An automated dialer might come to mind as the most efficient process when you think of calling a list of contacts. But automated dialing (including predictive and progressive dialing) can be a risky endeavor. Auto-dialers can create an awkward delay when your customer or prospect answers the call. And their use can violate TSR and/or TCPA standards, which carry hefty fines and risks litigation from unhappy consumers.
Preview dialing, on the other hand, can give your prospects a better experience without compromising agent efficiency. If anything, a preview dialer ensures your agents deliver a personalized experience to customers without struggling to find contacts, numbers to call, and last contact information.
What is preview dialing?
Preview dialing uses a predetermined list of contacts that need to be reached, similar to an automated dialer. While an automated dialer takes control of the timing of the call, the preview dialer puts you in control. You have time to review the details about your contact, read the most recent call notes, and get your thoughts ready before the call is placed. If the contact isn’t available, you can leave a personal message and quickly document your voice mail in iService call notes.
Why should I consider preview dialing?
Here’s why you might consider preview dialer over an automated dialer.
1. Forget Abandoned Calls
The worst part of automated dialing is the potential for abandoned calls. While the amount of downtime is increased when using a preview dialer, your agents can use that time to review call notes and ensure the customer experience is always top notch.
2. Know The Customer Before a Call
When using a preview dialer, agents get to review information about the contact prior to the call. For instance, the iService preview dialer form offers a quick view of a contact’s profile as well as their recent interactions, giving agents valuable insights before a follow call. In that way, an agent gets into the call armed with information that’s useful to the contact. Essentially, you know exactly what’s needed to close each deal or reach a win-win solution.
3. Take a Personalized Approach
As opposed to mass calling, preview dialing ensures you give personalized attention to every contact. The iService preview dialer form gives agents the tools they need for call notes, and includes direct access to the full contact page for each contact. Taking such a personalized approach to reach out to your contacts compels them to work with you.
4. Selective Dialing
Although you try to reach all of your contacts during follow up, you might want to skip a few contacts on the list. This is only achievable with a preview dialer. At the end of every call an agent is able to see who’s next on the list and they can decide when to make the call or skip to the next contact on the list. For complex sales where a little research is needed between call sessions, a preview dialer comes in handy as agents have time to gather adequate information before making a call.
5. Avoid Delays
Nowadays most customers hang up when they realize the person calling is a telemarketer. Since automated dialers cause a delay in connecting the call, it’s easier for a customer to identify a telemarketer and drop the call. However, with a preview dialer, an agent starts speaking as soon as someone answers the call. The no-delay connection improves customer interaction thus making outbound calling campaigns more productive. And when the agent gets someone on the line, they know exactly what to say and have information at their fingertips.
If you’re out to make the most from your outbound calling campaigns, a preview dialer can be a critical part of your sales and marketing strategy.
Learn how to set up the preview dialer from our User Guide.