Predictive, power and preview dialers offer three vastly different dialing experiences. Some important questions to consider during your call center setup before selecting a dialer type are:
- What type of call center are you opening?
- What types of lists do you have?
- Will you generate leads or close them?
Knowing the differences between dialers has the potential to save you from spending money on features which won’t benefit your business. Answering these questions will help you to narrow down which type of dialer is right for the whichever campaigns you will run.
The Unique Benefits of Each Dialer
Predictive
A predictive dialer eliminates agent downtime with an algorithm that collects data as calls are made. It analyzes this information and calculates the average time between calls, then speeds up or slows down the amount of numbers dialed at once. Using a predictive dialer provides an efficient way to move through a large list of numbers in the least amount of time.
Power
Power dialing ensures quality leads are never wasted by allowing you to preselect an amount of channels to dial per agent. While it doesn’t provide as quick a solution as a predictive dialer, it gives you more control. Power dialers can call from 2 up to 10 channels depending on the software’s capabilities. Once an agent is connected to a live call, it stops dialing until the agent is off the phone and then begins dialing again.
Preview
Preview dialers are the best option once you have a list of warm, interested leads. They allow for the most control of the three options. Preview dialers provide all the lead’s information gathered so far in a screen pop and agents select which to call. They also allow you to skip past leads you don’t want to call at the present moment.
Assess Your Company
Selecting the outbound dialer that is the proper solution for your business relies on a few different factors. Ask yourself this series of questions now that you know the differences between each dialing method:
What type of contact center are you running?
Are you generating warm leads?
A predictive or power dialer will be the best choice for you. The automated dialing pushes you through your initial list quickly in order to create a qualified list of only potential customers.
Are you closing warm leads?
This is when the slower, intentional preview dialer is the better option. Your agents are able to take the time needed with each customer which results in higher close rates.
Do you do a combination of both?
A majority of contact centers merge the two. In this case, a platform offering all three dialer types will be most useful. Equip the proper agents with the proper dialer so they can do their job either generating or closing leads.
How many agents do you have?
Sometimes running a preview dialer is your only option. When you’re a one-man call center operation, a predictive or power dialer will move too quickly and be ineffective. You’ll waste potentially good leads and step out of compliance, wasting both your time and money.
With a medium-sized call center you can initially move through a large list with a power dialer because you’ve got the amount of agents to effectively run one. Predictive dialers can be useful but may not receive enough data to properly distribute calls.
If you’re running a massive and multifaceted call center, power dialers can also be useful. However, with larger lists you might aim to narrow it down as quick as possible. A predictive dialer’s algorithm can analyze the large pool of data it receives from your workforce, moving through the largest lists with ease.
Regardless of contact center size, once you have a list of warm leads you intend to nurture through the sales funnel, a preview dialer should always be used. You should enter calls with these leads intentionally and armed with as much information as possible to make the sale. Preview dialers enable you to do so.
Make Your Decision
After you’ve narrowed down the type of dialer you’ll need for your call center setup, gather a list of prospective providers and compare the plans they offer. Consider pricing, packages, features offered. Sometimes it’s a great idea to look for a platform that provides all three in case your business moves from one direction to another or if you plan to both cover both in the future. Assess your company goals well before selecting a dialer in order to not waste your time with one that won’t provide the features you need or scale as your company grows.
CallTools.com provides a platform with all three dialing types and scalability to meet the needs of any sized business. Affordable pricing and our cloud-based system ensure you can start dialing today. Don’t settle for the same old dialing platform; come experience the difference.
