Call Software: Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy

The market is flooded with call software options, but not all of them are created equal. If you’re looking for call software, it’s important to know what to look for to avoid costing your business valuable time and money. In fact, some call software can be downright frustrating, leading to dropped calls, missed opportunities and wasted time.

If you’re serious about improving your team’s communication with buyers, it’s crucial to understand the nuances of call software and what sets the good ones apart from the bad. This article will explore everything you need to know before you buy call software, including which features to look for, factors to consider and best practices to adopt.

Non-negotiable features of call software

When selecting call software for your business, it’s essential to consider which features will be most beneficial to your operations. The right call software can improve communication and productivity within your team, streamline customer interactions and ultimately drive revenue growth. By carefully considering your business needs and selecting call software that aligns with your goals, you can ensure that you’re getting the most out of your communication tools. Here are some non-negotiable features you’ll need to look for regardless of your business size.

Enable reps to connect with more prospects

Research from the Sales Engagement Predictions for 2023 and Beyond Report shows that SDRs are having 11.7% fewer conversations relative to dials compared to last year. If your reps are struggling to hit quota, it’s possible that the issue lies not in the number of calls they’re making but rather in the call software itself.

The right call software will boost connection rates with a local presence functionality that automatically dials prospects around the world using local area codes. It should also have established legal protocols in place to make sure your calls aren’t marked as spam.

Save reps time with voicemail drop

A team of 10 sales reps will spend an average of 30 hours per week leaving voicemails. But call software with voicemail drop can help reclaim that time for your team. Sales reps can easily leave professionally recorded voicemails with just one click, freeing up more time for them to focus on other critical tasks.

This feature allows each rep to create a library of custom pre-recorded voicemail messages based on persona, deal stage, etc. Then, when calls go to voicemail, reps simply select the best message and quickly move on to the next call.

Empower your reps with real-time guidance

Your call software should provide real-time conversation intelligence to improve calls while your reps are still on the phone. This means that your reps will receive context-driven nudges and reminders during the call, helping them to say and do the right things at the right time.

Real-time guidance eliminates the need for endless reminders and enables your team to actively win deals on every call. With this feature, your dialer becomes a transformational tool, rather than just a transactional one. It’s a game-changer for sales coaches and managers who want to improve their team’s potential and drive revenue growth.

Automatically log data in call software to gain revenue intelligence insights

To turn conversation data into revenue intelligence, use call software that automatically records vital data into your CRM (e.g. Salesforce). The benefits of a sales dialer that identifies and records contextual data go beyond saving time. By transforming raw data into revenue intelligence, you can gain insights into your sales process that help you identify patterns and make data-driven decisions.

However, relying on your reps to manually log calls and other activities is a surefire way to waste valuable selling time. In fact, reps spend less than 36% of their time selling, and logging activities is one of the biggest time-consuming tasks. Using a revenue intelligence platform that automates data logging eliminates human error and allows reps to focus on winning deals.

Effortlessly comply with sales regulations

Sales regulations, such as GDPR and TCPA, have become increasingly stringent in recent years, and compliance can be challenging (and expensive) for companies. Proper call software can provide peace of mind to both sales teams and legal departments.

Non-compliance can result in significant legal fees, negating the revenue earned from closed deals. By utilizing a reliable dialer that ensures compliance with these regulations and reminds reps to comply with specific requirements on every call, you can safeguard your revenue and avoid unnecessary legal expenses.

Factors to consider when buying call software

Certain factors are essential for ensuring the call software you choose matches your business needs and helps to improve sales efficiency while enhancing customer experience. These five critical factors are worth considering when buying call software.

Budget

Call software can vary significantly in price, so having a clear idea of what you can afford will save you time and help you narrow down your options. To determine your budget, consider how much you’re currently spending on call-related activities as well as the expected return on investment. It’s also important to consider any additional costs that come with the software, such as implementation, training, and ongoing support fees.

Keep in mind that the cheapest option may not always be the best, as more expensive software can often provide more comprehensive features and better customer support. Finding the right balance between price and value is key to making the most of your investment in call software.

Scalability of call software

Whenever you’re making a software purchase, it’s important to think about the future growth of your business. You don’t want to invest in a solution that will be obsolete in just a few months. Look for a dialer that can easily accommodate new users and features as your team expands.

Consider factors like the number of calls your team is making per day, the expected growth rate of your business and how the software can adapt to meet those needs. It’s better to pay a little more for a solution that can grow with your business than to constantly switch providers as you expand.

Integration with other systems

As you’re evaluating options, it’s essential to consider how well they integrate with other solutions you’re currently using, especially your CRM. You’ll want to make sure that your call software can seamlessly integrate with these systems to avoid disruptions and ensure your data is accurate and up-to-date.

Integration can also save time by automating tasks and reducing the need for manual data entry. Additionally, having call software that integrates with other solutions can help provide a more complete view of your customer data, enabling you to make more informed decisions and drive better outcomes.

Ease of use

Ease of use is a critical factor to consider when choosing call software for your team. You want to ensure that the software is user-friendly, intuitive, and easy to navigate. Your reps should be able to pick up the software quickly, without needing extensive training. A complicated or confusing system can lead to frustration and decreased productivity, as reps may spend more time figuring out how to use the software than actually selling.

Additionally, an easy-to-use system can lead to higher adoption rates among your team, which will ultimately lead to greater ROI. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize software that is simple and straightforward to use.

Customer support

If and when your call software has minor issues, you’ll want them to be resolved as quickly and painlessly as possible. A good starting point is to research customer reviews and ratings of the vendor’s support team. Look for comments about the responsiveness and helpfulness of the support team, as well as their availability and willingness to address issues.

Another factor to consider is the vendor’s service level agreements (SLAs) and guarantees for response times and issue resolution. A solution with strong customer support can make all the difference when it comes to the success of your call operations.

Call software best practices

Once you’ve chosen the right call software for your team, implementing best practices can help your team increase productivity and improve your overall sales performance. Here are some best practices you might want to adopt:

• Define call workflows: Create call workflows for your team that define when to call leads, how often to follow up, and how to handle different types of calls. This helps ensure that your team is making the most of their time on calls and are consistently using the call software features to their fullest potential. Steal our sales playbook here.
• Train your team: Proper training on the call software is essential to ensure your team knows how to use all the features to their fullest potential. Provide regular training sessions and encourage your team to share tips and tricks with each other.
• Monitor call metrics: Use analytics to monitor key metrics such as call volume, conversion rates, and average call duration
• Leverage automation: Use features such as voicemail drop and automated call scheduling to reduce manual tasks and increase efficiency.
• Use call recordings for coaching: Review call recordings with your team to provide feedback and coaching on their performance. This helps identify areas for improvement and provides a valuable learning opportunity.
• Follow up with leads: Schedule follow-up calls and automate lead nurturing campaigns. This helps ensure that leads don’t fall through the cracks and helps move them through the sales funnel.

By implementing these best practices, your team can get the most out of your call software and improve your overall sales performance.

Revenue.io’s call software is ideal for Sales and Success teams. Learn more about our capabilities here.