The Dynamic Duo of CRM and Predictive Dialer

As described in the previous blog post, predictive dialer solutions benefit companies by maximizing agent efficiency, reducing operational costs, and, for sales teams, accelerating sales as agents have more time to connect with potential customers. The dialer eliminates the need for looking up phone number lists, manually dialing leads, and waiting to see if the call will even connect to a potential customer. By bypassing disconnected or unavailable phone lines as well as machines, agents are quickly connected to the right customers at the right times.

But what does it mean to reach the "right" customer? Driving sales is much more than contacting as many leads as possible-it’s about contacting the strongest leads first quickly and strategically. With CRM integration, a predictive dialer can optimize lead management and allow agents to work faster and smarter. The solution can effectively organize lead data, sales information, customer history, and customer contact information and automatically feed this data to agents. For example, Vocalcom’s Predictive Dialer for Salesforce features call logging, callback rules, call recording, and other automated processes which can save agents’ time and free them to focus on connecting to the biggest leads and closing sales quickly and efficiently. Prime call times are automatically determined, and predictive dialing software can further filter out any "do not call" numbers, fax lines, or answering machines to guarantee direct access to the right customers at the right times. Indeed, agents may focus on the strongest leads and benefit from detailed reporting and dashboards that allow for performance improvements of over 150%.

In addition to the time-saving benefits of a standard predictive dialer, CRM integration poses numerous other benefits for sales with its strategic method of reaching contacts. When calls are placed, such a solution may use local phone numbers-a surefire way to prompt potential customers to answer as many studies have shown that over half of all consumers hang up when they see an unfamiliar phone number in their caller ID. Agents are thus able to connect with customers who might otherwise never answer. Companies are also poised to save costs when the solution is embedded into the CRM and therefore does not require additional expensive telecom hardware or integration. Such solutions automate and capture all call activity directly into the CRM for better lead management, keeping track of the best times to call customers and providing valuable real-time metrics and KPIs that can improve sales and marketing strategies. Lastly, when customers are contacted at times that are convenient for them, brand loyalty ensues and customers are more likely to actually make a purchase. Predictive dialers with CRM integration therefore enable best practices in sales acceleration as well as customer satisfaction.

While predictive dialer solutions enable greater productivity and cut costs, the added benefit of CRM integration allows companies to drive sales in a strategic manner while empowering agents to work smarter, not just harder, and deliver a stellar customer experience.