July 7, 2021

Call Management Tips To Protect Phone Number Reputation

Dial up your call management strategy and maintain phone number reputation with these tips. Whether you’re just launching an outbound campaign or looking for ways to improve an existing campaign, these tips can help you get more out of your lists, numbers, dialing software and agents.

Importance of Call Management

Manage calls and prepare for a successful outbound campaign with the right software and strategy. Here are some critical reasons you should review and plan your call management strategy:

• Maximize revenue
• Improve business reputation
• Promote a successful outbound campaign

List Management

List management is an essential element of your outbound campaign. Start by creating a detailed list of qualified candidates. Explore a few key steps in managing your list before you launch your campaign.

Lead Acquisition

If you acquire leads from poorly rated sources, you may only get what you pay for. Random consumer data doesn’t lead to the answer and conversion rates you need. However, this may put flags on your numbers, especially if you are calling numbers on the Do Not Call registry.

Scrubbing Lists

Don’t assume the list is free from numbers on the Do Not Call registry. Scrub your list by comparing numbers to any relevant databases, including your internal opt-out list. Granted that this may lower your lead list, it can do wonders to protect your reputation.

Qualifying Leads

Are your leads qualified for your products or services? Reach out with openers to compare your lists with relevant demographic information. This improves your list conversion rates for your closers. Additionally, this can save your agents time and reduce frustration.

Recycling Leads

Throwing out your entire list is a wasteful practice. Instead, recycle any leads that don’t answer or aren’t interested in your products or services at the moment. Any lead that doesn’t request to be removed from the list may be interested in future campaigns.

Phone Number Management

Use phone number management to efficiently connect your agents and leads. Explore how to purchase, scan, swap and recycle numbers to get the most out of your investment.

Purchasing Numbers

Purchasing numbers from reputable sources reduces the risk of investing in numbers that are already flagged. Determine the amount of numbers needed in your company by calculating the number of agents and the approximate number of calls per day. Furthermore, try not to use a single number more than 100 times, as this may cause carriers to flag it.

Purchase excess numbers to avoid using them too frequently. Also, use call management software that maintains a low call frequency per number and helps you monitor flagged or blocked numbers.

Scanning Numbers

Just like your lists, you should scan your numbers thoroughly to avoid flagging and wasted agent time. In fact, make it a habit to scan numbers after you purchase them. Any numbers that are used too frequently, already called or affected in another way can reduce the efficiency of your outbound campaign.

Swapping Numbers

By purchasing excess numbers, you can easily swap between them. With this in mind, keep your agents calling throughout the day and keep track of the 100-dial threshold for each number. Once this threshold is reached, the number must be swapped out for the remainder of the day.

Numbers that are blocked need a longer cooling-off period. Swap out these numbers for a period between 60 and 90 days before adding them back to a list.

Recycling Numbers

Hold on to numbers that are flagged or connected to customers who aren’t interested in this outbound campaign. If you own your numbers, then you recycle them on future campaigns after the necessary cool-down period.

Dialing Management

Discover how your dialer type and configuration can propel your outbound campaign forward or hold it back. Explore the types of dialers available and frequency options available to your company. Also, consider the optimal configuration for your industry and specific campaign.

Dialer Type

Here are the most common dialer types used in call centers:

• Predictive dialer
• Power dialer
• Progressive dialer
• Preview dialer

For many industries, a predictive dialer offers the call volume and stable calls necessary to create a successful outbound campaign. It dials multiple numbers and uses powerful algorithms to streamline the entire process.

For a more controlled experience for your agents, consider using a preview dialer. This option offers agents preview information about the next call, which allows them to make informed decisions about calling or skipping numbers.

Dialing Frequency

A critical part of your dialer management approach needs to be monitoring dial frequency. Abandon rates and other KPIs are useful for improving your call management approach, but dial frequency helps you find out when to swap numbers.

Agent Management

No amount of lists can replace talented agents. As the primary driving force of your campaign, agent management can mean the difference between a successful campaign or one that severely damages your professional reputation. Consider how you can best manage your agents by distributing leads, managing scripts, monitoring calls, and using customer feedback.

Lead Distribution

Don’t let favoritism create dissatisfied agents. Instead, create an equal lead distribution through randomization to treat all your agents fairly.

Script Management

Work with your team to optimize the script. Cater it to your specific campaign and demographic. Additionally, have your agents help craft a script to keep it relatable and easy to understand.

Call Monitoring

Maintain quality control through monitoring agents’ calls. Inform your team of your monitoring policy and create a secure system for storing this information to avoid leaking sensitive information.

Customer Feedback

Finally, any feedback from your leads can be crucial information for improving and managing your agents. Offer many opportunities to provide feedback to tailor the call experience to your target demographic.

Managing Your Outbound Campaign

Use these call management tips to make the most of your next campaign. Proper call management techniques can set your campaign and agents apart from others in the industry. This can bolster your business reputation and lead to higher conversion rates.