Looking to increase your business outreach?
When you hear the term “call center,” you might think of a room full of agents answering calls for customer service and sales. But call centers can be a bit more complex. Some call centers actually contact customers on behalf of a company.
There are two main types of call center operations – inbound and outbound. Inbound call center services are traditional call center services. In inbound environments, clients call a number, and an agent answers. The agent provides customer service, sales support, or other services over the phone on behalf of the business.
Outbound call centers reach out to clients as an extension of a business, for a variety of purposes like sales, marketing and event registration. Outbound call centers have the ability to perform a multitude of business processes. Outlined below.
Outbound Services: Examples
Call centers perform a variety of different services for many different types of businesses. Here’s a brief description of several of these services.
- Lead generation
- Sales representatives will reach out to predetermined lists of potential customers to pitch products and services. These representatives will then transfer potential leads to your sales team to complete the sales process.
- Lead generation also includes list-scrubbing to determine if your contact lists are up-to-date and accurate. This prevents the headache of bounced emails, returned phone calls, and spam complaints.
- Appointment setting
- Running a business that takes appointments? Similar to lead generation, representatives can contact a predetermined list of clients to book appointments for insurance sales, auto sales, and other industries.
- Market research/surveys
- Outbound call centers can perform surveys for your company. This includes product testing surveys, research, and other questionnaires. Call centers will contact respondents through random dialing or predetermined lists.
- Event Registration
- Are you running a conference, seminar, or other event? Outbound call centers can reach out to potential attendees with information on the event and do registration over the phone. This not only will increase attendance at your event but will also market your event to a wider audience.
- Telesales/Telemarketing
- One of the more commonly known outbound services is telesales/telemarketing. Representatives can reach out to potential customers through random dialing or predetermined contact lists to market and sell products or services on your company’s behalf. These call centers receive training on collecting payments and information securely and following applicable telemarketing laws and regulations.
- Collection Reminders
- Outbound call centers can also perform debt collection reminder services by using contact lists to reach out to debtors and provide reminders and information regarding payments and options available to them.
- Pairing with inbound services
- Many inbound services have outbound components that can be paired together. This is often found in customer service settings such as product support and help desk services. In these situations, clients will call the inbound center and provide information or ask a question. If the customer needs to be contacted for further support or a survey once the call ends, the call center places an outbound call to reach the customer.
Often, these services are used in conjunction of two or more, to create the best strategy for each business using Outbound Services.
Why Outbound Services?
Now that you know what kinds of services outbound call centers can offer, you may be wondering how these services could be beneficial for your business. Some of the benefits of outbound call center services include:
- Omni-channel support
- Did you know that a majority of Americans will not answer phone calls from an unknown number? This can make outbound selling difficult over the phone. Luckily, many outbound services can be performed over a variety of mediums, including phone, email, text, and chat. This can help your business reach a greater range of customers and expand your company’s potential consumer base.
- Flexibility
- Outbound call center services are flexible and customizable to fit your business as your needs change. Most options are available in multiple forms and are customizable to fit your company’s size, project length, and budget.
- Growth potential
- Utilizing outbound services can help your business reach new customers and expand your reach farther than ever before.
- Targeted outreach
- Many outbound services are unique in that they can target potential customers on your behalf. This gives your business the ability to determine what types of customers you would like to reach and how, which will increase the likelihood of reaching your desired audience.
Outbound Experts
You’ve learned what outbound call center services are and how they can benefit your business. Are you ready to take the next step?
AnswerNet has years of experience in providing the highest quality outbound call center services for a variety of industries. Our flexible setups and affordable rates make us the best option for small and mid-level businesses. To learn more and request a quote, visit our outbound services page.
