Businesses that use the telephone to communicate with customers and prospects regularly have dialer software. Dialer software is designed to increase productivity by reducing the time required to dial and perform other communication and organizational workflows. It can be used by businesses and organizations to reach customers more efficiently and effectively than ever before.
Dialer technology can integrate computer and telephone technologies to manage contact databases, automate dialing, and connect to external numbers.
You can have a dialer that is either a physical device or a software program. However, hardware dialers are losing popularity to cloud-based and software-based dialers. Software is smaller and requires less maintenance, but it offers greater flexibility and convenience.
Many sales teams have many options for phone dialing technology.
Here are descriptions of 10 types of dialer software to help you understand the differences, limitations, and strengths.
Auto-Dialer
Auto-dialer is often used loosely to describe any type of dialing technology. It’s actually a particular type of dialer. An auto dialer dials phone numbers from a pre-selected number. An auto dialer plays a prerecorded message to the phone or transfers it to a live agent when the call is answered.
Auto dialer software offers a dramatic improvement in call efficiency. Businesses can multiply contacts rates by eliminating tasks such as dialing, listening to busy tones, and leaving voicemails.
Auto dialers, however, have serious limitations, especially in terms of sales. Automated recordings are being criticized more and more by people, which can limit their effectiveness. An audible delay can turn off contacts aware that they are being called by technology. This system is not able to navigate dial-by-name directories and gatekeeper systems. This could be a problem for sales teams looking to connect with other companies.
Although this is a core type of dialer, particularly in larger call centers, many viable options can be used to replace it. These options all share a common feature: they eliminate the need to dial a number. The functionality and features can differ significantly.
Click to Call software
Although click-to call or click-to dial systems are commonly considered auto dialer systems, this system requires that the user clicks on a number. The system will then dial that number and handle the rest.
You can host click-to-call systems on a modem, or via a web application. This type of call center software technology is commonly included in customer relationship management (CRM). CRM systems collect and analyze customer data. Click-to-call systems are a component of CRM and can provide data directly to the company’s overall customer strategy.
The most significant benefit of this system is its ability to eliminate dialing and make it easy to call directly from the CRM. However, the user will still be able to speak with the person that the system calls. Click-to-dial can be a great choice if your company wants agents to speak directly with call targets. It has its limitations in terms of efficiency.
Voice Broadcasting
Another type of call center software technology is voice broadcasting, also known as robocalling. This dialing technology allows you to send a prerecorded message instantly to thousands of recipients. This is a great option for campaigns that don’t require agents to talk to the intended recipients. Guided voicemail is ideal for the following situations:
- Political campaigns
- Notifications about an upcoming event
- Alerts about a new product
Like the basic auto dialer, voice broadcasting systems can’t navigate gatekeeper systems or dial-by-name systems. You might consider using a different dialing option, such as pressing 1 dialer if you want callers to be able to speak with someone live.
Use the 1 dialer
The Press 1 dialer is an offshoot for voice broadcasting dialers. It aims to reach large numbers of contacts using a prerecorded message. A contact can choose to press 1 to connect with a live agent. Call center agents must be available during this technology, unlike traditional voice broadcasting.
Power Dialer
The power dialing system allows users dial custom contacts quickly at 60-80 contacts an hour. Call center software dials lead one by one and automate repetitive, time-consuming tasks based upon agent input.
The goal of power dialers is to maximize live conversations while maintaining seamless contact experiences. Because there is no delay or pause while using a power dialer — as is the case with predictive and auto dialers – contacts do not know that dialing technology is being used, allowing for more successful communications.
Power dialers have one important difference: the agent controls the dial session. The agent can intelligently filter and choose leads to dial, drop prerecorded voicemails in a click without listening to the contacts’ outgoing voicemail messages, send one-touch personalized emails to contacts based on the outcome calls, set appointments, take notes, disposition calls, and more.
Power dialer software can notify agents when contacts open emails or attachments sent by it. This feature allows agents to follow up better and build relationships with their connections to improve a relationship or sell.
This system can be easily integrated into CRM systems. It can become an integral part of a company’s overall marketing strategy and sales strategy. Power dialers combine the benefits of automated dialing with email follow-up and live delay-free communication with designing.
Preview Dialer
The preview dialer allows agents to see the person they are calling before initiating the call. This can often include a contact’s information and call history and other data useful to the agent during the conversation. Once a call is completed, the software will pull up the next contact’s information. This allows callers to switch to the next contact.
Preview dialers are used in an average of 19% of call centers:
- Pre-dialing is used by 19% of small call center operators
- 17% of medium-sized call centers use preview dialing
- 20 percent of large call centers use preview calling
IVR Dialer
This dialer software uses Interactive Voice Response technology (IVR), which allows for automated responses and professional interactions with contacts. Many systems enable live people to speak or use the phone keypad to communicate with the caller. Some systems allow fax or email responses.
As with automated surveys, this type of system will provide prerecorded options that the caller can choose from.
Call centers can combine this technology and live agents by allowing customers to choose an IVR option to connect to a representative.
VOIP Dialer / Soft Phone
To make calls, you don’t need a phone and a line to make them. Callers can now connect to their phone lines via the internet or VOIP dialer. Also known as a softphone, this phone can dial using a headset and an internet connection.
Although sometimes sold as a standalone product, VOIP dialers or soft phones can be used in conjunction with a more robust dialing system. An example is that an inside sales team could connect to a power-dialer platform but instead use a softphone.
This call center software technology has its limitations, despite the convenience it offers. Call quality is affected by internet connectivity. Quality can suffer even if the connection speed is fast. However, other applications running on the computer may be open and making use of available internet resources.
Predictive dialer
Predictive dialers, multi-line dialers, place high volumes of calls to route live agents. This call center software technology uses an algorithm that determines the probability of answering a call to balance efficiency and availability. This algorithm is based on the following factors:
- Size of the call center
- Average call length
- Time of day
- Types of calls made
- Industry
The benefit of predictive dialers is productivity, promoting a high volume of call activity and a more hands-off process for agents.
This dialing technology has many drawbacks. Predictive dialers must decide that a human has answered the phone before routing the call to an available agent. This process cannot begin until someone has responded to the phone. People have become more familiar with unwanted calls due to the resulting pause or delay. Live answers can lead to poor quality outreach.
Another problem is that an algorithm can be used to answer phones when there is no agent available. This is when the system drops the call. This is called an abandoned call. This is known as an abandoned call. Federal compliance standards restrict how often it can happen and can impose severe penalties for violators.
On average, 17% of call centers use a predictive dialer. The size of the call center can change this number.
- 2% of small call centers use a predictive dialer
- A predictive dialer is used by 21% of medium-sized call centers
- A predictive dialer is used by 26% of large call center operators
Progressive Dialer
Progressive dialers draw from a list of leads and place calls one by one as agents indicate they are available. Progressive dialing software places calls only when agents show they are available. This is in contrast to predictive dialers that use an algorithm for modulating call volume. They are then attached to a particular dial and can view the contact’s information while the call is being made. Agents can use the call center software to dispose of contacts, drop voicemails, and perform other tasks.
On average, 22% of call centers use a progressive dialing system, varying based on call center size:
- A progressive dialing system is used by 19% of small call center operators
- A progressive dialing system is used by 26% of medium-sized call centers
- 20% of large call center operators use progressive dialing systems
A progressive dialer has the advantage of not allowing for call abandonment because an agent is assigned before dialing. Agents and contacts have a better experience because there is no delay after a live answer. This system is not as efficient because of the manual input.