — you’re getting a partner. The ReadyMode team works alongside you to customize a solution that does what you need it to do, and scales how you need it to scale. As you convert more leads, close more sales, and maximize your growth, you have a team of passionate professionals supporting you at every stage of the journey.
Closing
Take your time. And don’t forget to look ahead. This decision will benefit your team and boost your bottom line for years to come, especially if you choose an option that scales. ReadyMode’s predictive dialer has the speed and power large teams need, but its customization options mean it is built for calibration to any volume of sales. So, if growth is on your roadmap, you may have already found the best predictive dialer for your call center.
Connect With Us
If you are ready to ramp your sales team faster and get them on calls sooner with sophisticated, easy-to-use predictive dialing and CRM solutions, contact us, and find out how you can increase agent efficiency and close more business.
Contact our team to try ReadyMode today.