Telemarketing Software: Features, Benefits, and Implementation
When the concept of telemarketing began in the 1950s, telephonists, or switchboard operators as they were known back then, used traditional phone systems to call prospects.
Before speaking with any live person, they would usually waste around one minute dialing the number manually and waiting for the call to get connected. If the line was busy or the customer was unavailable, the time spent on calling the number was a total waste.
To put things in perspective, if each agent made a hundred calls they wasted almost one-and-a-half hours just dialing numbers and waiting for the calls to get connected. That’s just one agent. Imagine a call center during the era that employed hundreds of agents. It hurts to estimate the lost time in an industry where every second is precious than a thick wad of cash.
Things, however, took a complete turnaround after the invention of telemarketing software.
What is Telemarketing Software?
Telemarketing software is a tool to contact prospective customers, generate quality leads, and convert leads into sales over audio calls, video calls, text messages, emails, chats, and many more communication channels.
The software has played a huge role in the rise of the telemarketing industry, which has registered a compound annual growth rate of five percent over the past five years and a total revenue touching $28 billion in 2022.
This blog post explains everything about telemarketing software, starting from its features to its advantages, and tips to implement it efficiently.
Features in Telemarketing Software
Contemporary telemarketing software comes with a wide range of sophisticated features. Here are some of those.
- Dialer: Telemarketing software comes with an autodialer, which expedites the outbound calling process. Some are even equipped with a power dialer, predictive dialer, and progressive dialer. The dialers automate the dialing and save a lot of time.
- Dialing process: Apart from automated dialers, high-quality telemarketing software comes with a sophisticated dialing process that can load in the contact list within seconds and auto dial the numbers immediately.
- Flexible dialing modes: Reliable telemarketing software can support adjustable and flexible dialing modes. By using high-quality telemarketing software, you can skip busy signals, voice mails, or no-answers, and move to the next customer on the contact list.
- Call masking: Also known as phone number masking, it enables two parties to speak with each other without revealing the real phone numbers. This feature is perfect for businesses that want to protect their customers’ identity and prevent sharing their customers’ sensitive information with third parties.
- IVR: Trustworthy telemarketing software also comes equipped with an interactive voice response (IVR) system that enables callers making incoming calls to access information through pre-recorded messages.
- Scheduled callback: Some telemarketing campaigns may entail many telephone calls and can last several months. In such cases, having this feature is extremely beneficial for a follow-up. It will enable agents to call back the right prospects at the right time.
- CRM integration: CRM helps in automatic lead distribution, email marketing, client information, and many more benefits. Some telemarketing software comes with sophisticated CRM integration that gives them a massive competitive edge.
Read Also: Boost Your Sales with Telemarketing Software
Advantages of Telemarketing Software No :
The invention of telemarketing software became a game changer in the telemarketing industry. It not only reduced wastage of time and costs but enhanced productivity by leaps and bounds. Even though high-quality telemarketing software comes with listless benefits, here are a few advantages.
- Time saver: Without contemporary telemarketing software, call centers and contact centers would lose a substantial amount of time. In manual dialing, each agent will waste at least one-and-a-half hours to make a hundred calls. But high-quality telemarketing software can save the time lost on manual dialing and waiting for a person to pick up the phone. Apart from reducing idle time, it’ll maximize workers’ productivity.
- Value for money: Sophisticated telemarketing software is not only extremely cost-effective but can provide you with a high return on investment. Telemarketing software can enhance sales and provide instant access to valuable leads, new customers, and existing ones.
- Flexible and scalable: Telemarketing software can be scaled up and down and you can customize the software according to your business needs, call volume, as well as the number of customer service agents.
- Helps in monitoring sales and agents’ performance: The sophisticated tracking and monitoring software can help in monitoring agents’ performance and sales volume. The tracking tools provide real-time analytics and reports based on which managers and supervisors can intervene and provide necessary training to agents.
- Integrations: Telemarketing software can be easily integrated with the existing computer system as well as the business phone system. High-quality telemarketing software can integrate well with CRM systems, SMS tools, as well as other tools such as email marketing tools.
- Easy to deploy and use: Replete with a wide range of sophisticated features, telemarketing software is much easier to deploy and use. The sophisticated features not only enhance the telemarketing software’s functionality but also make it far more versatile.
How to Implement Telemarketing Software?
A small pilot test is a great way to implement telemarketing software. To launch a pilot project, here are the following features you’ll need:
- Handpick a reliable solution provider: When it comes to buying telemarketing software, you will get many options in the market. Select a reliable and reputable solution provider that has years of experience and expertise in providing high-quality solutions to all types and sizes of businesses.
- Get a free trial: Many trustworthy software providers provide free trials. You can try a free trial to know if the telemarketing software is right for your business. You simply need to go to the website of a trustworthy communication provider and click on the “Free Trial” button to avail of it.
- Collect feedback after running the free trial: After using the trial version of the telemarketing software of a reliable and reputable solution provider, ask your agents about the dialer’s performance. Also, take feedback on the phone system, as well as daily sales workflow. If the feedback is positive and you see an improvement in major key performance indicators (KPIs), then you may have found the right telemarketing software.
Taking everything into consideration
Telemarketing software is one of the greatest innovations for businesses that rely on phone calls to reach out to prospects and customers. If you are an entrepreneur or a marketer whose marketing and sales campaigns are heavily dependent on huge volumes of outgoing calls, then the right telemarketing software can do wonders for your business.
If you’re looking for telemarketing software that comes at a competitive price and is equipped with a wide range of sophisticated features, then we at HoduSoft can help you with just the right solution. Our HoduCC software can streamline your telemarketing operations and enable you to deliver exceptional customer service.