The usage of a call center solution is not restricted to call centers or BPOs. But these solutions are widespread now. Almost all scaled businesses operating in diversified industry verticals use this solution to amplify returns of their customer care, sales, collection, and other campaigns. As the demand for and use of this solution increased, innovations also started showing up. As we all know, need is the mother of innovation. The outbound call center software is one of the innovations that emerged due to the need for a powerful solution to enhance outgoing campaigns.
Traditionally, call center software providers used to offer a single platform that would have an array of features. These features support all three types of campaigns: outbound, inbound, and blended. The basic version of this solution offers only basic features to support all three different types of campaigns. The advanced version supports the advanced features. Certainly, the advanced solution was expensive. However, to receive the required features, businesses had to pay extra. As a result, they were losing money even on features that they never needed.
The emergence of an outbound call center solution appeared as a relief for several businesses that focus more on outgoing campaigns. Even the basic version of this software can have an array of advanced features to augment the results of outbound campaigns. Moreover, these solutions will have multiple features to manage incoming calls. As a result, with little investment, higher advantages can be gained by your business. In short, if your business is focused on running more outbound campaigns, it is necessary to invest in an automated outbound calling software solution. It guarantees better returns compared to using a generic or standard call center solution.
By now, you must have realized the worth of using an outbound contact center solution. However, it is necessary to choose this software with best practices to maximize its benefits and your returns. In this blog post, we are going to give you complete insight on this topic and help you use this software to its best.
Let’s take a deep dive to identify the best practices to choose one of the best outbound call center solutions for your business.
1. Understanding Outbound Contact Center Solutions
It is a call center software solution, which emphasizes outbound calling campaigns. Therefore, this solution provides more features to manage outbound campaigns, including, but not limited to:
Lead generation
- Cross selling and upselling
- Survey
- Feedback
- Brand awareness
- And more
This software will provide all advanced auto dialers, call scripts, CRM integration, voice broadcasting, and similar features. As a result, you can augment your outgoing marketing, sales, and other business campaigns. On the other hand, it will also have basic features for inbound call management like automated call distributor, IVR, etc.
Outbound call center software plays a crucial role in businesses with a focus on outbound campaigns, offering automation capabilities that can optimize operations by up to 70%. This level of automation significantly reduces the need for manual intervention in various processes, freeing up valuable manpower from routine tasks for more productive endeavors. Additionally, it eliminates human errors, ensuring a higher degree of accuracy and efficiency in operations. In summary, outbound dialer software provides substantial advantages for businesses.
2. Do’s of Choosing the Right Software
You might be thinking that it is easy to select an outbound solution as it must have more emphasis on features that support outbound campaigns, right? However, it is not as easy as it sounds. As there is a need for this exclusive software, there is a wide range of options available in the market. You might fall for prey and choose the wrong solution. Therefore, it is necessary to be aware of the do’s and don’ts of the selection process, so that you can get the best software that augments the results of your outgoing campaigns.
1 . Define Requirements
- It is necessary to know what you want before going out for the search. Defining your needs will also help you pen down the features that are must have in your solutions. There are different types of standard call center solutions available on the market. Similarly, there is a wide variety available in terms of an outbound contact center solution. You may select the wrong one, which misses out on some vital features. In short, define a list of requirements, which can lead you to the list of necessary features.
Here are some important tips that can help you define your requirements.
- Define the type of campaigns you run in general
- Discuss with your team
- Review past campaigns
- Predict future requirements
2 . Scalability
- As a business grows, the number of calls that your outbound call center software manages also grows. You will need to recruit more agents. Therefore, your solution has to support more concurrent calls (CC) and agents. It must also support advanced features and omnichannel communication to add later on.
3 . Compliance and Security
- Different countries have different regulations like TCPA and GDPR to protect the interests of consumers. It is necessary to choose software that follows all compliance rules. Moreover, it must protect your data from known threats with inbuilt firewall and security features.
4 . Flexibility
- The software has to be very flexible to support third party integrations. You must be able to integrate your business applications like an IP PBX system, CRM solution, etc. Moreover, it should be flexible enough to support hosting over any model, be it an on-premises server or cloud.
5 . Reports and Analytics
- It is one of the pivotal functionalities of this solution. All call center software providers offer some reports. But your software must support tracking of all major KPIs. It should also support customization to add missing reports for your business.
3. Don’ts of Selecting the Software
You have learned about the dos of selecting the right solution. Similarly, there are also don’ts of software selection. Let’s take a look at them.
1 . Ignoring UI and UX
- UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) matter even for your agents. It can save time otherwise spent struggling to find and use the features. Therefore, always focus on choosing a user-friendly solution.
2 . Neglecting Training and Support
- A call center software system is a technical solution. Even if you have been using one for some time, it is necessary to get official training on the new solution. You must also focus on technical support that you may need at times. So, discuss the terms, conditions, and cost before making the final choice.
3 . Neglecting the TOC
- TOC (Total Cost of Ownership) is different than the license fee. Generally, business developers discuss the license cost of the software. However, they often don’t mention other expenses like hosting costs, taxation, support fees, training costs, etc. Some companies provide training and documentation complimentary, but some companies charge additional. It is necessary to ask for the final cost including everything. Therefore, you can learn about the total cost of ownership.
Read also: Must Measure KPIs for Outbound Call Centers
4. Emergence of Automated Outbound Calling Solutions
- Along with outbound call center solutions, automated solutions for outbound campaigns are also emerging. However, both of these solutions are quite different in terms of features and functionalities. Moreover, the functionality is also different. Thus, it is necessary to understand this software.
- The automated outbound calling software is a completely automated solution for outbound campaigns. It does not involve humans in engaging customers or prospects during the campaigns. The only place where humans are involved is in the configuration process. This solution runs an automated outbound campaign with a prerecorded voice message. Furthermore, the target audience can also engage with the system by selecting the option or answering the question.
- Some of the common features available in this solution are an auto dialer, outbound IVR, live statistics, reports, and call logs. Moreover, it also supports third party integration with the software. Unlike this, the outbound software for call centers will have a wider variety of features. Still, the automated calling solution for outbound campaigns is quite popular because of its use cases. It is beneficial in some specific campaigns. It improves resource utilization. It reduces expenses. Furthermore, it enhances several other business elements. Therefore, it is emerging as one of the popular solutions for businesses interested in running outbound campaigns.
Concluding Notes
In a nutshell, the industry that focuses only on outbound campaigns is vast. Therefore, there is a need for a solution that supports outbound campaigns with exclusive features. The technology has already completed its role by building the best solutions to empower outbound campaigns. However, it has also increased the situations of dilemma for selecting the right solution. Keep the do’s and don’ts in mind during the selection process to choose the best software for your business.
We offer one of the most powerful outbound call center software solutions. To learn more about it and to book a free trial, contact us.
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