Auto Dialer Software: How to Compare Automated Dialing Solutions

Dialer software is a game-changer for companies of all sizes, but not all auto dialer software is recommended. The right kind of dialing automation allows outbound sales teams to make calls quickly and easily, connecting them with the prospect or allowing them to leave a customized pre-recorded voicemail if the call is not answered.

Wondering just how much time is saved not searching for prospects’ phone numbers and leaving individual messages? For some companies it’s as much as 10 hours a week.

Of course, choosing auto dialer software is not as simple as it sounds. There are numerous different types of dialers out there, and some of them are actually not compliant with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). When you’re determining which automated dialing solution is right for your company, it is vital to have all the information so you don’t end up with a hefty lawsuit. Plus, selecting the ideal dialer software will make your team more productive and drive more revenue.

Different types of dialers

Before diving into the different features of dialing automation software, let’s take a look at the different types of dialers. With so many terms out there, it’s easy to get confused.

What is auto dialer software?

An auto dialer is a system that automates and expedites the dialing of phone numbers. It’s probably the most generalized dialer term and is sometimes used as a blanket term that encompasses various types of dialers. It’s common for people to conflate auto dialer software with illegal robo dialers, which should be avoided at all costs.

What is a predictive dialer?

A predictive dialer is an outbound calling system that automatically dials from a list of telephone numbers, relying on call metrics to predict when a human agent will be free to take the next call. Predictive dialers are often cloud-based and can sometimes integrate with CRM tools such as Salesforce.

What is a dialer for Salesforce?

A dialer for Salesforce is powerful dialer software that is specifically designed for Salesforce. It captures 100% of call activity data directly within Salesforce and allows reps to click to dial from any number in Salesforce. This eliminates the need for manual data entry and makes it easier to log calls.

What is a robo dialer?

A robo dialer is an illegal dialing system that dials multiple contacts simultaneously. The greatest risk of using a robo dialer is getting hit with escalated fines from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). From the buyer’s perspective, a telltale sign of robo dialers is the silence between the time they answer and the unprepared seller answers. The buyer typically associates this silence with telemarketers and scammers, leading to repeated scam complaints.

5 Signs You Have the Wrong Auto Dialer Software

Perhaps you already have a dialing solution, but you’re not satisfied with the results. If any of the following signs resonate with you, it’s probably time to search for a better dialing automation software. Take a moment to think about these 5 signs you have the wrong dialer.

You have trouble choosing which calls to review for coaching

Let’s be honest–it’s tough finding enough time to coach your sales reps. In fact, most sales development representatives receive less than one hour of coaching per week. But what’s even more difficult is knowing which calls to review when you do have the time to coach.

If your dialer isn’t helping you choose which calls to review, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to make your life easier. The ideal automated dialing solution utilizes conversation intelligence to notify you when reps need or request guidance in specific calls. That way, all of your coaching efforts are spent on the calls that truly need coaching.

Reps need to leave Salesforce regularly to do their jobs

Switching between tools stirs up lots of confusion, particularly for sales reps who need to keep track of lots of important information. Relying on auto dialer software that doesn’t integrate with Salesforce costs your reps tons of time spent on manual data entry. In addition to that, not being able to automatically capture call data in Salesforce means valuable data is easily lost.

Save your team the headache by investing in dialing automation software that is built natively within Salesforce. Reps will no longer have to worry about context switching when they can stay in Salesforce all day.

Your auto dialing software has issues with calls dropping

There’s nothing worse than an unreliable dialer that drops calls. This may seem simple, but you’d be surprised how many dialers get it wrong. Your calls shouldn’t drop!

Your team deserves a dependable dialer that never crashes or has errors. Calls should be clear and high-quality. Instead of reps regularly getting logged out of the dialer, they should be able to easily log into their Salesforce account and make calls from there.

Your call connection rate is lower than you’d like

For every ten activities a rep performs, including cold calls (see our cold call framework), emails and other outreach activities, at least one should yield a conversation. If your team isn’t hitting that benchmark, your dialer could be to blame.

Choose a dialer that offers call connection rates that are at or above your industry’s average. Without a high enough call connection rate, you won’t be able to keep up with your competitors.

You’re unable to connect call outcomes to campaigns and revenue

Sales conversations don’t happen in a vacuum, and the insights gleaned from them influence pipeline, revenue and various campaigns. If your auto dialing software doesn’t allow you to connect call outcomes to campaigns and revenue, you might as well not be tracking them at all.

The ideal automated dialing solution links calls automatically to specific campaigns, so you can easily repeat what works. You have full visibility into what’s happening on calls, and can view trends across all calls to see how reps are doing on the phones.

5 Things to Look for in Automated Dialing Software

When you’re searching for auto dialer software, remember not to settle for a robo dialer. Illegal robo dialers increase fine risk and spam complaints, hurt win rates, make lead prioritization impossible, result in poor connection rates and cause reps to miss quota. Instead, look for dialing automation that leads to great sales engagement. Check whether the auto dialer software you’re considering boasts the following features.

Built-in virtual guidance that reinforces training during live calls

With 87% of reps forgetting their training in just 30 days, having a way to automatically reinforce training is absolutely critical. Your sales dialer should allow you to scale training and best practices with real-time reminders that are customized to your team. Finding the right conversational sales platform is a total game-changer

For example, let’s say you devoted a whole training session to what makes you stand out from various competitors. Revenue.io reinforces this training by detecting when a specific competitor is mentioned on a live call and then sending the rep a pop-up reminder with the exact information they need about how to win against that competitor.

Local presence dialing

For the best call connection rates, you need a global dialer with local presence dialing. Not only will your team be able to seamlessly dial prospects all over the world, but they’ll be able to do so using a local phone number.

Local presence dialing doubles connection rates by automatically dialing prospects using local area codes. Buyers are much more likely to answer when they see a local phone number on their screen.

Automated compliance management

Compliance rules can be complicated. Look for a dialing solution that automatically turns call recording on and off based on the prospect’s location. Dialers should be General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and Systems and Organizations Controls 2 (SOC-II) compliant. Note: not all auto dialer software meets these requirements.

If you want a dialer that goes above and beyond with helping your team stay compliant, choose one that detects whether or not reps disclose call recording and sends them a pop-up reminder if they forget. See what that looks like here.

Hot lead prioritization

Lead priorization is key to booking more meetings. After all, not all leads are created equal. Without a dialer that notifies reps when a hot lead comes in, your reps probably won’t know which leads are most important. They might end up overlooking a super hot lead in favor of a random cold call.

With the RingDNA Dialer, reps are immediately alerted when a hot lead comes in. They can drop whatever they’re doing to contact that lead. This makes it much easier for reps to respond to the lead within 5 minutes, which results in call response rates as much as 8 times higher.

Personalized voicemail drop with auto dialing software

Reps don’t have time to leave dozens of voicemail messages a day, but they also don’t want to seem impersonal with a one-size-fits-all voicemail that gets left for every single buyer. Dialing automation software with personalized voicemail drops allows reps to tailor their recorded voicemails to specific personas and industries, and then touch a button to leave the perfect voicemail.

Reps who utilize personalized voicemail drops don’t have to worry about sounding tired on their 22nd voicemail of the day. They can prerecord custom voicemails when they’re fresh and full of enthusiasm, then use them throughout the week as they’re making calls.

Ready for a look at a dialing automation software that checks all the boxes? Our team would be happy to show you how Revenue.io can enable the perfect sales workflow. Book a demo here.