You've run into a roadblock, haven't you?
Your call agents are pushing themselves to the limit, and you've hired as many of them as you can, but you still feel there is more that can be accomplished.
You're right. And predictive dialers are how you might get there.
Failing to adopt them into your sales process will mean that your call agents will get bogged down in menial tasks while your competition is chasing after your prospects, looking something like this:
But not to worry. If you're looking to take the first step on the journey toward the adoption of predictive dialers, you've come to the right place.
In this article, you'll learn:
A predictive dialer is a software system that selects phone numbers and dials them for a call center agent, lowering the amount of time an agent spends dialing each day and increasing the amount of time they spend on calls with customers, closing deals.
A predictive dialer uses a pacing algorithm that predicts how long it takes an agent to answer a call and modifies the dialing rate accordingly.
Call centers found that their call agents not only wasted time trying to reach numbers that were busy, disconnected, or went straight to voicemail, but that they also lost momentum in their work, lowering their effectiveness once they got onto a call as a result.
Predictive dialer spares call agents the need to deal with busy lines, disconnected calls, and other phone-related issues. The call agent's only job is to close deals, and the algorithm ensures they go from one call to the next with as little delay as possible.
Predictive dialers screen out busy signals, voicemail, disconnected numbers, and so on. Once it detects an answered phone call, it immediately passes it over to a call agent.
But because phone numbers may be unavailable for one reason or another, predictive dialers also have the option of dialing a lot of phone numbers at once to raise the level of productivity.
And because a predictive dialer is an automated system, it ensures the workload distribution within a team is completely equal. Everyone gets the same amount of opportunities, and it's up to them to make the most of what they have.
A predictive dialer automates and optimizes outbound calling by intelligently dialing numbers based on agent availability and historical call data. Below is a detailed step-by-step breakdown of how a predictive dialer system works:
The process begins by uploading a contact list into the predictive dialer software. This list may be tailored to a specific campaign, sales push, or customer service outreach.
The predictive dialer algorithm begins analyzing the behavior and average handling time of each agent in the call center predictive dialer environment.
Based on the analysis, the predictive auto dialer starts dialing multiple numbers before agents are actually free—timed precisely so that when an agent finishes a call, a live person is waiting on the line.
As soon as someone answers, the predictive phone dialer instantly connects the call to an available agent.
While running, the predictive outbound dialer captures real-time metrics and data.
Sales managers can monitor results using the predictive dialer technology dashboard.
The predictive dialer system continues down the contact list until the campaign is complete.
Here are four types of predictive dialers that your company can use:
|
Types of Dialers |
Details |
|
Outbound Predictive Dialer |
Automates outbound calls based on agent availability. |
|
Call Center Predictive Dialer |
Streamlines high-volume calling in call centers. |
|
Virtual Predictive Dialer |
Cloud-based, remote-compatible dialer. |
|
Predictive Auto Dialer |
Uses behavior data to auto-dial and schedule. |
An outbound predictive dialer automatically dials from a list of external contacts, typically used in sales, telemarketing, or customer outreach. It leverages a predictive dialer algorithm to anticipate agent availability and dial multiple numbers in advance to ensure constant engagement.
Uses and Benefits:
Ideal Industries:
A call center predictive dialer is a more robust system designed for high-volume environments. It replaces manual dialing methods or preview dialers, optimizing how calls are distributed among agents.
Efficiency & Productivity Gains:
Ringy's calling solution for call centers integrates lead scoring, call tracking, and smart CRM features—all of which enhance call center operations and drive better conversion rates.
Unlike traditional on-premise systems, a virtual predictive dialer resides on remote servers and is accessed via the internet. This eliminates the need for significant upfront hardware investments and ongoing maintenance.
The benefits of virtual/cloud-based solutions include:
A predictive auto dialer is an advanced version of a predictive dialer that automatically determines not only when to dial, but whom to dial based on historical data, lead scoring, and contact segmentation.
Unique Features:
Regulatory Considerations:
A predictive dialer system can significantly improve outbound calling performance, but like any technology, it has both advantages and disadvantages. Below is a balanced view to help you determine whether a predictive dialer solution fits your organization's needs.
The main difference between a progressive dialer and a predictive dialer is that predictive dialers make multiple calls at once and begin dialing before the agent is ready to take the next call because the algorithm ‘predicts' when they will be ready based on previous patterns.
With progressive dialers, however, the system only begins dialing once the agent is ready to take the next call, and only dials one number at a time.
As a consequence, progressive dialers don't make as many phone calls, but the upside of that feature is that customers never experience blank calls. The software never makes a mistake and doesn't end up with a customer on the line before the call agent is ready for the next prospect.
This is a far better option for call centers looking to improve the customer experience and customer interactions; therefore, progressive dialers are more suited to high-value customers.
If call centers find that the quality of calls takes priority over the number of calls, then progressive dialers are the choice for them.
And if a company chooses to integrate a progressive dialer with a CRM, a range of benefits becomes available. There are features such as local ID, to ensure the call center has a familiar number, no matter which country they are calling, and Cloud VOIP Softphone allows them to call directly from the CRM platform.
Not to mention that companies get to track and record communications, ensuring they can monitor the effectiveness of their call agents as well as helping ensure they never dial the same number twice.
A predictive dialer is more than just an automated dialing tool, it's a strategic technology that can significantly enhance sales efficiency and boost agent productivity in various ways.
Here are five key ways a predictive dialer solution contributes to increased sales efficiency and productivity:
A predictive dialer automates the entire dialing process, allowing agents to handle significantly more calls per hour than manual dialing ever could.
Modern predictive dialer systems collect real-time data on call outcomes, agent performance, and campaign metrics.
Predictive dialer solutions paired with CRM integration streamline lead tracking, segmentation, and follow-up.
One of the biggest drains on sales productivity in traditional outbound calling is agent idle time – the time spent between calls dialing numbers, waiting for connections, and dealing with non-productive calls.
Fortunately, a predictive dialer drastically reduces this idle time by automating the dialing process and only connecting agents to live conversations. This ensures that agents spend a much higher percentage of their time actually speaking with prospects, which is the most productive use of their time.
By reaching more people faster and filtering out unqualified contacts, predictive outbound dialers ensure that sales reps focus only on high-potential leads.
The price of predictive dialers can vary. The most important difference is whether a company chooses a hosted predictive dialer or an on-site predictive dialer.
On-site predictive dialers can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $200,000, whereas hosted predictive dialers can cost from $25 dollars per agent per month to $500 per agent per month.
The price is largely dependent on the features offered by the software providers, which is why companies need to take ROI into account before making decisions.
By enabling a predictive dialer to integrate seamlessly with a CRM, call agents gain access to important benefits.
If all the customer information is stored on a CRM platform, then integrating the predictive dialer with the platform means that agents get all the customer information they need as they get on the call with a potential customer.
Call agents gain access to customer profiles, records of previous interactions, and so on. Every piece of information is useful, especially with predictive dialers, which do not give call agents the time to familiarize themselves with individual customers before getting on the phone with them.
This one is all about agent productivity. If a predictive dialer can determine the difference between an answering machine and a real person, it means it does not transfer phone calls to agents that end up wasting their time.
Instead, the predictive dialer leaves a pre-recorded message on the answering machine and moves on to the next call.
As mentioned earlier, if a predictive dialer does not offer companies the opportunity to customize the pacing algorithm of the software, it means the predictive dialer cannot be adjusted to the specific needs of a company.
Perhaps the basic settings of the pacing algorithm best answer the needs of a call center with 30 agents. But what does that mean for call centers with 40 agents or call centers with 20 agents?
It is absolutely necessary that any predictive dialer you choose offers the option of customization when it comes to its pacing algorithm, allowing the predictive dialer to adjust to the needs of the company.
Nice CXOne is a cloud-based call center predictive dialer that combines omnichannel routing, analytics, and workforce optimization. The company's goal is to provide organizations with the opportunity to provide great customer service by enabling them to respond quickly to customer expectations.
The software offers customers:
The company offers different pricing packages, though the cost of each package is not disclosed.
When it comes to user experience, many praise the performance of the software, though there are those who claim it to be full of bugs. You can read more reviews here.
JustCall is a cloud-based phone system designed to enable its customers to make, receive, and monitor phone calls. They offer businesses the chance to get phone numbers in 58 countries. The system is most often used by mid-sized companies.
The system offers its customers:
The company offers potential customers three pricing plans.
|
Plan Type |
Pricing |
|
Team |
$29/month per user (billed annually) |
|
Pro |
$49/month per user (billed annually) |
|
Pro Plus |
$89/month per user (billed annually) |
You can check out their pricing plan in more detail here.
Connex One is a customer engagement platform that helps companies engage with their customers through a cloud-based omnichannel engine. They aim to provide companies with the tools needed to consolidate the customer journey on a single platform.
These features include:
In an attempt to offer full transparency, Connext One does not offer pricing plans but tailors the cost of its platform to each customer to ensure a great level of flexibility and customization.
There is no denying the role predictive dialers can play in increasing agent productivity at call centers.
There is also no denying the other benefits:
But you cannot ignore the risks of customers receiving blank calls, or the fact that predictive dialers work best for call centers with at least eight agents who are more interested in the number of calls than they are in offering each prospect the best possible customer experience.
So, depending on your company's specific needs, you will have to decide which downsides you can live with and which ones are unacceptable. And if you wish to make an even more informed decision, we invite you to educate yourself further about the differences between various types of dialing software by visiting our call center solutions page and booking a demo today!