3 Risk Mitigation Tips for a Better Outbound Strategy

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Successful outbound campaigns are measured by the number of closures achieved. The higher the connection rate, the better. More connections mean more opportunities. But, the quality of the connection is more important than quantity. A good outbound strategy seeks to know the customer before contact. 

Outbound campaigns face another problem: staying compliant throughout their strategy. Many rules have been enacted by different governing bodies in response to robocalls/texts, high volumes of telemarketing calls, and debt collection. 

3 Risk Mitigation Tips for a Better Outbound Strategy

That’s a lot of information to keep track of for all of your customers and, failing to comply with government rules and regulations regarding consent can result in fines. Let’s take a look at a few compliance tips for how to improve your outbound strategy while also playing by the rules. 

Open new ways to communicate with digital messaging

Single vs. double opt-ins

Each conversation is an opportunity to open new channels of communication. The more channels available to your customer, the better. You can meet customers where they are on the digital channel they prefer and capture consent upfront and even include double opt-ins for added measure. For example, when a customer asks to join one of your text campaigns, you can send them an SMS opt-in message. that looks something like this:

Please reply YES to receive text  updates from us. Std. Msg&Data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel.

With a double opt-in, when a customer asks to join a campaign you reconfirm with the first message they send. A double opt0in could look something like this: 

You agreed to terms for recurring texts from [company]. Text STOP to end HELP for help. Msg&Data rates may apply. 

When collecting consent over the phone,  agent scripts can guide your team to capture consent for omnichannel communication. 

Pick the right dialer

Statistically, a higher volume of outbound calls should yield a higher amount of closures. Predictive dialers allow agents to connect with far greater numbers of customers than manual dialing. They work from a list of phone numbers, automatically dialing multiple numbers at once and directing those that answer to appropriate agents. Improvement in dialing technology helps you reach the most contacts for better revenues and outbound outcomes. 

Preview dialer

Preview dialing allows an agent to signal when he/she is ready for another call and is presented with information about the upcoming contact to prepare for the conversation. This is the slowest dialing option of the four types.

Use case: Preview dialer is best suited for calls in which more information and context is critical to success. If the nature of the call is complex, or the interaction requires the highest levels of service, arming the agents with time and information provides the best opportunity for a positive interaction. Preview dialing also ensures that the customer has an agent on the other end of the line when they pick up, preventing abandoned calls and displeased customers. 

Key attributes:

  • Complex
  • High levels of service
  • Context needed for conversation

Progressive dialer

With progressive dialling, the agents indicate when they are ready for the next call, but receive information about the customer at the same time the call is being made. This speeds up the outgoing call process, but gives less time for the agents to prepare. If a number is called and there is no answer, the system moves on to the next number. No time is wasted in the dialling process.

Use case: Progressive dialing is a quicker solution than preview dialing as the dialer makes a call as soon as an agent is free. Because the agents have less time to review the information about customers, the progressive dialer should be used with slightly less complex interactions. It is also a good option if the contact center is sensitive to abandoned calls. The technology of the progressive dialer works well for B2B calls, as it handles the complex nature of business phone systems. You will often see progressive dialing used for sales teams looking to renew or upsell current customers. If you have a large contact center that needs intuitive technology, the progressive dialer may be the right fit. 

Key attributes:

  • Large contact center
  • Less complex interactions
  • Call personalization

Predictive dialer

A predictive dialer connects agents to live callers as soon as an agent is done with the previous call. Predictive dialer systems algorithmically determine when the next call should take place based on metrics like average call duration. The system dials several numbers at the same time until a caller picks up and then directs the customer to the open agent.

Use case: Predictive dialing fits well in large contact centers with high call volume. The technology keeps the flow of calls moving. This method is best for quick B2C calls. If your agents need to reach out for short surveys, pre-qualify customers, or other topics with consistent talk times, predictive dialing can make your operations much more efficient. 

If your main priorities are either customer service, B2B outreach, or following up with sales leads, a predictive dialer will not be as successful. This type of dialler does not provide agents with information ahead of the call to have more personalized conversations. 

Key attributes:

  • Large contact center with many agents
  • High call volume
  • Shorter, standardized interactions

Power dialer

Power dialling calls the next number on a contact list as soon as an agent is available. If there is no answer, the dialer moves on to the next number. 

Use case: Power dialing is a great way to boost efficiency. It is best for calling campaigns where you’re working through a preset list and need to provide great customer service. This type of dialer ensures the customer is speaking to a live agent when they pick up and can be used for campaigns such as fundraising, event invites, or data collection.  

Key attributes:

  • First tier of automated dialing
  • Focused on customer service
  • Reach leads quickly without missing prospects

Build a better list with unified CRM

An effective outbound strategy is based around an optimized call list. Whether you use an autodialer, click to dial, or manual input, your call list is the basis of your outbound campaign. 

An effective list takes into account the following 

  • Type of outbound call and restrictions around it
  • Customer’s behaviors, preferences, and past interactions 
  • Consent status across channels
  • Do not call lists 
  • Regional restrictions

CRM systems provide insight into how to approach your customers for positive results. Knowing your customer’s behaviors and preferences works to your sales team’s advantage in closing sales. But, CRM systems also help you stay compliant. A CRM system that keeps an updated record of consent for your customers is necessary when building an effective list. 

Customer account records need to be updated as do preferences. A unified CRM allows you to track this information across channels. When you create a list with the help of a unified CRM, you make sure that all outreach engagement acknowledges and abides by customer consent embedded in their profiles. 

Employing a phone dial attempt supervisor (PDAS) takes consent compliance one step further. It allows you to configure complex contact attempt controls at the account and phone number levels. 

The best way to improve outbound strategy is to keep track of customer preferences and consent across channels. Systems that automatically update customer account records when consent or preferences change can increase the effectiveness of your outbound campaign as well as make sure you are not contacting customers out of context or compliance. 

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About LiveVox

LiveVox (Nasdaq: LVOX) is a proven cloud CCaaS platform that helps business leaders redefine customer engagement and transform their contact center’s performance. Decision-makers use LiveVox to improve customer experience, boost agent productivity, empower their managers, and enhance their system orchestration capabilities. Everything needed to deliver game-changing results can be seamlessly integrated and configured to maximize your success: Omnichannel Communications, AI, a Contact Center CRM, and Workforce Engagement Management tools.

For more than 20 years, clients of all sizes and industries have trusted LiveVox’s scalable and reliable cloud platform to power billions of omnichannel interactions every year. LiveVox is headquartered in San Francisco, with international offices in Medellin, Colombia and Bangalore, India.

To stay up to date with everything LiveVox, follow us @LiveVox, visit www.livevox.com or call one of our specialists at (844) 207-6663.

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