How small businesses can use a predictive dialer
As a small business focused on outbound calls, the path to your future success and profitability is built by increasing your efficiency. And there are several ways to make your business more efficient.
Automating and simplifying tasks as much as possible are usually high on the list. But the most impactful efficiency measure you can take is investing in the best automation for outbound dialing - predictive dialer software.
Heralded as the best automated dialing product on the market, it can help you make more calls, engage more leads, and make more sales. But what other benefits and features does the predictive dialer offer for smaller companies like yours? And how does it help to make your business more efficient?
We answer these all-important questions below. If you’re ready to start dialing into efficiency, read on to discover the best predictive dialer software for small businesses.
The predictive dialer software small businesses use is an automated dialing system that helps smaller call center teams work more efficiently. You can use the software with your usual telephony service provider if they support predictive dialing.
No hardware is required, and the software can operate on several call lines at once. It can also dial several numbers simultaneously, routing calls to agents as soon as they are available. You can set this number to align with the number of staff on duty.
There are other options available for automated dialing. However, in the comparison between preview vs. power vs. predictive dialers, the predictive dialer came out on top for productivity in small businesses. If you want a higher volume of calls with a small complement of staff, the predictive dialer is the solution.
The predictive dialer is so-called because of its ability to predict when the best time is to make a call. But there’s no clairvoyance or crystal ball needed here because the predictive dialer is rooted in science. AI-powered machine learning and algorithms are the secrets to the predictive dialer’s foretelling abilities.
The predictive dialer’s algorithms are calculated based on both historical and real-time data, so its algorithms are always right on point. It calculates what the ideal calling pace is for the number of available agents, as well as the average call duration.
This science-based solution is what sets predictive dialers apart. Not only does call data pave the way for increased efficiency through accurate algorithms, but it also offers in-depth analytics and insights. You can use these metrics to create further efficiency strategies for your small business.
One of the questions people have about predictive dialers is if they are legal. The good news is that, yes, they are perfectly legal. You can safely start using a predictive dialer for your small business. However, this software must be used for legitimate business reasons.
There is, of course, a condition to using any type of automated dialing software. You have to adhere to the rules and regulations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
Under this Act, automated calls that play a pre-recorded marketing message to a mobile phone number are prohibited unless the recipient has opted in for this service. That aside, there is no rule prohibiting automated dialing in general, and there is no law against predictive dialing.
The predictive dialer software small businesses use can make more calls than any other automated outbound dialer. A predictive dialer is capable of dialing hundreds of numbers per hour. Of course, the total number dialed per hour or day in your business will rely on several other factors.
These factors include the number of call agents, your unique call pacing ratio, and the number of call lines being used. It also depends on how many leads you have on your contacts list. A predictive dialer will allow you to complete call campaigns much faster.
You’ll make the most of a predictive dialer when you have a sizable team of call agents. But predictive dialer software for small businesses can make a dramatic difference even to small teams of five to ten call agents.
These are the seven best features of the predictive dialer software small businesses rely on to streamline their outbound call processes.
Answering Machine Detection (AMD) detects whether an answering machine (or voicemail message) or a human has answered a call. Calls that have gone straight to an answering machine or voicemail are then screened out. This saves the time that would ordinarily be wasted on such unproductive calls.
When you’re a small business, you probably don’t have the large numbers of dedicated outbound call staff that larger call centers do. With AMD, agents only take calls that will connect to live leads, which is vital when you have a small team.
Live call recording records calls to store and play back later. It facilitates training for future employees, so you can give them an exact example of what a good (or bad) cold call sounds like. It also provides you with solid evidence should a call recipient claim any misconduct.
Now you don’t have to let a tight budget restrict your training materials. You also don’t have to fear that you’ll be left without recourse should a customer make claims of inappropriate behavior or inept service on a call. You’ll have the proof, either way. This is very useful when running a small business.
Thanks to call-back scheduling and reminder features, agents stay on top of promised feedback for customers. To call back at the time requested by the customer, the predictive dialer automatically sets a reminder. Your call agents will receive pop-ups of their call-back reminders upon login.
Timing is everything in the outbound call sector. As a small business, you can’t afford to let any opportunity for a sale pass by. This feature makes it more likely that the customer will respond by committing to a sale.
‘Do Not Call’ (DNC) management makes it simpler to follow the government’s regulations for telemarketing call limits.
A DNC list shows the numbers prohibited for telemarketing calls under this regulation. The predictive dialer will check if any of the numbers on the DNC list are on your call lists and skip dialing those numbers every time.
Failure to comply will incur heavy fines, so this is a handy feature to help you stay compliant and save your small business money in penalties.
Every call center has parameters for its call campaigns. As the manager of a small business, you may be concentrating on a particular niche. You define the rules for each call campaign based on geographic location, time zone, or other demographics to better reach your target audience.
The filter-based calling feature in predictive software for small businesses filters out any contact numbers outside those predetermined rules. It can be used for any type of predictive dialer, including an online predictive dialer.
Small businesses often have different expectations of their telemarketing campaigns. But there’s no need to limit yourself when you have this feature as part of your small business predictive dialer software.
A campaign management feature helps even the smallest businesses stay on track with multiple campaigns. So, go ahead and build multiple campaigns and customize them to meet your specific needs. The campaign management feature also allows you to pause, edit, relaunch, or delete a saved campaign.
A predictive dialer/CRM combo is the feature that unleashes your sales potential. By integrating your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool with your small business predictive dialer software, you can manage all your customer interactions.
Keep relevant data about your loyal existing customers and prospects all in one place. Elements of customer history like past purchases or queries will also be kept here. It’s the easiest way for a small outbound calls business to manage their customer relationships.
Regardless of whether you choose a standard predictive dialer, a virtual predictive dialer for remote employees, or a parallel predictive dialer for multiple campaigns, you will enjoy countless benefits that increase your workplace efficiency.
Here are the seven benefits of predictive dialers for small businesses looking to increase their outbound call efficiency.
Predictive dialers can dial numbers on your contact list even before an agent is free to take that new call. But how does it do this? Intelligent call assignment automates calls based on predictive dialing algorithms and your preset parameters.
Therefore, it doesn’t only base its call pacing ratio on factors like agent availability, average call duration, and several available call lines. It also follows your call assignment criteria.
Many business owners and managers don’t realize this, but predictive dialer software is not just for outbound sales call centers. It can also be used in customer service contact centers that receive both inbound and outbound calls.
This benefit is crucial for small businesses.
It means two things - firstly, you can use just one type of dialer software despite your two call types. Secondly, if you currently engage in just one type, there’s no need to change. If you plan to branch out into other types of calls, you can still use the predictive dialer software for small businesses.
Dialing into efficiency means improving all processes. So while the rest of your business operations may get a revamp, it’s futile until you improve agent efficiency, too.
How do you make every call agent more efficient? It’s simple. Give them the tools they need for faster and more accurate dialing of numbers, reduced downtime, and better customer engagement. The above-mentioned features of predictive dialer software for small businesses offer all that and more.
A predictive dialer gives you the very latest in workload management, tailored for call agents of any type. There’s no longer any stress about the workload ahead. Convenient dashboards with drop-down menus simplify the entire process.
Your agents will feel prepared and in control every step of the way, with the tools they need for successful calls.
Are database updates getting you down? They won’t when you invest in the best predictive dialer software for your small business. The dialer automatically updates your database in real-time, so you and your agents have one less thing to worry about.
As your business grows and your database grows with you, your predictive dialer software will do all the hard work.
Performance monitoring is essential if you want to put your small business on the fast track to success. Call recordings, data analytics, insights, and various other features all work together to help you track your progress.
This means that not only will you be able to track each agent's performance, but each campaign's overall performance, too.
Often, the only way to drive greater efficiency is by spending lots of money on various types of software and management tools. But those days are over when you invest in the predictive dialer systems designed for small- to medium-sized businesses.
Predictive dialer software for small businesses offers everything you need, all in one package. The best part? It can be affordable and fit the budget of any small business when it’s an innovative AI-powered predictive dialer from AutoReach.
Predictive dialer software for small businesses is the key to dialing into efficiency. You’ll make more calls in less time, with superb accuracy. You’ll also enjoy extra features and benefits that make the most of any small outbound calls team.
At AutoReach, we’ve helped many small businesses like yours maximize their efficiency and productivity and reach their full potential. Allow us to do the same for you. Sign up for our free trial today, and we’re sure you’ll want to invest in the predictive dialer software that small businesses love.
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