Beginner’s Guide: How an Auto Dialer Works

Rohan Mathew

Updated on:

Every guide to cold calling should include a section on auto dialers. This particular software has been around for a while and continues to develop improvements. If your employees do a great deal of outbound calling, an auto dialer is crucial equipment.

What Is an Auto Dialer?

As the name suggests, an auto dialer dials phone numbers automatically. It’s a piece of software run on a computer connected to a phone network.

How Does It Work?

Businesses create lists of contacts, usually organized into campaigns, by location or another characteristic. Employees then activate the auto dialer to pull a specific list and run through the numbers. There are a few different auto dialers, each offering unique benefits.

Predictive Dialers

Predictive dialers are a perfect option for call centers since they assign multiple calls at once. You can speed through contact lists if you have a large enough workforce to use one.

Power Dialer

A power dialer runs through the contacts list without waiting for employee input. This model is an excellent choice if you deal with a high volume of calls.

Preview Dialer

Employees can see customer information before calling when they use a preview dialer. While these dialers have shorter lists, they’re great for customer service cold calling.

Why Use an Auto Dialer?

Punching in a phone number may not seem like it takes a long time, but when your business handles hundreds or thousands of calls a day, those few seconds get compounded. When you utilize an auto dialer, you eliminate the hours wasted hitting buttons.

Boosts Sales

When you cut out wasted time, you have more opportunities to sell. That means higher profits.

Increase Productivity

Automated services let employees focus on other tasks:

  • Speaking with callers
  • Resolving issues
  • Submitting feedback

This focus manifests as an increase in productivity since your employees are doing impactful work instead of mindless tasks.

What Businesses Should Use Auto Dialers?

Any business that does a significant amount of cold calling needs an auto dialer. This category is broader than you may think, as many companies need to get in touch with customers for a variety of reasons. However, the following are the most common enterprises to invest in this software.

Debt Collection Agencies

The right software for debt collection agencies can make accepting overdue payments easier than ever. Most debt collection agencies have to reach out to customers who may not know their debt has been bought or that a company has employed a third party. As a result, most agents cold call the last known number.

Telemarketers

Cold calling for a sales team is tough, but auto dialers make it a little easier. Instead of spending time looking up new leads, representatives can automatically move to the next person on the list if their pitch doesn’t work out.

Non-Profits

Non-profits often ask for charitable donations and may call previous donors or strangers. Having an auto dialer lets representatives focus on appealing to potential donors.

There are a wide variety of auto dialers on the market, from dialers for real estate to customer service. With so much choice, you’re sure to find an option that fits your needs.