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What do you want? What do you REALLY Need?       Integration, a total solution, everything all-in-one, these are all great ideas, but will they really help to achieve the productivity increase you are looking for, and, can you afford them? Many solutions claim to do it all, but at what cost to the user. In this session we will address the issue of a "3 dressed up as a 9" and drill down to the real factors that will increase your business. It’s the "What do you really need?" letter.      The first thing you have to address is, what exactly are you trying to do? Do you need more leads? Of course, we all do, but what is the budget to get more leads? If you are purchasing the less expensive lists that vaguely describe your market, then a dialer can help find the good leads. Plowing through more phone numbers in a shorter period of time may yield the results you want, but what information are you looking for, data collection or a simple yes or no? Now that you have decided that a dialer is needed to get more leads you have taken the first step.      The second step is, what do you need and/or expect from your dialer? If the only requirement is dialing more phone numbers and finding the good leads, you probably don’t need an all-in-one type of dialer. That said, you should find the dialer that suits your needs and not be captivated by all the options available in the market. A simple outbound dialer with the ability to track final call result dispositions and basic time sheet reporting will probably fit your needs and more importantly, your budget. There are many types with even more options to choose from. Auto Dialer: These systems will simply dial out and leave automated messages for live connects as well as answering machines. For this type of system no agents are needed. If you have a small list and are not regulated by the governmental regulations for telemarketing, this may be a viable option for you. Power/Speed Dialer: These units will dial numbers for agents and connect them more quickly to prospects. They will not dial a phone number until an agent becomes available. This will eliminate the possibility of an abandoned call. They are very useful for dialing commercial or very expensive leads. Predictive Dialer: These units will dial phone numbers to keep the agents on the phone talking to live prospects as much as possible. They have complex algorithms that allow them to constantly predict the behavior of agents in order to keep them at the maximum level of productivity. Fully Mixed: These units are all inclusive: CRM, dialer, and a fully functional phone system. The main benefit is the ability to include all functions integrated in one place. The problems with this option are the cost and a complicated system to operate. With that you have training costs and the high price of educated staff to run the unit.      Once you have decided that you require a dialer, the question becomes, what options do I need? If simple lead generation to plow through a large list of phone numbers in a short period of time is required, an outbound dialer is all that you need. If you are not bound by the government’s telemarketing regulations, an inexpensive auto dialer will do. If you have agents and you want them to be more productive, a power/speed or predictive dialer may be in your future, again, depending on your requirements. If you are a fully functional customer service related call center, then the all-in-one solution will be the only thing that will satisfy your needs. The only other consideration is the type of phone lines the unit uses. There are basically 3 choices: Analog: These are the basic reliable lines found in most households and some office buildings. These lines require a copper line for each channel. They can be expensive, as the maintenance is high and the long-distance charges can be expensive. Digital: These are in the form of a T1 or a PRI line, which have channels within them that need to be split up, by either a phone system or a channel bank. They can have benefits in the overall line cost as well as the long-distance charges. You will have to buy additional equipment in order to use them properly at an added cost. VOIP: The latest hype in the market is VOIP lines. The hype is over the idea that the long-distance is free. This is the case for single homeowner usage, but for businesses there are limitations for usage before you will be charged per minute for usage. The level of quality is also a big issue with this type of service.      When choosing the type of service you want, you must be sure of what value your phone service is adding to your company. If the phone lines are the key source for lead generation, then that type of value should be put into the quality. The cheapest is not always the best, and be sure you read the contract before committing to the service.      Finally, we have to talk about the options. Options are great, but at the expense of ease of use they can actually cause more trouble then they are worth. You must be sure of your needs, because with every option you add, the number of things that can go wrong will also increase. The old adage of KISS comes into effect here. You don’t want to forget about your primary business here, just keep it simple and don’t forget that your time is worth money, so a minute wasted is a dollar lost. << PreviousNext >>

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