Automated dialing system is your greatest assistant in cold telemarketing, and there are no competitors who could beat it. Manual dialing is no more if we talk about efficiency and productivity, as the automated calling software is the only truly working solution for outbound telemarketing.
But the automated dialing system isn’t perfect as anything else isn’t. Sometimes, managers face situations when automated calling systems just don’t work as they have to and don’t bring any extra revenue. That doesn’t mean that you will never get the rates you have expected, that means you have to find the root cause of the issue, eliminate it, and get what you desire.
What is automated calling software?
Automated calling systems are specifically designed software tools that automate the dialing process and eliminate the manual work, as well as boost the overall productivity and performance of your outbound telemarketing campaigns. They are generally classified as three main types of outbound dialers, and outbound dialer is another word for automated dialing system. So, the three outbound dialers are called Predictive dialer, Power dialer (or Progressive dialer), and Preview dialer – and all of them have their own pros and cons.
7 Signs You Have the Wrong Automated Calling Software
Too much agent downtime
Let’s, first of all, discover what is meant by “agent downtime”. Agent downtime rate is diametrically opposite to agent occupancy rate, and this is the overall amount of time when the agent has no tasks related to their customer-handling activity
The normal agent occupancy rate for agents who are working in pairs with a Predictive dialer is 75% and more. After all, an agent downtime rate over 10% is a bad sign – and you have to take a closer look at the causes of it.
You experience the “telemarketing delay”
What is a telemarketing delay? It is a period of time when the customer has already picked up the phone, but an agent isn’t still on a call – because of a delay created by software during routing the agent to a call receiver. This delay is critically influential on the call abandonment rate – the percentage of customers who hang up the call before even hearing the agent. However, the delay in 2-3 seconds is absolutely normal.
You have trouble choosing which calls to review for coaching
If call recordings aren’t accessible, there may be some reasons for it. As it is generally accepted, all calls are recorded by the software. If you don’t see some call recordings or the files don’t open because of a bug, or they’re damaged, you should take a close look at this issue – maybe, someone tried to turn off the recording tool or the software doesn’t work properly.
Reps need to switch tabs regularly to do their jobs
Agents spend over 31 days a year switching between tabs. Are you ready to give them another free vacation? We bet not. If you see that switching between tabs is a big part of your agents’ job, then think of your automated calling software integration features – if it can’t integrate even a CRM system, what can we discuss then?
You have issues with calls dropping
Have you known that call drops during cold telemarketing are law regulated? In the US, a call drop rate of over 3% is illegal and can cause a fine for you. If there are many call drops, then your automated dialing system works badly or the settings are wrong.
Your call connection rate is lower than you’d like
Low call connection rate? There can be two reasons – bad quality of a lead base or the software working poorly. You must better solve this problem as fast as possible because the fewer customers you reach, the fewer deals you close.
You’re unable to connect call outcomes to campaigns and revenue
That’s the main problem – if you invest in cold calling and it doesn’t bring revenue, then you lost the money and you should resolve the problem in the nearest time.
5 Things to Look for in Automated Dialing Software
Dynamic call scripting
Call scripts are the key factor of success – your agents have to be equipped with dynamic call scripts to be ready for every potential change of a call flow. Dynamic scriptings helps to handle even the most difficult calls.
Local presence dialing
Local Caller ID should be provided for all campaigns – people will rarely answer non-local phone numbers and that will cause a low call connection rate. Local Caller ID boosts connection rate up to 20%.
Automated redialing rules
It requires over 8 attempts to reach a prospect – and that’s why you need auto-redialing rules for each unsuccessful call. Redialing rules don’t require any agents involved – all redials are performed automatically.
Intelligent dialing algorithm (abandon call rate)
Your automated dialing system has to use advanced algorithms to eliminate dropped calls and let you avoid fines. Moreover, the Predictive dialer should be used only with the needed number of agents involved – usually, at least 5 agents to be all set.
Ability to prioritize tasks
An option to segment and prioritize tasks, like each contact list or campaign is also vital -you can’t let agents do something just to get it done – each task has its purpose and goal, and a flexible task management system should be included in your automated calling software.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is no tool in the world that is insured from poor performance, mistakes, or bugs. Anyhow, the wise use of cold calling software, the use of only developer-recommended settings and rules, and thoughtful planning are vital to avoid any problems with your auto dialing system. On the contrary, the system should be reliable too.
What can we offer for this case? The advanced, multifunctional, and reliable cloud-based automated calling software – all you need in one offer.