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In today’s world, the technology supporting human workers is as vital as the human touch in closing sales, with the behind-the-scenes process of outbound dialling being a key factor in lead conversion.
Dialler platforms enhance efficiency by assisting agents and representatives in making more targeted calls, improving the chances of connecting with the right person at the right time and increasing the probability of each call resulting in a sale. In this article, we’ll tell you everything about Dialler solutions, from their benefits for businesses to their different types.
We all know closing a sale is, fundamentally, a matter of human touch; at the end of the day, a sale is at its core the outcome of a conversation between two humans, and it’s this outcome that defines a contact centre or sales team’s success and bottom line.
However, in today’s world, the technology human workers rely on is as decisive for success as the human input is, if not more. There is something that comes before every lead conversion, the behind-the-scenes preceding any sale: a long process of outbound dialling and calling.
Outbound calling is crucial for acquiring new business and engaging existing customers. It involves contact centre agents reaching out to customers and potential leads.
One common example of high-volume outbound calling is cold calling. In cold calling, a business tries to connect with individuals who have no prior relationship with the company.
Cold calling is a numbers game. It takes an average of 7.5 hours of cold calling to win one appointment (Zippia) and statistics say that it may take up to 6 call attempts before a prospect becomes a customer (CallHippo). But that’s not all.
It’s estimated that for every 1.5 minutes of conversation with a prospect, an agent spends 6 minutes on manual tasks, like dialling or searching customer information.
However, a Dialler platform can help with all that. Essentially, the role of a Dialler is to help call centre agents and sales representatives to make better targeted calls, making sure they reach the right person at the right time and increasing every call’s probability of becoming a sale.
Dialler solutions are an essential component of the modern outbound contact centre or sales team
In the contact centre and sales landscape, choosing the right Call Centre Dialler solution is essential: this choice can represent the difference between making every call count when it comes to opening a lead, closing a sale or upsell, or gaining a lifelong customer and wasting massive volumes of human potential, time, and resources in fruitless calls.
In this article, we’ll explain everything there is to know about Diallers; what is a Dialler system, what is it used for, how many types of Diallers there are, what are the differences between them, how each of them works and how they can help a business. We’ll also consider how a Dialler solution can multiply its potential when integrated with a multi-purpose CCaaS solution.
So let’s start from the beginning: what exactly is a Dialler?
What is a Dialler?
A Dialler is a device, usually a software application, designed to help contact centre or sales agents initiate outbound calls by automating the dialling process for numbers on a contact list and seamlessly connecting the established calls to agents who are ready to assist.
Essentially, this results in a boost in efficiency and productivity. Outbound Call Centre dialler systems automate the process of dialling numbers from contact lists, eliminating the need for agents to manually punch in each number.
This streamlined approach saves valuable time and allows agents to make a higher volume of calls in less time, which empowers businesses to reach a larger audience and potentially close more deals or engage with more customers within a given timeframe.
Another key benefit of outbound diallers is the ability to improve call connectivity. These systems are designed to identify answered calls and connect them directly to available agents, reducing the chances of dropped or missed calls.
This seamless call transfer not only enhances the customer experience but also minimises agent downtime, as they are constantly engaged in conversations rather than waiting for calls to connect. However, that’s not all.
Sometimes, outbound call centre diallers also come equipped with features like call recording and analytics, which can provide valuable insights into customer interactions and agent performance.
Connex One Reporting and Analytics dashboard, providing insights into agents and teams’ performance
These insights can be used to refine sales strategies, optimise script effectiveness, and enhance agent training, ultimately leading to better results and customer satisfaction. In summary, outbound dialler systems offer a powerful solution for businesses looking to improve their outbound calling operations, boosting efficiency, connectivity, and overall performance in customer engagement and sales endeavours. More on this later.
But how does a Dialler platform work? Well, as you’ll see later in this article, there are many different types of diallers; and each of them has its own benefits for different types of businesses. However, they all share some basic working principles, and it will be useful to give a general characterisation of these before going into specifics about each dialler.
What does a Dialler do?
The dialler software manages the outbound call process. A dialler platform uses specific algorithms that dictate how calls are placed. As we’ll see later, the most common algorithms are predictive dialling, progressive dialling, preview dialling, and power dialling. We’ll go into specifics about how each of these works later on.
Different algorithms can dial multiple numbers at once, hoping to have a live call ready for an available agent as soon as they finish a previous call, dial one number at a time for each available agent, wait until an agent becomes available before making the next call, or let the agent dial after reviewing relevant information.
Once a call is answered, the dialler seamlessly connects it to an available agent. This typically involves forwarding the call to an agent’s workstation, where they can engage in a conversation with the customer, client or prospect.
Additionally, a call centre dialler system can enhance the agent’s efficiency by providing helpful customer information in real-time as the call is connected. This information might encompass customer history, previous interactions, and notes that empower the agent to provide a more personalised and informed service.
Most outbound diallers can also record calls for quality assurance and compliance purposes. They offer the ability to track campaign performance through real-time analytics and reporting.
What are the benefits of using a Dialler system?
Increased efficiency
Outbound diallers automate the process of dialling phone numbers from contact lists, reducing the time agents spend on manual dialling. This automation significantly increases the number of calls agents can make in a given time, improving productivity.
Time Savings
Outbound diallers, especially predictive ones, aim to minimise agent idle time. They predict when an agent will become available and connect a live call as soon as one is answered. This means agents spend more time engaging with customers and less time waiting between calls.
Besides, by automating various aspects of the calling process, such as call disposition logging and follow-up tasks, outbound diallers save agents valuable time, which can be redirected to more productive activities.
Optimised Called Efficiency
Advanced outbound diallers can intelligently distribute calls among available agents, ensuring that the right agent handles the right call. This can be based on factors such as agent skills, customer profiles, and call priority.
Improved Contact Rate
Predictive dialler platform can analyse call answer rates and initiate calls accordingly. They attempt to connect calls when a live agent is available, resulting in a higher contact rate compared to manual dialling.
Personalised Customer Interactions
Some advanced dialler platforms provide agents with customer information during or before a call, enabling agents to offer more personalised interactions. This can lead to better rapport and increased sales.
Scalability
Outbound dialler platforms can easily scale to accommodate increased call volumes or campaigns. This flexibility allows businesses to adapt to changing demands without extensive infrastructure changes.
Types of Diallers
There are four primary types of outbound call centre diallers, each with its own set of distinct strengths and weaknesses. These differences arise from variations in their design, functionality, and performance, which in turn determine their suitability for various business needs and objectives.
In this section, we’ll go through the four main types of outbound diallers: we’ll explain how they work, what differentiates one from another, and what benefits each of them can represent for particular types of businesses.
A progressive dialler system dials numbers from a predefined list for an agent when the agent indicates their availability to take calls. When a call is unanswered, the dialler automatically progresses to the next number on the list until it successfully connects with a live person.
This is how it works: first, agents signal their readiness to take calls, and the dialler responds by initiating a call from the list, one call at a time for each available agent. This sequential dialling approach ensures that each agent manages one call at a time, minimising abandoned calls and maintaining control over the pace of the calls. When an agent completes a call with a customer, the progressive dialler will automatically initiate the next call without the need for manual dialling.
The benefits of using a progressive dialler platform include the immediate connection between call recipients and agents. This results in better Customer Experience and increased efficiency in handling live conversations, as there is no delay in connecting calls.
Also, the dialler significantly improves agent efficiency by automatically dialling the next number in the queue, reducing idle time between calls and maximising overall productivity.
However, there are some drawbacks to consider. The progressive dialler displays customer information and history as the call is initiated, which means agents may need to review this information while they are already engaged in conversation with the customer. For agents who prefer to have all the information at their disposal before making a call, this can pose a challenge.
Progressive diallers are particularly beneficial for businesses that prioritise immediate, live connections with their customers and clients. They are well-suited for outbound sales and telemarketing campaigns where personalised interactions are crucial. Businesses that can benefit from progressive diallers include sales organisations, contact centres, and organisations that rely on real-time communication with leads or customers.
A predictive dialler system works differently from a progressive dialler. Rather than relying on agents to signal that they’re ready for a new call, predictive diallers use complex algorithms to predict when an agent is likely to be available, and they then initiate multiple calls simultaneously to match the anticipated agent availability.
The operation of a predictive dialler involves several steps. First, it uses predictive algorithms to estimate when agents will become available. It then proceeds to dial multiple numbers concurrently, exceeding the number of available agents, as some calls are expected to be unanswered, busy signals, or voicemails.
The dialler screens out unanswered calls and connects live calls to available agents in order to minimise idle time.
Predictive diallers offer advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, predictive diallers can significantly increase call volume, making them an excellent choice for high-volume outbound campaigns. They are efficient in keeping agents engaged in live conversations by minimising idle periods between calls.
However, the predictive dialler may occasionally result in situations where a customer answers a call, only to find no agent available at that moment. This scenario, where a call is answered but abandoned due to the absence of an agent, can be a potential outcome of using a predictive dialler. This could negatively impact the Customer Experience and overall call centre efficiency, requiring careful management and monitoring to mitigate any negative consequences.
Predictive diallers are best suited for businesses that require high call volumes and do not prioritise personalised interactions. They are often used in call centres where sales agents make a large number of calls in a short time. Industries such as telemarketing, debt collection, and market research often utilise predictive diallers for their campaigns.
In the case of a preview dialler, the system operates quite differently. A preview dialler system allows the agent to preview relevant customer information and context before initiating a call. Unlike the other types, where the dialler initiates the call automatically, the agent has the opportunity to decide when to make the call.
Connex One’s Preview Dialler feature allows users to access relevant customer information before starting a call
Here’s how it works: Before each call, the agent can view essential details about the customer, such as their name, previous interactions, and specific requirements. The agent then initiates the call when they feel prepared, armed with the necessary insights to tailor their approach to the customer’s needs.
So, the main difference between a predictive and a preview dialler is this: in the predictive dialler system, the next call is automatically initiated as soon as the agent completes the current call. In contrast, with a preview dialler, the next call is initiated only when the agent signals their availability and readiness, ensuring that they have the time to review the customer information and prepare before the call.
Preview dialler systems come with their set of advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, they enable highly personalised interactions. Agents can use the pre-call information to create tailored scripts or responses, which can lead to more effective communication and better customer experiences. The agent has full control over when to dial, allowing for a thorough review of customer history and context.
However, there are some drawbacks to consider. Preview diallers may be slower in making calls compared to predictive or progressive diallers. This can lead to a lower call volume, which might not be suitable for businesses with high call volume requirements. Also, it places more responsibility on agents to manage their time effectively, as they need to decide when to initiate calls, which can be challenging during peak periods.
Businesses that can benefit from preview diallers are those that prioritise personalised, high-quality interactions with customers. This includes industries like B2B sales, where a deeper understanding of the customer’s needs is essential, or in customer support scenarios that require in-depth knowledge about the caller’s history and concerns.
Power Dialler
A power dialler automates the process of making outbound calls from a contact list and directs those calls to available agents. If a call goes unanswered, the power dialler will automatically move on to the next number on the list.
One of the significant advantages of using a power dialler is that it ensures that each answered call is promptly connected to an available agent. This eliminates the time agents would spend manually dialling numbers, increasing their efficiency and ensuring that no time is wasted on calls that go unanswered.
However, it’s important to note that a power dialler typically lacks the capability to provide identifying information on customers for agents, which can be a limitation.
Power diallers are particularly beneficial for businesses primarily engaged in outbound sales and lead generation, including telemarketing firms, insurance agencies, real estate companies, and direct sales organisations. Their ability to maximise call volume and efficiently connect agents to live calls aligns well with the objectives of sales-driven operations. Debt collection agencies also find power diallers advantageous in streamlining the process of reaching debtors and minimising agent idle time.
Hopefully, by now you’re more familiar with the different types of call centre dialler systems and what each of them can do for your business. However, there’s much more.
These days, dialler solutions don’t limit themselves to placing calls and often come with many more features and functionalities to really boost a call centre or sales team’s operations in all aspects. In the next section, we’ll go through some of the most important ones.
Advanced Call Centre Dialler Features
Call Recording
Call recording serves as a valuable complement to dialler solutions in several ways. Firstly, it provides a means of capturing and storing conversations between agents and customers, ensuring compliance with regulations and industry standards. This documentation not only safeguards both parties but also offers a resource for resolving disputes or addressing customer inquiries effectively.
Moreover, call recording enhances training and quality assurance efforts within call centers. Supervisors can review recorded calls to identify areas for improvement, provide targeted coaching to agents, and maintain service standards. Additionally, analyzing call recordings allows managers to assess customer feedback, identify trends, and refine strategies for better performance and customer satisfaction.
Furthermore, call recording serves as a valuable tool for performance evaluation and employee recognition. By reviewing recorded interactions, managers can evaluate agent performance objectively, recognize exemplary behavior, and provide constructive feedback for development.
Overall, call recording complements call centre dialler platforms by providing a comprehensive record of customer interactions, enhancing training and quality assurance efforts, and facilitating performance evaluation within call centers.
Interaction Analytics
By analyzing recorded calls made through dialler systems, AI interaction analytics can uncover valuable insights using sophisticated techniques such as sentiment analysis, entity recognition, and keyphrase recognition. These insights provide a deep understanding of customer behavior, preferences, and sentiment, enabling call centers to tailor their dialler strategies more effectively.
Moreover, AI interaction analytics enhances the efficiency of dialler platforms by automating the categorization of calls based on predefined criteria. This automation streamlines workflow, allowing agents to prioritize high-priority calls and areas requiring immediate attention. Additionally, AI-driven compliance monitoring ensures that calls made through dialler solutions adhere to regulatory requirements, mitigating compliance risks for the organization.
Furthermore, AI interaction analytics enables call centers to continuously refine and improve their dialler strategies by identifying areas for enhancement in agent performance, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency. Leveraging insights derived from analyzed interactions, call centers can iteratively optimize their dialler campaigns, driving better outcomes and maximizing ROI.
In summary, the integration of AI interaction analytics with call centre dialler solutions empowers call centers to derive actionable insights from customer interactions, enhance operational efficiency, ensure compliance, and continuously improve dialler performance.
Integrations
Harnessing a wealth of data sources beyond mere customer feedback, including website analytics, CRM platforms like Salesforce, and HR and finance data, your organization possesses a treasure trove of valuable insights. Often equipped with APIs facilitating seamless data exchange, these systems provide a rich foundation for enhancing customer experiences.
Integrating your CRMs such as HubSpot and Salesforce with CXM platforms offers a potent synergy that perfectly complements your dialler solutions. This integration enables a comprehensive exploration of your CX processes, unveiling nuanced insights into areas ripe for improvement and the efficacy of your CX strategies. By amalgamating these platforms, a holistic understanding of customer interactions emerges, empowering more informed decision-making.
With an extensive array of over 40 integrations, Connex One delivers a formidable fusion of Omnichannel capabilities, AI analytics, workflow automation, and seamless integration with premier CRM software platforms. This integrated approach optimizes efficiency and effectiveness in managing customer experiences, catalyzing business growth and success, while seamlessly complementing your call centre dialler platform.
Conclusion
Hopefully, by know you know everything there is to know about the importance of Dialler solutions, the different types of Dialler platforms, the advantages to each of them, and what types of businesses will benefit more for what model of Dialler.
However, you might now have a different question in your mind: what type of dialler solution would suit your business in particular and how can you implement it? Fortunately, we’re here to help.
You can speak to one of our representatives to get more information about our Omnichannel platform or get a free, personalised demonstration session. We’re absolutely confident your team and your customers will love our Omnichannel solution as well as the quick set up, and rapid time to value. Give it a go!
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