Senior Writer: Nishita
Date: May 22, 2023Do you know sales representatives spend 15% of their time leaving voicemails?
Competition is increasing rapidly in every industry. That’s why the best sales managers coach their agents regularly and provide them with the best tools possible. Coaching helps representatives increase the chances of conversion, while tools help them save time.
An average representative makes around 52 calls per day. While dialing a list of phone numbers doesn’t sound complicated, it could be tiresome and frustrating to dial hundreds of numbers every day. That’s where a sales dialer can help.
Let’s understand what a sales dialer is, different types of sales dialer, and how it can benefit your business!
What Is a Sales Dialer?
A sales dialer is a program that automates the dialing process when calling prospects. This eliminates the repetitive work of dialing phone numbers manually and any human errors related to it.
As a sales manager, you probably already know, not every prospect will pick the phone. Also, when you have a list of hundred leads, how do you prioritize which ones to call first? Who is more likely to convert? Add this with the time you will spend manually dialing numbers. That’s where a sales dialer comes in. It enables you to:
- Compile a list of customers based on their point in the sales cycle
- Automatically put leads in the dial list
- Automatically dial the numbers at the right time
Types of Sales Dialer
There are three primary types of sales dialer:
- Autodialer
- Predictive dialer
- Progressive dialer (also known as power dialer)
Now the question is, which one should you choose?
The straight answer to the above question is: It depends on what you want to achieve.
Let’s better understand what these sales dialers mean and when you should choose them.
Auto Dialer: The Machine Gun of Dialers
An auto dialer system automatically dials multiple phone numbers from a list simultaneously. When the call is answered, it will either connect the caller to an agent or deliver a pre-recorded message.
Auto dialers are ideal for large organizations that are interested in making a high volume of calls. Also, businesses conducting opinion polls, pitching generic products, and informing people about their latest offerings can benefit from a basic mass auto dialer.
When to choose an auto dialer?
When personalization is not your priority, and you want to call as many people as possible, choose an auto dialer.
However, if your primary aim is to connect accepted calls to a human agent to sell products, an auto dialer is not the right choice. It’s because auto dialers dial multiple numbers simultaneously, which might lead to an unacceptable lag between when the prospect answers the call, and the agent attends it.
2- Predictive Dialer: AI To The Rescue
Predictive dialer is known to reduce agent “idle time” from 33% to 5%. The predictive dialer takes the auto dialer to the next level with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). It dials multiple numbers according to an algorithm and redirects the call to an agent only when it is answered.
The predictive dialer takes the auto dialer to the next level with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). It dials multiple numbers according to an algorithm and redirects the call to an agent only when it is answered.
The predictive dialer algorithm is programmed to a custom setting that considers past data, including:
- The average time to pick up the call
- The average number of calls answered
- The average amount of time spent on a call
In other words, predictive dialers call a number before the agent is actually finished with the current one. This ensures that the agent has an active call as soon as they are done with the current one.
Predictive dialers use voicemail detection systems to detect live pauses, opening phrases, and common conversation traits (e.g., the word hello after picking the call) to determine when the prospect has answered and routes the call to an agent.
The AI system also optimizes the algorithm automatically based on the factors mentioned above in real-time. This ensures you always get the best out of your investment.
When to choose a predictive dialer?
When your priority is to connect as many prospects as possible with human agents, a predictive dialer is an ideal choice. It minimizes your representatives’ idle time and boosts productivity.
3- Progressive Dialer: Personalized Calling Experience
Progressive dialers call one number at a time. It automatically detects when an agent has ended a call and dials the next number from the list immediately.
There are two types of progressive dialers:
- Preview dialer
- Power dialer
The preview dialer provides your representative with a certain control over the call process. It usually displays a list of numbers to the agent who can decide whether to skip the following number in the queue. It also shows complete information about the upcoming prospect, thereby allowing your agents to better research and prepare before the call is answered.
A power dialer is more efficient than a preview dialer. However, it does not allow agents to decide which lead to dial. Instead, it automatically calls the next number in the list. If the prospect does not respond to the call, the power dialer will dial the following number in the list.
When to use the progressive dialer?
Use a progressive dialer when your priority is to personalize the calling experience and not the volume. It might also increase the conversion rates as your agents can focus more on offering the best experience to prospects.
Benefits of Sales Dialers for Your Business
Sales dialer saves time and removes manual error from your call process. Here are some more ways a sales dialer can benefit your business.
1- Provides a Complete Overview of Your Sales Activities
Advanced sales dialers like CallHippo integrate with all the leading CRMs, enabling you to create a more streamlined sales workflow. It provides deep insights for each prospect (including when they interacted with your business and how the call was).
Since the data is captured in your CRM, it leads to better data and faster organizational learning for your sales team.
2- Helps Increase the Conversion Rate
Calls from unknown area codes are often ignored or rejected. However, a business system (that has an in-built sales dialer) allows you to use a local number for outgoing calls. This increases the chances of conversion and customer experience.
Another way sales dialers help increase the conversion rate is by reminding you to retry abandoned calls after the initial call. They can be programmed for different retry strategies for different results, such as busy signal, voicemail, disconnected.
3- Free Up Time for Other Tasks
Since sales dialers dial phone numbers automatically, your representatives can do other tasks in less time (e.g., after-call work, researching about prospects, etc.). A study suggests dialers can save around 45 minutes per day per agent. You can use this time to follow up with more leads and increase the conversion rate.
Wrapping Up
An effective sales process is all about making the best use of your salespeople’s time. A sales dialer eliminates the redundant process of calling each number one by one, thereby saving their time.
If you have not started using a sales dialer in your company, now is the right time.
Key Takeaways
- An auto dialer dials multiple numbers simultaneously.
- A predictive dialer uses an algorithm to determine when the agent will be available to attend the call and dials the number accordingly.
- A power dialer dials a phone number right after a call is completed.
Nishita is a Digital Marketing Manager at CallHippo, she writes blogs on virtual phone system, call center software and virtual numbers. She loves to write human-friendly content that helps growing businesses perform better.
