For any call center making outbound calls, there\u2019s one thing we know for certain:\u00a0 It\u2019s getting harder to reach potential customers.<\/p>\n
This growing challenge isn\u2019t new to outbound call center managers. Agents are trying to reach leads dropped into a dialer. And it\u2019s aggravating when these leads you paid good money for are not even reachable because your caller IDs have been flagged, or worse, blocked. No wonder contact rates are down!<\/p>\n
So, what\u2019s this 2021 \u201ctrend\u201d about combatting call blocking and call flagging?<\/p>\n
Simply put,\u00a0sales and lead generations teams that want to stay competitive will be:<\/p>\n
In response to the proliferation of spam calls and robocalls\u2013something we\u2019ve all experienced over the years\u2013consumers and carriers\u00a0took action to clamp down on the practice. We have legislation, including the TCPA and the TRACED Act, and a host of rules aimed at protecting the consumer (e.g., STIR\/SHAKEN). Many call centers make great efforts to work with compliant data and to use dialing practices in compliance with laws.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, despite these efforts, even legitimate calls may not reach the respective caller.<\/p>\n
Stuart Discount, CEO of SMD Contact Center Consulting and former CEO of PACE, described the dilemma: \u201cOutbound dialing has decreased almost every year since Do-Not-Call (DNC) back in 2003, but it\u2019s really getting bad now because legitimate outbound callers are being dwarfed by robo callers \u2013 their calls aren\u2019t getting through. In some cases, they\u2019re getting blocked by the carriers because they\u2019re being labeled as spam when they are not spam.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are various factors in the telecom ecosystem that can cause your calls to be flagged as a spam risk<\/a> or blocked.<\/p>\n There is no single solution to avoiding flagged or blocked calls. But there are a few steps sales and lead gen teams can and should take to minimize the blow to contact rates. The trend for\u00a0outbound call centers in 2021 is to employ the right strategies to\u00a0reduce the risks that your calls will be blocked or tagged as spam.<\/p>\n Gone are the old school ways of hammering away at leads till you reach a good prospect.\u00a0That tactic will result in your calls being blocked or labeled as spam.<\/p>\n To understand the smarter strategies used by next gen call centers, begin by assessing\u00a0the quality of the leads you\u2019re dialing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n If you have low intent leads, be cautious how aggressively you set up your agents to call them. Instead, plan your campaigns to rest the numbers that don\u2019t reach anyone by scheduling a cadence spaced over time. Sophisticated dialer software can support responsible dialing, with tools that automatically rest lists\/leads based on the intent levels and prior dispositions, and employing a smart redial\/recycle logic for optimal lead management.<\/p>\n For high intent leads, leverage an omnichannel approach that includes SMS texting and email, with strategic call cadences and features like smart voicemail drops to reach out to those consumers in the best way possible.<\/p>\n Another critical management strategy for outbound call centers is to monitor list performance in real time. Data analytics show you insights about what\u2019s really going on with your lists \u2013 are they making money or not? If your agents are dialing a list that\u2019s getting a low contact rate, and you can find that out as it\u2019s happening, you can change course and stop using that list for a period.<\/p>\n Powerful reporting tools<\/a>\u00a0are one your most important assets for managing productivity and driving profitability.<\/p>\n In the webinar\u00a0The Next Generation Call Center<\/a>, Nima Hakimi (Co-founder & CEO of Convoso) talked about analyzing the performance of your lists as part of your dialing strategy to handle call blocking.<\/p>\n \u201cCalls are being blocked. If you don\u2019t have a good sound strategy in place around your high intent versus low intent leads, your caller IDs are likely to get flagged. You\u2019re going to get calls blocked without you even knowing about it. Which is why it\u2019s really important to look at the performance of your list:\u00a0 How many times are you calling it, what is the revenue like by rep, by hour, by list \u2013 really going to that micro level, to see when there\u2019s a dip. And be able to make those decisions in real time. I believe that\u2019s one of the biggest problems that call centers have is that they don\u2019t have the ability to look at information at a granular level\u2026For example, if you\u2019re dialing through a list and there\u2019s no revenue being generated at a specific hour, then turn that list off.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2021, outbound sales and lead gen teams need to proactively manage the reputation of their Caller ID numbers (DIDs). Call centers that dial a lead in excess will wind up with their caller ID labeled as spam.<\/p>\n Your dialer should have the capability to analyze call patterns and call volume, and then use that data to recommend how many caller ID numbers you should use, specifically indicating how many to use in each area code to minimize the chances of your caller ID being flagged as a scam.<\/p>\n A strong caller ID reputation goes a long way to identify you as a legitimate caller in the eyes of the major carriers. Legitimate callers are more likely to avoid becoming victims to blocked or flagged calls. Consider these additional tactics to establish your legitimacy:<\/p>\n\n
How can you figure out if busy signal dispositions from data source are actually blocked calls?\u00a0 Sales and lead gen call center expert Heather Griffin offers this free work around tip.<\/h5>\n
What can your call center do about blocked and flagged calls?<\/h2>\n
Smarter Outreach Strategies\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Dial smarter, not harder<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Managing caller IDs based on call volume and geography<\/h2>\n
Learn what outbound call centers need to know about\u00a0TCPA Compliance Trends for 2021<\/a><\/h4>\n
Proactive steps to show your identity is legitimate<\/h2>\n