Science Horizons

Predictive dialers are often still lauded as the ?best way to perform telesales.? All of the hype about the effectiveness of a predictive dialer is largely created by the manufacturers of these sales tools. Research, as well as experience, shows that a Power dialer is a much more reliable dialer solution. This is especially true of business to business sales.

The large volume of calls a predictive dialer is able to call is also its main weakness. As a predictive dialer rapidly calls through leads many of those leads are dropped or wasted. After spending time and money gathering leads, no company wants to see them wasted in the name of ?higher dialer rate.? With a predictive dialer it is impossible to make every lead count.

Dialers are supposed to allow sales reps to dial a large volume of leads, but predictive dialers accomplish this by calling more leads than there are available sales representatives. When a call the dialer makes is answered there is a chance that there will be no sales reps to talk to that lead. These calls are dropped and those leads are wasted.

The complaints about telemarketers are often directed at the practice of dialing a lead, but having no rep to speak to them. These complaints have been heard and laws have been passed regulating dialers. Predictive dialers have done nothing to better the field of telesales.

The power dialer is a fix to this poor customer experience. Power dialers call only one lead at a time for each available sales rep. There is never a case where a call is placed and there is no rep to take it.

Some B2C companies use a predictive dialer because they do not care about customer experience ? they feel they can find enough ?easy? sales to make up for the leads they waste. This could never work in B2B sales where each lead typically takes longer to close, and the ROI is greater.

Additionally, B2B sales reps often have to navigate through ?gatekeepers,? and these secretaries will never pass a sales rep who keeps her on hold through to a decision maker. Predictive dialers just do not provide the personal attention that a power dialer can.

Power dialer software triples the amount of calls a sales lead can make in a day, but just as important is the experience the power dialer allows the lead to have. Power dialer technology will deliver not only on a higher call rate, but a higher close rate.

Theo Souza Business Business, dialers, power dialer, power dialer software, predictive dialer, predictive dialer software

SafeSoft Solutions offers powerful predictive dialer solutions that can help you improve your revenues, raise funds, gather survey information, develop political support and much more. In order to do this you need to understand the rules and regulations that are enforced by the Federal Communications Commission or FCC and the Federal Trade Commission or FTC. So before you begin, there are two acts of congress that you should be familiar with.

Knowing these rules and regulations is not that difficult or time consuming. Surprisingly however, many companies operate in ways that are governed by these laws and never consider their impact. It is not unusual for a company to think of these laws as made for the telemarketing industry and not for us.

First is the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act. This legislation defines telephone based business fraud and gives consumers protection and defense against unscrupulous business activity. The TSR or Telemarketing Sales Rule is a document that will help you understand what is considered unlawful by the FTC.

The second is the Telephone Consumers Protection Act or TCPA. This legislation regulates the use of outbound automatic telephone dialing systems, prerecorded or artificial voice messages, FAX machines and it creates a Do-not-call (DNC) list for consumers.

Here is a quick review to get you started toward a full understanding of the DNC list, do not consider this list a complete understanding of the TCPA or DNC;

The DNC covers calls made within your state and outside your state The database is maintained & administered by the FTC The FCC and FTC will coordinate DNC enforcement Consumers can register residential and wireless numbers DNC numbers no longer expire after 5 years of entry State-administered do-not-call lists must also be used Company-specific do-not-call lists must also be used B2B calls are not covered by the DNC Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations arent subject to the DNC list Calls regarding political and religious speech arent subject to the DNC list Calls regarding surveys arent subject to the DNC list Consumers on the DNC can receive your calls if they request it in writing Consumers on the DNC can receive your calls if you have an established business relationship within the last 18 months

Consumers on the DNC can receive your calls if they have inquired or applied to your business within the last 3 months

Businesses calling for tax-exempt organizations are subject to the DNC list The DNC covers all calls to consumers for the purpose of telemarketing, telephone sales or telephone solicitation not just those made from automatic dialers, predictive dialers, FAX machines or broadcast message machines. DNC data for up to five area codes annually is free, after that you must pay $54 per area code up to a maximum of $14,850. You must refresh your DNC data every 31 days.

Susane Marcun VOIP predictive dialer, predictive dialer software, VOIP

Just recently I picked up a couple of Jack London books that I have always wanted to read. The first was The Call of the Wild and the second was White Fang. I devoured these books, no pun intended. The story is about wolves and men who live during the late 1890s during the Klondike gold rush. Now this may seem strange but I actually could relate this to my work with Predictive Dialer.

You see just like todays economy the environment of the Yukon provided very harsh times during the long desolate winters. The wolves that survived were very adaptive and focused. They learned the eat or be eaten laws of the wild or shall we say business. Not only that, they learned how to be efficient optimizing every movement so not to burn any calories that might be needed to survive.

Doesnt this sound like our current business environment? OMG, how true is this? Can you defend your food source or shall we say customer base. Can you find more food, by that we mean hunt down leads and develop sales? And finally can you do this without expending lots of energy or in your case cash?

Translated to simple customer-centric business strategy, this is what it takes to survive and even thrive in these difficult times. First, call your customers and make sure they stay yours. Then, hunt for more sales in competitions customer base. And finally do it all as efficiently as possible, spending as little as you can.

A Predictive Dialer is a first step to becoming customer-centric. A predictive dialer allows you to use lists you derive from your own IT systems or buy from sources like lead-list companies and trade journals. A predictive dialer eliminates the manual dialing, which often results in FAX numbers, disconnected numbers, busy numbers, and voice mail. Using a sophisticated dialing algorithm, it can intelligently predict when your reps will be available to handle a live customer call and then it works to produce one just as it is needed. Typically this means multiple calls per agent are being placed simultaneously in order to keep reps talking. Because the system transfers only live customer calls, your staff will spend less time attempting to make connections, and more time working on sales or surveys.

And if efficiency floats your boat, then you will love SaaS (Software as a Service) applications. SafeSoft Solutions calls this Web-hosted and its Market Dialer application is provided over the Internet as a service. When you implement a SafeSoft predictive dialing solution, you get a complete package – for one affordable monthly fee per seat. That includes domestic long distance and voice services like announcements and call recording. Customers can simply pay as they go, using the service as long as they like, and stopping at any time, with no cancellation fees or penalties of any kind.

This is really changing the food chain as we know it. All those extras are in one product, no server, no support staff and no capital investment. You job is totally in-focus – hunting and eating.

Steve Williams Technology call center software, hosted predictive dialer software, predictive dialer, predictive dialers, Technology

For long I had been looking for software for my call center that would enhance the calling facilities for telecallers in my office. There are not doubt hundreds of predictive dialer software packages in the market, but the features didn’t match my needs. I researched a lot and at last got hold of Telescript predictive dialer software which is an open predictive dialing engine that has been deigned and engineered for advanced predictive dialing facilities and other varied call center functions. After I installed the system in my office, my employees and telecallers are really elated with this system.

Telescript predictive dialer software uses state of the art technology from Dialogic and this package is completely SCSA compliant. And the best part of this software package is that it is expandable and also linked to inbound, IVR modules and fax as well as third party applications and meeting innumerable call center needs. This is the software for predictive dialing that you are looking forward to. You can utilize the best of it for open database design; eliminate the need for proprietary as specific database and utilize internal corporate database. This enables telescript to operate easily and effective using SQL server, Oracle, Access, and other ODBC.

What are the other benefits of the Telescript predictive dialer software? The software is equipped with Automatic time zone calling control that would include break time. That means that it automatically incorporates the time zone for each call and the only dialing calls within specified local calling range that is irrespective of time zone. If you wish you can incorporate the time breaks in the software so that it will not allow making calls during lunch and dinner hours to leads. The Telescript predictive dialer software automatically set the callbacks and fit the permissible local time of persons being called. So, it is by no means essential to express assign queues for time zones.

The software package from Telescript is equipped with Restricted Calling Lists. That means that the software detest the numbers that are within the Don’t Call Registry and automatically screens the records of the calls that restricts from calling. The software never calls a number found in that list thus allowing an ethical working environment to your call center.

The other feature of the Telescript predictive dialer software is that it is equipped with Simultaneous Multiple Projects. The dialing software enables one to launch different projects simultaneously on the single dialer thus giving greater flexibility to users. Thus, one can section agents on dissimilar movements and queues.

Arturo Linda Internet call center software, hosted predictive dialer, Internet, predictive dialer, predictive dialer software

The internet can offer a business the opportunity to cut the cost associated with customer service, increase customer satisfaction, and personalize marketing customization. These needs are often met as previous business tools become incorporated into the World Wide Web. Customer Relationship Managers, or CRMs, are one example. When a CRM is used in conjunction with the Internet it is known as an eCRM.

CRMs are often hosted on a company’s server that companies using it pay for each month or year. These hosted CRMs are accessed by the internet and become eCRMs. All customer relationship management systems include the processes and activities an organization uses to track and organize their contacts. The challenge a CRM has to face is being able to access the information and offer the communication on the right topic, in the right amount, at the right time that the customer needs.

The internet provides many facets by which the eCRM can accomplish its task. Websites and web pages become important sources for leads in a customer relationship manager. Many company websites contain web forms. These forms collect personal information and are voluntarily filled out and submitted by visitors who often are interested in buying the company’s product or service. If a CRM was not connected to the internet, a sales agent would have to wait for an email notifying him that the web form had been completed, impute that telephone number into the CRM manually, and wait for it to be brought up for a sales rep to call.

Alternatively, an eCRM can be set up to work with the web forms on a company site. As these web forms are submitted, the customer relationship manager captures the lead. The software can accomplish this within seconds of the form being submitted, and sales agents can follow up with the prospect immediately. Lead management solutions built into the CRM push the newly captured lead to the top of the call list. The contact that filled out the web form may realistically be called within minutes of submitting their information over the web. Such a rapid response not only impresses potential customers, but it also ensures that the lead is contacted before a competitor is able to, or before his or her interest fades. This fast response rate is one way that the use of an eCRM increases sales.

Remote sales is often less expensive than face to face sales. The use of telephony business solutions like Customer Relationship Management, especially an eCRM, increases the difference in price between the two practices even more.

Mel McMarle Sales auto dialer, crm, customer relationship management, dialer, eCRM, lead management, phone dialer, power dialer, predictive dialer, Sales, sales lead tracking, telephone dialer, voice messaging

Voice messaging software solutions provide remarkable time saving solutions for remote sales professionals.

A voice broadcast system is one voice messaging tool that vastly increases the speed at which a sales rep can reach a large audience. With voice broadcasting a prerecorded message is automatically sent out to those on the call list. This frees the agent from making each of those calls individually.

One criticism of voice messaging systems, like broadcast systems, is that they lack the personal feel that customers like to experience. IVR call routing is one solution for those contacts that are interested in a businesses product or service, but do not want to deal solely with a computer voice message.

IVR stands for Interactive Voice Response. An interactive voice response system provides all of the functions traditional reserved for touch tone menus. These include the users response to a recorded menu or survey. When the contact desired to respond to what was said over the telephone, a push on one of the number pads conveyed the message. Instead, an IVR listens for the responses a contact will give vocally, and reacts accordingly, including transferring the lead to a live sales agent. Other options that the listener may choose would be to have a fax or email message automatically sent to them, or to be removed from the call list.

An interactive voice response system is not only beneficial when broadcasting voice messages, but can also be helpful when used for inbound calls. Specifically inbound toll free numbers can be set up to transfer callers to the IVR system. Automated responses to common questions can be prerecorded, freeing up sales agents from needing to respond to the same inquiries time and again. Alternatively an IVR may be set up to direct the caller to whichever department they need to reach. This option eliminates a good portion of the work a secretary or telephone operator may need to do in a large organization.

Voice broadcasting and IVR systems both become more efficient when coupled with an ACD call routing system. The ACD (Automatic Call Distributor) routes whatever call is received to the best available sales agent. As contacts opt to talk to a live agent as opposed to working with the recorded messaging system, the ACD will connect them to the best sales rep for their call. All of these options serve to increase productivity without decreasing any of the personal aspect of sales that lead to conversions.

Lindy Boschoff Sales auto dialer, crm, customer relationship management, dialer, eCRM, lead management, phone dialer, power dialer, predictive dialer, Sales, sales lead tracking, telephone dialer, voice messaging

The internet can offer a business the opportunity to cut the cost associated with customer service, increase customer satisfaction, and personalize marketing customization. These needs are often met as previous business tools become incorporated into the World Wide Web. Customer Relationship Managers, or CRMs, are one example. When a CRM is used in conjunction with the Internet it is known as an eCRM.

CRMs are often hosted on a company’s server that companies using it pay for each month or year. These hosted CRMs are accessed by the internet and become eCRMs. All customer relationship management systems include the processes and activities an organization uses to track and organize their contacts. The challenge a CRM has to face is being able to access the information and offer the communication on the right topic, in the right amount, at the right time that the customer needs.

The internet provides many facets by which the eCRM can accomplish its task. Websites and web pages become important sources for leads in a customer relationship manager. Many company websites contain web forms. These forms collect personal information and are voluntarily filled out and submitted by visitors who often are interested in buying the company’s product or service. If a CRM was not connected to the internet, a sales agent would have to wait for an email notifying him that the web form had been completed, impute that telephone number into the CRM manually, and wait for it to be brought up for a sales rep to call.

Alternatively, an eCRM can be set up to work with the web forms on a company site. As these web forms are submitted, the customer relationship manager captures the lead. The software can accomplish this within seconds of the form being submitted, and sales agents can follow up with the prospect immediately. Lead management solutions built into the CRM push the newly captured lead to the top of the call list. The contact that filled out the web form may realistically be called within minutes of submitting their information over the web. Such a rapid response not only impresses potential customers, but it also ensures that the lead is contacted before a competitor is able to, or before his or her interest fades. This fast response rate is one way that the use of an eCRM increases sales.

Remote sales is often less expensive than face to face sales. The use of telephony business solutions like Customer Relationship Management, especially an eCRM, increases the difference in price between the two practices even more.

Mel McMorle Sales auto dialer, crm, customer relationship management, dialer, eCRM, lead management, phone dialer, power dialer, predictive dialer, Sales, sales lead tracking, telephone dialer, voice messaging

Dialing manually, a sales representative can usually dial around 30 to 80 numbers in a work day. With a predictive dialer, the same sales rep can usually dial 400 to 600 numbers with three to six percent of those calls lost because of line issues like busyness or answering machines. The dreaded “telemarketer pause” often happens when the individual answers the call, but before the sales rep is connected by the auto dialer. This generally means a bad experience for customers, because they associate the pause with an impersonal sales pitch. With a power dialer, the number of calls made usually drops to somewhere between 250 and 350 calls per day, but unlike the autodialer, the power dialer eliminates the pauses and lost calls from the rep’s sales cycle and provides a more satisfactory phone experience for the potential customer.

Power dialers accomplish this quadrupling of leads called in the way the software places calls. Like all dialers, power dialers need to be programmed with a list of phone numbers. This list can be generated automatically as interested individuals submit inquiries online via a web form on a company’s web site, by purchasing leads from a lead generation company, or by uploading a list of leads that were previously attempted to be contacted or current clients out of the businesses Customer Relationship Manager (CRM).

The phone numbers of the contacts on the list are fed into the power dialer one at a time. By only calling one lead, no contact will ever have to wait for a sales rep to become available to answer the call. Likewise, no call will ever be dropped because there is no sales rep available to accept the call.

The sales rep initiates a call simply by clicking on the call button next to the lead’s information within the CRM. The power dialer then rings the sales agent at the same time it calls the lead. If that lead does not pick up, the power dialer then dials the next lead on the list. As long as the sales agent stays on the line the power dialer will continue to make calls for him or her.

By utilizing a power dialer, remote sales reps don’t have to spend precious time dealing with voice mail or answering machines. The sales agent can opt to have the power dialer leave a recorded message while it concurrently starts the next call for the sales. The rep can decide to do this with just a click of a button. The system would then leave a message that was previously recorded by the sales rep to give it a personalized touch, but also prevent the message from containing mistakes.

A sales agent can even send an automated email or fax instead of a voice message as this may be more successful in certain situations. The power dialer just puts the lead’s contact data from the CRM into a template to simply and efficiently send the right message using the right communication method. Sending messages with the power dialer can also be performed while the rep is on the sales call if the sales agent needs to send additional information to the lead, as many sales often take place after the client has reviewed printed information.

Sales agents can continue to accept inbound calls while using a power dialer. This added efficiency enables the sales team to be continue making calls even while waiting for a particular inbound call. Inbound-outbound mixing uses a technology called automatic call distribution (ACD). ACD routing works to transfer incoming calls to the appropriate employee for particular tasks. The ACD merely matches up the client’s credentials to appropriately match the client up with the right agent. A basic electronic response system may collect additional info from the customer for the ACD system. Additionally the ACD can be configured to track specific toll free numbers, and route people to the appropriate agent. Automatic call distribution increases the level of response to inbound phone calls and productivity regardless of the system’s structure. Improved responses produce improved client satisfaction by valuing the time of the customer and by giving sales reps a higher level of personal responsiveness to each potential caller.

Power dialers can be embedded in CRM software systems, which helps increase reporting seamlessness. A sales rep can use telephone reporting tools in the CRM system to monitor progress, metrics, and production. Managers can see the number of calls made on the system, the length of the average call, and the proportion of contacts to conversions for entire sales teams and specific sales agents.

Likewise a power dialer help increase call quality by standardizing a call centers dialing and voice messaging approach as well as being able to record and monitor calls for quality control and training purposes.

Linus Amhurst Sales auto dialer, crm, customer relationship management, dialer, lead management, phone dialer, power dialer, predictive dialer, Sales, sales lead tracking, telephone dialer, voice messaging