When people hear “call center software”, they immediately think about inbound call center software – the software that is used to handle incoming calls from customers. Well, this is because we consider a call center to be a customer service department you are calling when there is an issue with a product or service. Nonetheless, not all call centers provide customer service – some of them are focused only on sales, and these call centers aren’t called sales call centers -they are called outbound call centers.
Surely, such outbound call center require a specific outbound call center software solution that will cover their needs in such features as automated outbound calling, call scripts for sales agents, running multiple outbound calling campaigns, and so on.
Thus, we decided to write a short, but comprehensive guide on what is outbound call center software, how does it work, and how to choose the best option on the market.
What is an outbound call center software solution?
Outbound call center software solution is a type of contact center software that is used to organize outbound calling campaigns with massive outbound calls, and thus generate outbound sales during both cold calling and warm calling campaigns. This means such software solutions don’t have the functionality to handle inbound calls, so they are not capable of being used for customer service departments. On the other hand, they don’t have such a purpose – their main objective is to generate as many successful outbound calls as possible with the highest conversion rates possible.
There are also solutions that include capabilities of both inbound and outbound call center software, and such solutions are called blended call center software solutions, but that’s not today’s topic.
How does outbound call center software work?
Outbound call center software is a tool that is focused on generating massive outbound calls, so its main features should be focused on automating outbound calling, shouldn’t they? That’s true, and the main feature of outbound call center software is called outbound dialer, or auto-dialer.
There are four types of outbound dialers you can get in your outbound call center.
Predictive dialer, or predictive dialing mode, is a cold calling mode that generates around 100 dialing attempts per hour with 75% of contact rate – which means 75 of 100 calls are answered by real people – but it requires a few agents to be involved in the campaign and it is very sensible to correct configuration and settings, or otherwise you will suffer from dropped calls or poor performance.
Power dialer is an auto dialer that is used for warm customer bases or hot calls – it generates around 75 dialing attempts per hour with a contact rate never less than 50%, but it can also grow if you use high-quality contact lists. Its main advantage is that it never causes dropped calls, can leave voicemail drops, and requires only one agent to provide its maximal effectiveness.
Preview dialer is a specific auto-dialer designed to service high-net-worth clients or VIPs, or to close high-value deals. Its main feature is an option for an agent to review customer cards with detailed information from the CRM system regarding customer behavior and previous customer interactions, and also an option to decide whether to call or not every single contact from the base.
Progressive dialer is a mode of Power dialer, where the dialing ratio isn’t 1:1 (which means only one call is performed at a time), but 2:1 or 3:1, which means the system generates a few calls simultaneously. It is slightly faster than the Power dialer, but gains the cons of the predictive dialer – it requires a few agents to be all set.
Other features of the outbound call center software
Flexible redialing rules – this feature allows you to set redialing rules for all unsuccessful calls you have performed during the campaign – this includes calls that weren’t answered by prospects, so you have to try to reach out to them again.
Multiple campaign launching – the system allows you to run multiple campaigns simultaneously, either to test some sales pitches or to run different types of campaigns.
Analytics and reporting – this is required to measure the effectiveness of campaigns and the productivity of your agents and make necessary adjustments in the case of a need.
Cold calling scripts – the system provides you with a script editor, so you can design different call scripts for different purposes, including sales and other cases. You can also run dynamic scripts, which means they have different scenarios that change according to the answers of the prospect or objections they use.
Third-party software integrations – you can integrate third-party software with your outbound contact center, including CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems, and other software tools via API.
Workforce management tools – these tools include collaboration, task management, internal communication tools, training tools, scheduling, and so on. All these tools are aimed at easing the management of the teamwork and effective productivity monitoring.
Conclusion
How to pick up a reliable outbound call center solution? First of all, you have to focus on choosing a software based on features set it provides – this relates to auto dialers. The more dialing modes you get for the price, the better it is for you. You also have to look for a cloud solution, as it is cheaper in the case of set-up and maintenance, and in the case of scalability, it offers more flexibility. Secondly, you have to check real reviews to find out whether there are any hidden fees and limits – as sometimes this is the main cause of further frustration. You also have to look for an option to switch to a blended call center in the future – even if you don’t plan it yet, there is a chance you will face such a need.
James Oliver is a professional blogger and a seasoned Content writer for technologyspell.com. With a passion for simplifying technology and digital topics, he provides valuable insights to a diverse online audience. With four years of experience, James has polished his skills as a professional blogger.
