Nowadays, the outbound dialer is an essential tool for any contact center that wants to improve its sales and customer service performance. An outbound dialer makes it possible to automate the outbound calling process., significantly increasing the number of contacts handled by operators.
Choosing the right outbound dialer, however, is not easy. There are many solutions on the market that differ in functionality, integration, scalability and price. To make the best choice, you need to carefully consider what your needs are and what features are most important for your contact center.
What is an Outbound Dialer
An outbound dialer (or outbound dialing system) is automated software that allows contact centers to make calls to numerous contacts simultaneously. This tool is is primarily used for marketing and sales purposes, but can also be used for informational or customer service purposes. With the use of an outbound dialer, the system automatically places calls to phone numbers on a predefined list, without a human operator having to manually place the call. When the recipient answers the call, he or she is automatically connected to a customer service or sales representative who handles the call.
Why it is important to choose the right Outbound Dialer
Choosing the right outbound dialer can have a significant impact on a contact center's performance and brand reputation. Efficient software can reduce wait times, improve call handling, and increase customer satisfaction.
Using an outbound dialer obviously enables companies to make a large number of calls in a short time, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing operating costs. In addition, an autodialer can be programmed to make calls at certain times or days of the week to maximize the chances of contacting recipients.
However, using an outbound dialer can also pose some risks. For example, if the system makes too many calls in a short period of time, it may be considered spam and cause irritation to call recipients. And if the system is used for sales purposes, it can be considered invasive and lead to a negative perception of the company.
Features to consider when choosing an Outbound Dialer
There are several factors to consider when choosing an automated dialer for a contact center. Here are the most important ones:
Ease of use
A good outbound dialer should be easy for the whole team to use. This means that it must have an intuitive interface and offer technical support in case of problems.
Reliability
Reliability is another crucial factor in choosing an automatic dialer for outgoing calls. Reliable software should ensure high call quality, without interruptions or loss of connection.
Price
Certainly it is also important to consider price in the selection process. A good outbound dialer should offer excellent value for money, with no hidden costs or unexpected expenses.
Advanced Features
But above all, functionality is the key aspect: advanced features can make all the difference in an autodialer. These include the ability to schedule calls, manage contact lists, monitor performance in real time, and integrate with other software.
The key features of an outbound dialer
But what, then, are the features to focus on when choosing an outbound dialer for your contact center?
Predictive dialing
Predictive dialing is the technology behind most modern autodialers. It works by statistically analyzing average wait, abandonment, and response times to predict when an operator will be available and automatically connect them to a lead's call.
This optimizes downtime between calls, significantly increasing the number of outbound contacts that can be handled by each operator.
Progressive dialing
Progressive dialing is a more conservative mode, makingcalls proportionally to the number of available operators, without making statistical predictions. Useful for less aggressive campaigns.
Preview dialing
With this feature the operator can see the lead information a few seconds before the call is connected. This allows you to better prepare for contact.
Lead prioritization
More advanced outbound dialers allow leads to be scored and prioritized so that the most promising or urgent leads are contacted first.
Call recording
Being able to record calls is very useful for checking their quality, doing training, and meeting regulatory obligations in some areas.
CRM Integration
Integration with the corporate CRM enables real-time synchronization of leads and contact data, making processes more efficient.
Reporting and dashboards
Real-time reports, customizable dashboards, and advanced business intelligence features make it easier to monitor performance and optimize campaigns.
Technical characteristics that an outbound dialer may present
In addition to functionality, there are equally important technical aspects to evaluate when choosing an outbound dialer:
Cloud architecture
Cloud-based autodialers offer several advantages, such as zero hardware investment, automatic upgrades, and elastic scalability.
Security and compliance
GDPR and data privacy and security compliance is critical when handling large volumes of sensitive data.
Integrations
APIs and connectors to easily integrate the outbound dialer with your CRM, call center and other systems are very useful.
Scalability
The ability to quickly scale up the number of lines and stations as needed allows for better management of seasonality.
Service costs
Finally, outbound service costs should be carefully considered:
- One-time costs vs. monthly fee
Some services have upfront fixed costs others a monthly fee. Better to evaluate total costs and flexibility. - Pay-as-you-go costs
The cost per minute of call or per number of contacts can greatly affect variable costs. - Packages and volumes included
Some services already include basic packages of minutes or contacts. Important to understand what volumes are included by default.
Motion Bull Dialer: the outbound dialer from XCALLY
Motion Bull is an automated outbound dialer that generates calls from a list and connects contacts to agents or forwards calls to an IVR based on the campaign. This improves the efficiency of call handling by preventing agents from making calls manually.
Motion Bull can be used for different types of applications, including:
- Call Back
- Booking reminder
- Automated Surveys
- Tele-selling and Telemarketing
- Tele-Alarms
The Motion Bull Dialer also offers the following functions:
- In a Queue Campaign, the dialer generates calls to contacts in a list and places the call in a queue. When the contact answers the call, available agents in the queue will be able to answer and connect to the contact.
- In an IVR Campaign, the dialer generates calls to contacts from a list and puts the call into an IVR only when the contact answers the call. This type of campaign is usually used for surveys and does not depend on the status of the queue or the availability of agents in the queue.
- In Real-Time, agents and campaigns can be monitored in real time.
Conclusions
Choosing the best outbound dialer for one's needs requires evaluating the features, integrations, performance, scalability and cost of different solutions. Each contact center has different needs, so it is good to first understand which features are really most important and avoid getting distracted by unnecessary secondary functions. With careful preliminary analysis, it will then be easier to identify the ideal outbound dialer to maximize sales and service performance.