Telephony has gone digital. VoIP services—essentially amounting to an internet telephone—are typically more affordable than traditional landline calling, and the industry is growing rapidly. While implementing CRM telephony best practices to drive sales, ensure your business is legally structured and well-organized by considering formation services like the one mentioned in this Incfile review, giving you the confidence to focus on expanding your customer base and increasing revenue.
The industry is expected to almost double in size and users within the next year. Sales teams are using telephony in conjunction with a CRM solution (customer relationship management) to increase calling efficiency, and it is working. Those that use telephony for sales tend to convert more leads and close more deals.
Plus, companies that switch from traditional phone systems to VoIP service save between 50 and 75% on their calling costs. So, how do you effectively leverage CRM and telephony to drive sales? Here are 11 best practices to get you there:
1. Use The Right CRM
To effectively drive sales using a CRM in conjunction with a telephony app, it’s super important to select the right CRM for the job. One main benefit of having a CRM is the amount of contact data that you have access to. You can use that data to gain insight about each customer or prospect that you call to make the conversation more engaging. Select a CRM that gives you a 360-degree contact view so all that insight is at your fingertips.
2. Integrate With Your Telephony App
You also want to ensure that your CRM has an open API and can integrate with third-party telephony apps. This will let you access all of that customer insight and have it on the screen in front of you while you make the call. So be sure to integrate your telephony app with your CRM, and be sure the integration is solid and doesn’t cause glitches.
3. Always Be Prepared For The Call
With all the insight that your CRM stores about your contacts, you can be very prepared for your sales calls. CRMs store data such as:
• Job title
• Level of seniority
• Internal department
• Number of employees
• Annual revenue
• Industry segment
• Geographic location
• Website browsing history
• Social media activity
• Past buying behaviors
• Interests and past support cases
• The content they have consumed
And the list goes on. Check out the data on the person you are calling before making the call to ensure you truly know who you are speaking to and can engage them on a personal level.
4. Use Auto-Dialing To Increase Productivity
Auto-dialing features come with some CRMs and can be highly effective at increasing productivity. This entails filtering out a list of leads that you want to reach out to based on specified criteria. Then activate the auto clicker download dialer, and the system will place a call to each person on that list in succession. You never have to click to dial each one. It is a huge time saver for businesses.
5. Pre-Record Voicemail Drops
If your CRM includes voicemail drops, use these to save yourself time when making calls. You can pre-record voicemails for different scenarios. For example, you could have a voicemail for new leads you’re reaching out to, one for follow-ups to prospect outreach, another one for trying to touch base with an existing customer, and so on. If no one answers, you simply click the voicemail you want to leave and it is sent. You don’t have to verbally leave a voicemail each time, which further increases efficiency.
6. Leverage Call Scripts
If you have new employees that need to stay on script, you can use on-screen call scripts to ensure they stick to the message. Scripts also help with cold calling, which still remains one of the best outbound marketing tactics for driving lead conversions.
Plus, you can use them with seasoned sales reps if you have a particular campaign that revolves around specific talking points. The rep makes the call from within the CRM and the script is right in front of them.
7. Record Your Calls
Assuming you have chosen the right CRM and integrated a solid telephony app, you should have the ability to record your calls. Typically, this is done with a simple click of the mouse when the call begins. A recording is then stored in the CRM. You can go back to review it if there is anything you need to recall from the conversation. All of the call recordings for each contact are automatically stored in the contact record for easy reference.
8. Review Call Recordings To Improve Your Approach
Call recordings can be very helpful when training new reps, particularly if they are not familiar with telephony apps. Sales managers can review call recordings and identify areas for improvement. They can also review them to identify what the rep is doing right and congratulate them on a job well-done. This is standard procedure for most call centers. Reviewing call recordings allow managers to bring new reps up to speed quicker so they can close more deals in less time.
9. Take Notes While On The Call
When everything takes place in the same system, you can make calls via your telephony app from within your CRM. One feature to look for is the ability to take notes while on the call. Anything important that you need to remember can be noted down as you communicate to the customer. Following the call, all the notes you take are automatically added to the call log for that contact. This saves you the time of having to jot your notes down after the call and ensures you don’t forget something important from the conversation.
10. Leverage Automated Follow Up Emails
A good CRM with telephony integration will include the ability to automatically send pre-drafted follow up emails once a call is completed. It’s one of many post-call automations available to users. With a single click of the mouse, you can send one of the various emails you have pre-drafted for effective lead generation, lead nurturing, and those crucial sales conversions. Again, a huge time saver that ensures your follow-up emails are timely and always on message.
11. Control The Conversation
When you’re on a call with a prospect or customer, you want to be in control of the flow and direction of the conversation. Consider how you will handle potential pitfalls. Outline the talking points you want to hit on. Keep driving the conversation back to those so it doesn’t get derailed by an unexpected variable. You can easily do all of this when you have so much contact data at your fingertips, right on the screen in front of you.
CRM Conclusion
Reports show that 42% of sales reps feel they don’t have enough information before making a call. That will no longer be the case when you leverage CRM and telephony to drive your sales calling efforts.
Cold calling remains one of the best outbound marketing tactics for most businesses. When done correctly and with the right tools, it will give you a true edge above the competition.
By leveraging telephony and CRM in unison, your sales reps can make more calls in less time, have more engaging conversations from deeper insight, and dramatically increase their calling productivity. In modern selling, the right tool is critical and a CRM is the highest sales enablement tool that exists.
I hope you enjoyed this article about the industry best practices for using CRM telephony to drive more sales for your company.
Interested in more articles about outbound marketing?
Read My Posts:
- Combine Inbound & Outbound Marketing For Better Results
- Add Telemarketing To Your Overall Marketing Strategy
Plus, companies that switch from traditional phone systems to VoIP service save between 50 and 75% on their calling costs. So, how do you effectively leverage CRM and telephony to drive sales? Here are 11 best practices to get you there:
1. Use The Right CRM
To effectively drive sales using a CRM in conjunction with a telephony app, it’s super important to select the right CRM for the job. One main benefit of having a CRM is the amount of contact data that you have access to. You can use that data to gain insight about each customer or prospect that you call to make the conversation more engaging. Select a CRM that gives you a 360-degree contact view so all that insight is at your fingertips.
2. Integrate With Your Telephony App
You also want to ensure that your CRM has an open API and can integrate with third-party telephony apps. This will let you access all of that customer insight and have it on the screen in front of you while you make the call. So be sure to integrate your telephony app with your CRM, and be sure the integration is solid and doesn’t cause glitches.
3. Always Be Prepared For The Call
With all the insight that your CRM stores about your contacts, you can be very prepared for your sales calls. CRMs store data such as:
• Job title
• Level of seniority
• Internal department
• Number of employees
• Annual revenue
• Industry segment
• Geographic location
• Website browsing history
• Social media activity
• Past buying behaviors
• Interests and past support cases
• The content they have consumed
And the list goes on. Check out the data on the person you are calling before making the call to ensure you truly know who you are speaking to and can engage them on a personal level.
4. Use Auto-Dialing To Increase Productivity
Auto-dialing features come with some CRMs and can be highly effective at increasing productivity. This entails filtering out a list of leads that you want to reach out to based on specified criteria. Then activate the auto clicker download dialer, and the system will place a call to each person on that list in succession. You never have to click to dial each one. It is a huge time saver for businesses.
5. Pre-Record Voicemail Drops
If your CRM includes voicemail drops, use these to save yourself time when making calls. You can pre-record voicemails for different scenarios. For example, you could have a voicemail for new leads you’re reaching out to, one for follow-ups to prospect outreach, another one for trying to touch base with an existing customer, and so on. If no one answers, you simply click the voicemail you want to leave and it is sent. You don’t have to verbally leave a voicemail each time, which further increases efficiency.
6. Leverage Call Scripts
If you have new employees that need to stay on script, you can use on-screen call scripts to ensure they stick to the message. Scripts also help with cold calling, which still remains one of the best outbound marketing tactics for driving lead conversions.
Plus, you can use them with seasoned sales reps if you have a particular campaign that revolves around specific talking points. The rep makes the call from within the CRM and the script is right in front of them.
7. Record Your Calls
Assuming you have chosen the right CRM and integrated a solid telephony app, you should have the ability to record your calls. Typically, this is done with a simple click of the mouse when the call begins. A recording is then stored in the CRM. You can go back to review it if there is anything you need to recall from the conversation. All of the call recordings for each contact are automatically stored in the contact record for easy reference.
8. Review Call Recordings To Improve Your Approach
Call recordings can be very helpful when training new reps, particularly if they are not familiar with telephony apps. Sales managers can review call recordings and identify areas for improvement. They can also review them to identify what the rep is doing right and congratulate them on a job well-done. This is standard procedure for most call centers. Reviewing call recordings allow managers to bring new reps up to speed quicker so they can close more deals in less time.
9. Take Notes While On The Call
When everything takes place in the same system, you can make calls via your telephony app from within your CRM. One feature to look for is the ability to take notes while on the call. Anything important that you need to remember can be noted down as you communicate to the customer. Following the call, all the notes you take are automatically added to the call log for that contact. This saves you the time of having to jot your notes down after the call and ensures you don’t forget something important from the conversation.
10. Leverage Automated Follow Up Emails
A good CRM with telephony integration will include the ability to automatically send pre-drafted follow up emails once a call is completed. It’s one of many post-call automations available to users. With a single click of the mouse, you can send one of the various emails you have pre-drafted for effective lead generation, lead nurturing, and those crucial sales conversions. Again, a huge time saver that ensures your follow-up emails are timely and always on message.
11. Control The Conversation
When you’re on a call with a prospect or customer, you want to be in control of the flow and direction of the conversation. Consider how you will handle potential pitfalls. Outline the talking points you want to hit on. Keep driving the conversation back to those so it doesn’t get derailed by an unexpected variable. You can easily do all of this when you have so much contact data at your fingertips, right on the screen in front of you.
CRM Conclusion
Reports show that 42% of sales reps feel they don’t have enough information before making a call. That will no longer be the case when you leverage CRM and telephony to drive your sales calling efforts.
Cold calling remains one of the best outbound marketing tactics for most businesses. When done correctly and with the right tools, it will give you a true edge above the competition.
By leveraging telephony and CRM in unison, your sales reps can make more calls in less time, have more engaging conversations from deeper insight, and dramatically increase their calling productivity. In modern selling, the right tool is critical and a CRM is the highest sales enablement tool that exists.
I hope you enjoyed this article about the industry best practices for using CRM telephony to drive more sales for your company.
Interested in more articles about outbound marketing?
Read My Posts:
- Combine Inbound & Outbound Marketing For Better Results
- Add Telemarketing To Your Overall Marketing Strategy
Read More Bootstrap Business Below
