Getting the Right Call Automation Software

Call automation software can make or break your telemarketing campaign, which believe it or not, telemarketing still remains a tried and tested method of generating sales through leads. Even though technologies powering this method have advanced over the years, the core strategy still continues to deliver meaningful results to this day.

Companies now rely on call automation software to quickly reach out to as many leads as possible. As the name suggests, the software brings automation to the dialing process, whereby it only connects the call to the salesperson when the potential customer answers the call.

What is Call Automation Software?

Gone are the days when a salesperson would have to flip through their entire phonebook, manually punching in the numbers on their desk phone for each and every lead that they wanted to reach out to. It just doesn’t work that way.

In this fast-paced world, there’s now a need for faster solutions that allow them to quickly reach out to a large number of leads in a bid to close as many sales as possible. This is where call automation software really comes into its element.

For a company that's looking to increase its sales, a system that automates the calling process and boosts efficiency is a worthwhile investment. The software is effectively an automatic dialer, it dials numbers on its own and only when the other person picks up does it connect the call to the salesperson.

At its core, the software is essentially a VOIP program that's capable of dialing numbers automatically, and it can also leave a message on an answering machine if the person doesn't pick up.

No complex setup is required. Most call automation softwares are now cloud-based, which means that setting up an outbound call center now requires little more than a computer with an internet browser and a USB headset for each salesperson.

Call Automation Software in a CRM

A customer relationship management (CRM) tool can be a very powerful resource for companies looking to increase their sales and bring more efficiency to their businesses. There are countless CRM solutions available that cater to businesses big and small.

They offer a wide variety of features, tracking tools and collaborative features that bring together different teams from across the organization so that they can all work together under a common goal.

CRM solutions are now more powerful than ever before. They offer a one-stop solution for any and all tools that a business might require as far as reserving and building customer interactions is concerned. That’s why most now come with call automation software baked in.

One big advantage of having call automation functionality in a CRM is that it provides quantifiable call data. This makes it easier for salespersons to measure KPIs, keep an eye on call and conversion rates. Supervisors can use that data to measure the team's performance and provide constructive feedback.

Since the entire sales funnel is mapped out in the CRM, salespersons don't have to fumble around with scripts and product documentation as they move leads along the funnel. They can confidently talk them through the entire process with contingencies provided within the CRM funnel for specific outcomes.

When salespersons are focused on the task at hand, they won’t sound like they’re fumbling around and unsure of what they’re saying to the client that they’re talking to on the phone. Their tone will appear more natural and the conversation will flow effortlessly. It will aid them in turning leads into sales.

One of the core purposes of using a CRM for your business is to store all relevant data in one central location that can be accessed by everyone in the organization. With an integrated call automation system, the CRM also benefits from call history and caller ID data, enabling sales reps and customer service agents to pull up important caller data before getting in touch with a customer.

5 Ways Call Automation Software Can Improve Your Sales

Call automation software takes away a substantial amount of manual leg work, thus expediting the process of dialing a large quantity of telephone numbers. It does more than just automatically and sequentially calling numbers from a database. The software can also sort answered and unanswered calls and even leave voicemail if need be.

Businesses can rely on different kinds of call automation solutions. Depending on their unique needs, they can use preview dialers, progressive dialers and predictive dialers. The software can intelligently differentiate between answering machines, busy tones and disconnected lines.

Sales reps don't have to waste time trying to jump through all of those hoops, the software only hands them a call when the person on the other end actually picks up. This way, they can get right to work without having to call the same person manually multiple times.

Naturally, having such a system in place can significantly improve the efficiency of your sales team and end up generating more revenue. Here are five major ways a call automation software can help improve your sales.

Increase the number of calls made

With so much of the leg work being automated, sales reps only have to focus on walking the leads through the funnel instead. They can then make a lot more calls when the software is doing half of the work for them instead of when they're required to do everything from finding the numbers manually to dialing them and then reaching out again if the line is busy.

That's why businesses which need to make a significant amount of outbound sales calls rely on automated calling solutions. They utilize software like progressive dialers which can line up the next outbound call instantly when a rep is able to handle it. Predictive dialers can also help in this scenario as they predict when a rep will be able to take another call.

Sales rep can thus focus on making as many calls in a day as they possibly can with greater efficiency. The automatic calling solutions help reduce the wait time between calls as well, allowing your business to reach out to more leads and generate more revenue.

Sales reps only have to focus on connected calls

You'd want to have your sales reps firing on all cylinders, and not bogged down by the mundane tasks of dialing numbers over and over again. When the software hands them a connected call, they can get right down to the business of selling your product or service.

This efficiency is made possible by the software's ability to differentiate between answered and unanswered calls. They can also figure out if a particular number is a fax line or a do-not-disturb line. This frees up the sales reps from having to check on each call whether it was picked up by a live person.

They don't have to suffer idle time as well. You wouldn't want your reps to be just sitting around their desk with a phone to the ear while it keeps ringing and nobody picks up on the other end. This allows the salespersons to make more calls per hour.

It also gives them the best possible chance of converting the lead, since they’re not exhausted by this manual process. Everything is already done for them in the background before the call connects, they just have to go through the funnel and close the sale.

Advanced monitoring and reporting

One major advantage of automated solutions is that they provide data which can prove to be very useful in changing how things are done in order to improve performance. The call automation software will provide you with detailed insights into your outbound calling operation.

They offer customized tracking tools and easy to use dashboards from where you can keep an eye on the important metrics very easily. Higher operational efficiency can thus be achieved as a result of advanced tracking.

The vast amount of data will let you figure out any potential problems and take the necessary steps to fix them. They also provide access to call recordings which can be used to assess the performance of sales reps and ensure that a consistent quality level is being maintained across the outbound sales call operation.

Increased lead conversion ratio

A call automation solution can also help increase the lead conversion ratio for your sales reps since it adds agility to the process. For example, a preview dialer can provide the rep with a snapshot of the customer's contact details before the call actually begins.

This will enable them to prepare for the call and provide a more personalized experience to the customer. This personalized approach can work wonders for lead conversion, helping sales reps close more sales and generate more revenue for your business in the process.

Customers who receive better service are more likely to be repeat customers, and studies have shown that they’re the ones that tend to drive consistent revenue for businesses as opposed to new customers.

Run multiple campaigns simultaneously

You’d want to get the most bang for your buck when you’re investing in a CRM software with a call automation software. Ideally, the software should be capable enough to let you run multiple campaigns at the same time.

The auto-dialing feature offered by call automation softwares in most CRMs can also be used to conduct market research and also for promoting new products and services. They make it easier to run multiple phone-based marketing campaigns simultaneously.

Campaign managers can then generate and keep an eye on performance reports to see how an individual campaign is doing. This allows for more informed decision-making when it comes to decide which campaign should continue to be run and which needs to be suspended.

Get the Right CRM with Call Automation Software

You understand the benefits of a CRM and what it could do for your business, now you need to make sure that the solution that you invest in also offers a call automation software. This way, you don’t have to pay for two separate services.

It would be much more cost-effective if the CRM solution that you pick for your business has an integrated call automation software. That’s where OnCourse stands out from the crowd.

Not all CRMs do everything that a business needs them to do. Some are extremely limited in scope, focused on businesses in a specific industry, while others are lacking features that don’t really make them a viable option.

OnCourse strikes a sweet spot as it offers something for everyone. Businesses of any size can utilize its innovative tools to streamline their sales processes, increase efficiency, reduce costs and generate more revenue.

It features a powerful built-in automated calling solution that can reduce idle time so that your sales team can spend more time turning leads into sales. Its features include one-click calling, enabling sales reps to connect with the best leads first to sell more.

The ability to call on contacts with a local phone number that's close to their location is an added benefit since this is proven to increase pickup rates. The streamlined process in OnCourse lets your sales team prioritize and connect with the best leads with optimal persistency.

Call forwarding is another useful feature offered as part of call automation in OnCourse, allowing reps to stay connected with your customers on the go even when they're limited to a mobile phone. You can also run SMS marketing campaigns from within the CRM thanks to its Connected SMS functionality.

It further makes the sales team's job easier with task automation that instantly updates records and eliminates the need for manual data entry after every call. Calls are logged automatically in real time and so are tasks. It saves communication history and offers other tools like voicemail drops, call recordings, and more.

The biggest reason why OnCourse should be your CRM for choice? It offers out of the box calling functionality on all plans, so there's no need for additional subscriptions or software licenses to get this key tool. The call infrastructure is robust and promises crystal clear quality.

Interested? Reach out to OnCourse today and request a demo of their software to learn more about how their robust CRM with call automation can help you take your business to the next level.