No one likes cold calling. 

But industries like telecommunication, legal services, and insurance companies cannot avoid it either. In fact, insurance companies rely heavily on agents to make outbound calls and convert prospects into clients. 

Such calls, however, can get repetitive and pestering for the callers. And the person on the receiving end may not take the call in good spirits, which can make things more difficult for all parties involved.

Why? It could be because the caller approached the call incorrectly, or called at an inappropriate time, or simply because the recipient is just not interested. 

In the past decade, the insurance industry has evolved. But one thing has remained the same: the more prospects the agent can reach, the higher the chances of conversion. This simply means that more often than not, agents spend a lot of their time trying to call potential clients.

But manual dialling comes with its fair share of limitations. There is room for error and there’s also a lot of time and manual effort wasted. What if the client didn’t pick up? What if they cut the call instantly? Too much is left to chance. 

This is where an auto dialler system comes in. 

An auto dialler is a type of predictive dialler that automatically dials numbers from a pre-programmed list. Once the call has been connected, it plays a recorded message or connects the call to a live agent instantly. An auto dialler helps agents reach a large number of clients faster, and more effectively. 

Wondering how? Well, with an auto dialler, the agent doesn’t have to wait for the phone to connect, or see if the prospect even picks up the call. The dialler will only connect the call to the agent after the call is live, eliminating the time spent on dialling and waiting. 

Better yet, is a cloud-based auto dialler. This enables an agent to connect with clients from anywhere in the world and at any time. With the cloud at the helm of these processes, auto diallers become even more powerful, intuitive and streamlined. 

Let’s go over some of the more advanced features of an auto dialler to understand exactly how they help agents sell their services to potential clients. 

1. Answering machine detection

Insurance companies follow a thumb rule: to succeed one must connect with the maximum number of customers as quickly as possible.

Agents cannot achieve this goal by manually dialling numbers as they will encounter busy tones, disconnected calls, answering machines, and voicemails. It takes up a significant amount of the agents’ time and results in decreased productivity. 

An auto dialler, however, can distinguish between answering machines, busy signals, and actual humans. They ensure that agents are handling answered calls and spend their time interacting with potential and existing customers.

The answering machine detection technology checks whether the call is being transferred to a voicemail or answering machine. The system analyses incoming audio calls and saves the agent from calling again and again.  

By automatically dialling numbers and queuing up calls for available agents, auto dialler prevents call wastage, improves sales conversion and agents productivity. 

2. Pre-qualification of calls

One of the best advantages of using auto dialler software is the pre-qualification of calls. Companies can check whether a customer is interested in their product or scheme, without wasting agents’ time and energy on the call. 

This is possible by adding an IVR ((Interactive Voice Response) to an auto dialler. Your customers go through a series of questions to see if they qualify as prospects. 

Call pre-qualification prevents agents from wasting their time on unqualified prospects. It allows agents to focus on customers interested in your services and they have a better chance of making a sale. Moreover, this also improves the agent’s efficiency. 

3. Call recording

An auto dialler software provides the feature of recording calls for quality assessment and legal purposes. It allows companies to keep track of all the agent-client conversations. These recordings can be used for providing feedback, analysis, and training purposes. 

In addition to improving the performance of the agents, call recordings can also ensure that the brand voice and message is not lost.
These recordings are also used for training new agents as well as agents who are not performing well. This allows businesses to ensure that customers have a satisfactory experience when receiving a call from your company. 

Moreover, additional data or information that can be recovered via voice calls can improve sales parameters. This is an excellent way for agents to have personalised conversations with customers. Agents can remind customers of little details from the conversation they had in the past, which helps in building trust.  

4. Time zone management

These days, auto diallers come with specialised features that simplify the management of outbound calling campaigns. These diallers adjust the time zones so that agents call customers or prospects at the most appropriate time. 

Some of the auto diallers further improve the time zones based on the geographical location of customers. This feature increases the chance of customers picking up and listening to your offers. 

5. Text-to-speech

Auto diallers are user-friendly and equipped with text-to-speech capabilities. It allows companies to design IVR scripts for collecting caller’s information or data efficiently. The text-to-speech capability also provides personalised messages and connecting with customers on a more personal level resulting in increased sales.

Similarly, the automatic ‘opt out’ feature puts callers who do not wish to receive calls, on a Do Not Disturb list. It also allows voice message recipients to press a key and place themselves on a Do Not Call list. The DND list filtering feature allows companies to run outbound calling campaigns without making any unwanted calls to their customers.   

6. Callback scheduling

There are times when an agent fails to connect with a customer. They may need to call the customer again to explain the scheme. In the same vein, some customers don’t like to be put on hold and expect agents to call back based on their availability. 

A cloud-hosted auto dialler can easily schedule callbacks and allow agents to reconnect with these callers. This feature boosts customer connections and outbound calling campaigns of insurance companies.  

Conclusion

Auto dialler software is a boon for companies looking to do outbound calling campaigns. It is an efficient way to connect with a large customer base in a short period. Insurance agents no longer have to rely on manually dialling numbers and can reach their customers effectively. 

Agents can also avoid unwanted calls and spend their time interacting with interested customers. It boosts customer connections and enhances the productivity of the organisation.  

If you want an auto dialler for your organisation, contact us at 1888-859-0450 or send an email to [email protected].

Technological innovations have enabled businesses to break through the barriers of cyber threats, data security, and authenticity. One such ground-breaking invention is—blockchain technology.

Though you may think of cryptocurrencies and bitcoins when we talk of blockchain, the technology offers a multitude of benefits. It supports businesses across industry verticals to thrive and overcome numerous challenges.

Reports suggest that global spending on blockchain solutions is predicted to reach $11.7 billion in 2022. 

So, what exactly does blockchain technology do? Let’s delve deeper.

What is blockchain technology?

Blockchain is also known as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). It secures digital assets and keeps your data unaltered and transparent by using decentralisation and cryptographic hashing. 

So, how is this done?

Blockchain technology typically stores data in chains of blocks called digital ledgers. This network of information is interconnected via peer-to-peer nodes.

Each transaction has to be authenticated by the owner of the data; the stakeholder is required to digitally sign and approve every transaction of information. This process of verification protects sensitive data from getting tampered with and misused. 

To put it simply, blockchain is similar to a Google sheet. Multiple users can access the information and edit or modify it simultaneously without having to transfer any data.

However, a clear trail of the users who have accessed the data is saved for reference. So, while the information can be accessed, it cannot be corrupted by the users.

Wonder how this technology works?

A blockchain is a combination of three technological approaches:

1. Cryptographic keys
2. Ledgers connected via a peer-to-peer network
3. Computing methodology to save transactions and records

The complete process involves two keys––a public and a private key. These facilitate successful transactions between two parties. Each party is given a set of both keys to generate a secure digital identity reference. This reference, called the digital signature, is linked with the peer-to-peer network. 

Data is accessed based on authentication of this signature between two connected parties.

How is blockchain used across various industries?

Without further ado, let us dive in to see how industries use blockchain for greater transparency and confidentiality across various digital platforms.

• Banking

The first sector that ought to be discussed is banking. Considering the number of risks involved in this industry, blockchain technology can help eliminate these security challenges.

For instance, let’s say you transfer $1000 to your friend. The bank charges a  transfer fee of $20. So, you’re effectively able to send only $980 to your friend.

Remittances fees are usually high since they include several players—the source bank, central bank, correspondent bank, and destination bank. Each bank charges some amount for the services they deliver. Such transactions also take a significant amount of time to be completed.

Moreover, remittances necessitate the recipient to have a banking account.

However, these concerns are taken care of by mobile wallets that are powered by blockchain technology. Wallets can be installed in mobiles and cash can be received or sent through them.

A blockchain that works on the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) supports immutable transactions. This means they cannot be altered or tampered with once they’ve been recorded. Thus, this is a highly secure medium.

So, how does this work?

Once a payment request is initiated and details are submitted, a digital block is created and distributed across the network. Multiple systems try unscrambling the block and the one that does it first shares it with the network for verification.

Verification includes confirming fund availability on the sender’s side and the legitimacy of the recipient. After the verification is complete, the transaction is authorised and posted to the ledger. The designated parties are updated in real-time. 

Since you don’t need to use a third-party payment website or portal, this does not include any hidden fees.

Here, you obtain true autonomy over your transaction with 100% assurance about a fool-proof money transfer.

• Healthcare

Misuse or unauthorised access to an individual’s medical information can result in serious consequences. This happens when all your information is saved on a centralised repository with little or no data security.

However, the scenario can be taken care of by using blockchain technology.

This technology functions on shared ledgers that are connected over a network and distributed across devices. When compared with conventional databases, blockchain is a clear winner because it:

• Stores sensitive information in a decentralised manner
• Provides rapid access to required information
• Is highly immutable

Here, data cannot be misused or altered without approval from a majority of the stakeholders.

Furthermore, blockchain not only secures critical data but also seeks and registers the consent of patients before sharing their information with others. 

When a patient agrees to share their information, this consent is saved in the shared ledger. The platform also records the details of parties who accessed the data along with the time and purpose of the data access. 

Therefore, the implementation of blockchain technology results in improved privacy, security, and interoperability of medical data.

• Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity threats are serious for businesses irrespective of their sizes. These attacks not only result in loss of data but also loss of reputation and clients. They can even lead to a complete shutdown of your business operations. 

Fear not, blockchain can relieve you from these nightmares! 

This technology secures critical information on a decentralised repository that eliminates the chances of a single-point entry of hackers. 

For example, in a typical scenario, hackers may gain access to your network and obtain unauthorised access to confidential information. However, this is ruled out in the case of blockchain technology. 

Data is saved in blocks on a peer-to-peer network connection. This is a secure and transparent way of recording and safeguarding information without disclosing critical details. Hence, blockchain proves to be highly beneficial in ecosystems that demand stepped-up security.

• Cloud communication

Cloud communication comes with the advantage of centralised access to information. Though the technology is dovetailed with high-end security features, storing sensitive information on a common repository of data has always raised eyebrows.

Blockchain technology, on the contrary, promotes decentralised storage of information. Data is secured with appropriate authentication techniques to access every block of data.

This makes it almost impossible for hackers to gain access to sensitive information. Even if a hacker manages to gain access, they may not be able to utilise it to cause harm to an organisation.

Therefore, blockchain coupled with the cloud can indeed raise the bar, in terms of data security.

Talking about Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)––this medium of cloud telephony has been considered the most cost-effective way to streamline business communications. 

Blockchain makes it even more cost-effective by scraping off the centralised routing of calls. The call is received by a number. The centralised access point in the current VoIP communication system is then replaced by the distributed network. This is shared by all the users linked to the network.

What’s more? This approach saves routing costs as all calls are established through the distributed ledger. Additionally, high-end security is maintained with improved data transfer speed.

• Supply Chain Management

Supply chain management involves multiple steps of verification before a product reaches the customer. It involves several individuals and companies to ensure the availability of products across the globe. However, a huge amount of inventory and communication tends to get lost in the process.

Blockchain fills in these gaps in the following ways:

1.  The block of code tracks every action that takes place in the process. It eliminates the need for manual transitions when moving from one step to another. These blocks of code include several if-then statements. When certain conditions are met, the Blockchain automatically executes the next task, resulting in zero or minimal miscommunication.
2. The tracking capability prevents the product from getting wasted. Companies can predict and identify false qualms about the quality or authenticity of a product. This is possible by finding when and where the product was manufactured and the conditions it was stored in.

For example, blockchain technology can be used to check if restaurants are adhering to food safety norms. It can also be used to monitor and track cases in hospitals and their root causes. 

What are the benefits of adopting blockchain technology?

The benefits of adopting blockchain technology are endless. It has transformed the way businesses work. So, let’s dive into the most important advantages of this technology:

• It improves security by creating a record that is encrypted and cannot be altered. This helps prevent fraud and unauthorised access to information. Personal data can be anonymised by implementing permission-based access.  
• This technology uses a distributed ledger that is shared across a network. Data is recorded and access is granted based on permissions. Transactions are immutably recorded. These capabilities ensure improved transparency, veracity and security.  
•  Blockchain amps up traceability. You can share data about provenance with customers. It also helps spot specific weaknesses in the process that can be rectified for better efficiency. 

Wrapping up

Blockchain technology is here to stay. It can help improve processes from scratch and also boost the existing capabilities of technological approaches. This blog has already shown us how blockchain impacts and supports various industries by stepping up security and tracking critical data.

A sales call is arguably the most important call for any business. Converting a call into a quality lead is a skill that needs to be mastered by every successful sales agent. Whether it is cold calling or contacting new leads, starting a conversation nervously helps no one. Even a ‘wing it’ attitude won’t always help them. 

One has to consider the fact that an agent’s body language and facial expressions, no matter how convincing they are, contribute nothing in an audio call. The only way to succeed in an audio call is (insert drum roll)… planning. 

On average, only 1 in 18 calls will connect to an actual customer. To persuade a stranger to purchase something from you, your agent will have to connect with them psychologically over an auditory medium. And to help you execute this call perfectly, you will have to take the help of pre-call planning templates.

So, what is a pre-call planning?

Let’s take a step back in our lives and imagine we are in school again. You have just been told that you have a test tomorrow. What do you do?

Unless you’re Sheldon Cooper––a genius who knows and remembers everything, you’ll go home and prepare for the exam. 

This is exactly what pre-call planning is. It is the research that you do before making a sales call.

In other words, pre-call planning is the blueprint of an ideal sales call. It is the foundation of your sales strategy and will help you reach your eventual goal—a sale!

Steps before making a pre-call planning template

Creating a template for your sales team to follow is probably the best way to execute pre-call planning. But how do you create a pre-call template?

Just like preparing for a test, there are certain steps you should follow before creating your own pre-call planning template.

• Research

This one seems obvious, yet it’s the most important step. Whether you are calling an individual or a business, it is always a good idea to dive deep and gather as much information as possible.
Try to read up on your customers’ history or their clients’ background. Some of the questions that you can ask in your research are: 

• If they are a company, try to find out if they are doing good, or failing to meet their goals 
• Are they already using similar software?
• Any issues they may be facing and how your product can help them

The purpose here is to develop an understanding of the kind of customer you’re dealing with. Doing due diligence on their business also helps you come up with an excellent conversation starter, allowing you to build a positive rapport with them. Moreover, with detailed information on their issues, you can guide your clients to your products that can serve their purposes.

• Know your customer

I hope you can agree that a conversation with an executive and one with the CEO of an organisation are not the same. Hence, you should always know who your point of contact is. Try to gain as much information as you can about their role in the company and their decision-making capabilities.

Platforms like LinkedIn are a great way to do this. You can find out how long they have been a part of the company, their major contributions, and achievements, and so forth. You can even see if they have given any interviews or written any blogs to gather information.
There is a lot of data that such platforms offer. You can determine a person’s personalities, likes and dislikes, level of expertise, and many other things.

Such valuable information will help your sales team have elevated interactions. They can gauge the technical knowledge of a person and demonstrate the product accordingly. You can even decide the tone you will use to talk to them. Most importantly, you can decide on the points you need to stress on.

• Establish the goal

It is crucial to establish beforehand what you want out of the call. Remember, not every call you make will convert into a sale. This shouldn’t weigh you down. You can expect various results from your conversations based on where the customer is in the sales cycle.

It is always important to speak to the right person. Rushing into making a sale to the wrong point of contact will not only hamper the conversation but might also affect your chances of reaching out to the same company in the future. In the worst-case scenario, the reputation of your company can take a hit too.

Additionally, one must know about the nature of the call. Maybe, the lead only needs some information on your product at this stage. Or you might have made the call to know more about your point of contact. It can also be a call to simply make an appointment with a person with more authority.

Thus, establishing a goal before making a call is vital––it will guide your entire conversation.

• Prepare some questions

Should you prepare a script? The answer— a big NO!

Reading from a script makes you sound robotic and monotonous. No two people you converse with are the same. To ensure a natural flow of conversation, you cannot stick to the same script with both of them.
So, what do we suggest? For a sales call, you should prepare some thoughtful questions beforehand. Let these be open-ended questions with the possibility of follow-ups.

Also, during your research, noting down the issues faced by customers can help you assist them much faster. This not only presents you as being professional yet empathetic but also shows you as an employee well-versed with the product or service.
For example, let’s assume you once spoke to an executive of a company and they mentioned a problem they were facing. Whenever you speak to them next, you may bring up the issue with, “During our previous conversation, you mentioned (the problem). I hope the issue has been resolved.”
This way your customer will know that you paid attention during the previous call and care about their satisfaction and needs, and will be much likelier to do business with you again.

What should your pre-call planning template look like?

After covering all the points we’ve just discussed, you can draft a pre-call template for your sales team. Given below are a few points that every template should include. You can include or modify it to suit your requirements.

• Contact name: Your point of contact—either for the initial call and or for a follow-up call with someone higher up the ladder
• Role: Their role in the company and the duration of their tenure
• Influence: The level of their impact on the deal (depends on their decision-making capabilities)
• Previous conversation: Keep a track of all your previous engagements with the company
• Socials: Try to get information about the company and the Point of Contact from different social media platforms—LinkedIn, Facebook, etc
• Existing relationship: Has the client interacted with your brand before? Do they have a positive or negative image of your organisation?
• Responsibilities: Try to gather information about the contact’s responsibilities in the company
• Business issues: Make note of the challenges the business might be facing
• Call goal: Pin down the goal of the interaction—is it to exchange information or to close a deal?
  
• Questions to ask: Make a list of all the questions that you want to ask during the call

To sum it up

Try to follow this three-pronged approach: Be brief. Be brilliant. Be gone.

• Be brief in your conversation: Don’t try to drag it for hours. No one wants to listen to a sales pitch for hours on end
• Be brilliant in your interaction: Make your point, ask the right questions, and show the value of your product to them. Don’t deviate from the topic and stick to the agenda.
• Be gone when you have put your points and heard theirs. Again, there is no point in stretching a conversation longer than it needs to be. 

It is true that pre-call planning might take some time owing to the tedious task of collecting information. But it is worth the time you invest. Having the right information about your clients, their company, and their challenges will surely give you an edge during your sales call. 

Thus, it is better to cover all your bases before you pick up the phone and make your next sales call. Be prepared in the best way you can, and ace every interaction. If you are looking to enhance your customer interactions further with a cloud-based solution, you can reach out to us at Acefone and explore the variety of services we offer. Our experts are always ready to answer all your questions. Call us at 1888-859-0450 or send an email to [email protected] too.