Businesses across different industries still rely on outbound calling to generate leads, convert prospects into customers, and increase sales. These include telemarketing, insurance, healthcare, debt collection, and real estate, to name just a few. However, calling through large lists of contacts manually might be time-consuming and less efficient if done the traditional way. This is where predictive dialers, such as a predictive dialer for small business, can make a difference, helping you optimize the outbound calling process and increase the efficiency of your outbound calling campaigns.
So, how exactly can a predictive dialer for small businesses help you increase conversions and impact your sales? Read on to find out.
What is a Predictive Dialer?
Predictive dialers are one type of dialer among many different auto-dialing systems used by sales teams to automate the outbound dialing process. Predictive dialers automatically dial numbers on your calling list, so you don’t have to do it manually. The system can skip busy signals, disconnected numbers, and answering machines, connecting agents only to calls answered by prospects or customers.
Moreover, when a voicemail is detected, the dialer can automatically drop a pre-recorded voicemail message and move on to calling the next number on the list.
The best part about predictive dialers is that these systems use AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) algorithms that predict how long an agent can answer a call and modify the dialing rate accordingly. In practice, it means that once an agent completes their previous interaction, they are instantly connected to the next answered call, which reduces the idle time between calls and helps them make more calls in a shorter time.
How Predictive Dialers Differ from Other Types of Auto Dialers
Predictive dialers vs. power dialers
Unlike predictive dialers, power dialers begin dialing the next number on the list once an agent is ready to take the call, and it only initiates one outbound call at a time per agent. With a power dialer, agents can typically make between 60-80 calls per hour (compared to up to 110 calls per hour when using a predictive dialer). However, power dialers ensure that prospects never experience blank calls or an awkward pause once they answer.
Predictive dialers vs. preview dialers
Preview dialers allow sales reps to preview the available information about the prospect or customer before placing the call. In fact, with a preview dialer, an agent has full control over the calling process as they can decide whether to initiate the call or skip the contact and move on to the next number. One major advantage of preview dialers is that they enable agents to better prepare for the interaction, empowering them to deliver more personalized experiences.
Common Features of Predictive Dialers
- Lead scoring and prioritization: Predictive dialers can score leads based on the probability of a successful conversion and prioritize them in your outbound calling campaigns.
- Answering machine detection: When an answering machine is detected, predictive dialers can automatically skip it and start dialing the next number on your calling list.
- Automated voicemail drop: When the dialer reaches a voicemail, it can leave a pre-recorded voicemail message and instantly dial the next number.
- Local presence dialing: Predictive dialers can dynamically display numbers with a local area code on your prospects’ caller ID, increasing call pick-up rates.
- DNC list compliance: The dialer can maintain accurate DNC lists and exclude numbers from the Do Not Registry from your calling campaigns to ensure compliance with regulations.
- Number reputation management: This feature can help you manage the reputation of your numbers and replace at-risk numbers in a timely manner to prevent them from being marked as spam.
- Real-time call monitoring: With real-time call monitoring, you can listen in on active calls and hear first-hand how agents interact with prospects or customers.
- Call recording: It allows you to record outbound calls, store call recordings, and use them for quality assurance, compliance, or training purposes.
- Reporting and analytics: Reporting and analytics features enable you to track outbound call volume, talk times, call connection rates, conversions, and other critical metrics and KPIs.
- SMS text messaging: When a predictive dialing solution supports SMS text messaging, you can send SMS texts to your prospects or customers in addition to calling them.
- CRM integration: CRM integration ensures that agents have instant access to all the available information about prospects or customers to deliver more personalized experiences.
How Can Predictive Dialers Impact Small Business Sales?
Higher outbound call volume
Since the dialer can automate the entire outbound calling process, eliminating the need for your sales reps to dial numbers manually, a single agent can make more outbound calls in a shorter time. For small businesses, that means a high volume of outreach can be done even if you have limited resources.
Improved call answer rate
Outbound sales reps have always had difficulty getting prospects or customers to pick up the phone. Predictive dialer software that features local presence dialing can help you overcome this challenge by displaying numbers with local area codes when running outbound calling campaigns. A study by Software Advice proved that people are four times more likely to answer unknown calls from local numbers.
Better lead prioritization
Some of the most advanced predictive dialing solutions can score leads based on the probability of a successful conversion and prioritize the most promising ones in your outbound calling campaigns. It means that leads more likely to convert are automatically placed at the start of the calling queue, ensuring that your sales reps reach out to them first, which ultimately helps you increase sales.
Increased engagement
Many predictive dialing solutions support SMS text messaging, allowing you to engage with your prospects or customers through text messages. With an open rate of 98%, SMS text messaging is an excellent way to connect with your audience and ensure your message is delivered and read even when your prospects or customers don’t pick up the phone.
Improved conversions
With a predictive dialer, your sales reps can handle more outbound calls in a shorter amount of time, which means more conversations with prospects and more opportunities to convert them. Additionally, features like local presence dialing, lead scoring and prioritization, and automated voicemail drop can help you improve the efficiency of your outbound calling campaigns, helping your small business drive more conversions and sales.
