Running a call centre can sometimes feel like an impossible juggling act. No matter how skilled your professional agents are, the process of manual dialling is often fraught with disruptions like interruptive answering machines, disconnected calls, fluctuating contact rates, unanswered calls and hold tones that seemingly last an eternity.
But… Thanks to the recent introduction of auto dialler software, it’s now possible to reduce these disruptions and optimise your agents’ time - boosting customer engagement, profits, return on investment and ultimately, your team's sanity!
Understanding the myriad of benefits, if you’re new to outbound automated calling software - this guide is for you! Let’s start off by answering the lingering question… what actually is automated outbound calling?
Automated outbound calling involves using specialised software to connect businesses with their customers as efficiently as possible. Automated predictive software works to automatically dial phone numbers from a list, and if the person at the other end of the line picks up, the software will connect them to a sales representative or if they happen to be away, play a pre-recorded audio message!
As you can imagine, software like this can greatly enhance the data collection process, communication quality, and customer service provisions across almost all industries, particularly those that heavily rely on sales calls to meet targets. Luckily, there’s a range of different automatic diallers available to suit both your budget and existing IT setup, including:
- The outbound predictive dialler: Which attempts to connect with multiple telephone numbers simultaneously to maximise efficiency. This doesn’t mean that sales agents need to speak to several people at once - instead, the dialler uses an intuitive algorithm to predict how long calls will take, so that it will start placing another call before the brand representative reaches the end of their call script. MaxContact’s outbound predictive dialler will allow you to remove answer machines, no answers and disconnected numbers from lists, allowing your agents to do what they do best – converting more leads for your business.
- The power dialler: Power diallers, also known as progressive diallers are synced with contact lists and place future calls immediately after the preceding one has ended.
- The preview dialler: This dialler allows sales reps to preview telephone numbers and caller details before accepting calls, arming them with the context they need to have a successful conversation.
So, all in all, with increased efficiency, time saved and better conversations - the benefits of automated outbound calls for the sales rep are a no-brainer! The question is then … How does this investment benefit your customer’s experience? In fact - more ways than you might think!
You can schedule calls that align with customer preferences
Predictive diallers allow businesses to maintain updated CRM’s and client databases, harbouring vital sales enablement information like customers’ preferred call times. This virtual cheat sheet allows reps to personalise their calls as much as possible - improving relationships, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, results!
Automated diallers prevent burnout and make representatives better at their jobs
Free from the hassle of manual dialling customers, sales reps who use automatic dialling tend to be easier and more pleasant to deal with. A recent study into the health of contact centre workers found that a significant occupational stress factor was organisational injustice such as unsatisfactory supervision, as well as job demand. The study uncovered that such stressors can impact contact centre agents mental health, ultimately affecting job satisfaction and quality of work.
By investing in an automated dialler like MaxContact’s, you can empower your workforce with manageable workloads - which will in turn, prevent burnout in your sales teams and boost call quality, encouraging a trickle-down effect organisation-wide.
Monitoring systems help manage call quality
The large majority of automated dialling softwares include features that allow managers to access call recordings and track agent performance. As part of this, sales leaders can track and monitor a range of customer experience metrics to identify how sales reps could improve their interactions with customers. Particularly useful for continuous improvement initiatives, this feature would also prove invaluable for helping new hires find their feet.
With the software evidently second-to-none for both reps and customers, it’s time to prove automated outbound calling’s triple-threat status… how can it transform the efficiency of your contact centre?
It automatically deletes unproductive numbers
Most auto dialling software is programmed to clean out unproductive numbers that are marked Do Not Disturb (DND) or linked to fax machines. In the long term, this continuous cull will reduce time wasted and improve overall operational efficiency.
Ensures leads are contacted quickly
It’s been shown that calling contacts as soon as they become leads can increase conversions by up to 49%. Recognising this, an automated dialler can sync up with CRM (customer relationship management) data to ensure that reps can act as soon as the contact record notification comes through that the lead stage has been updated - speeding up the sales outreach process!
Collects customer information and generates more leads
Most auto dialling software comes with self-service features which allow customers to input personal contact details themselves; saving your customer service representatives time manually recording basic details when taking calls, and simplifying lead management by putting power back into the customer’s hands.
Increases agent talk time per hour
With all of these features working in unison, it’s no secret that an automated dialler will free up your reps time for more successful calls, improving the overall efficiency of your contact centre.
Now that you’re up to speed with the benefits, it’s time to ascertain the key features that will make your auto dialling software work for you. Features to look out for include:
Different dialling modes
Do you require a preview dialler, progressive or predictive dialler? Many businesses benefit from all, so you should check for software that has the capability to switch between modes automatically once a set number of staff members have logged on - reducing the number of dropped calls you experience. With MaxContact’s platform, you can easily switch between dialling modes – preview, progressive and predictive dialler – or use a mix of dialling modes depending on your call centre’s strategy.
Data grouping
Look for software that allows you to prioritise specific data sets. This feature will enable you to make targeted calls based on demographic information such as age, gender, location, occupation, and more.
‘Do Not Call’ lists
Protect your reputation and save time with customisable Do Not Call lists.
Automated post-call features
Help your agents move seamlessly on to their next call by automating the post-call actions. You might like to record a message explaining your company’s terms and conditions or even leave them with an interactive voice response system!
Immediately, an automated dialler can improve sales team performance, boost conversions, nurture strong customer relations and have your business running like an automated sales machine. In the long term, it will enhance your brand’s reputation and ultimately, increase your business outcomes. So, if you need your business to remain competitive, an automated dialler is a must-have.
With this overwhelming evidence at your disposal, only one question remains unanswered… How can MaxContact support you in implementing an automatic dialling system?
Whatever your industry, our premium outbound dialler contains all the special features you need to nurture leads and keep existing customers onside. To find out more about our services and discover how we could transform your call centre, don’t hesitate to book a free demo today!
.png)
From the blog
