Inbound calls represent some of the best conversion opportunities for your business. For most businesses a phone call usually signals someone who is further along in the buyer’s journey, and closer to making a final decision. This means that your inbound calls can make or break a buyer’s decision.
In fact, inbound phone calls have 30-50% conversion rates, compared to 1-2% for clicks. So while you should optimize your website to promote inbound phone calls, you also need to ensure that you and your team are making the most of those inbound calls once they go through.
1. Route Calls to the Right Place
There is nothing worse than waiting forever on hold, then, when you finally get a human, you discover that you have to be transferred to a specific person, and end up spending more time on hold and having to repeat your question all over again to a new person. And while sometimes you just have to get a hold of a human to fix your problem, if you have a potential lead on the line, they may not wait around, causing you to loose valuable leads due to inefficiency.
The best way to save both your company and your leads time is by routing calls as efficiently and directly as possible. There are several options you can utilize for routing inbound calls, specifically when you use some form of call tracking software:
- Route by schedule: This option allows you to choose which numbers get the call based on your business’s office hours or the time zone. Let’s say your employees leave at 6pm sharp, but you don’t want to let phone calls go to voice mail. You can route all calls after 6pm to your own phone, or perhaps your sales manager. This cuts down on missed calls, and increases chances that your after hour phone calls yield results.
- Route by agent: Route specific percentages to higher performing salespeople. This ensures that your top reps get the majority of phone calls, resulting in better outcomes for yourself and your potential lead.
- Route by geography: This routing is based on the caller’s location, and is useful for companies with multiple locations, cutting down call transfers to get the caller to the right person.
- Route by service/page: Depending on the services you offer, you may want a specific person to answer certain calls. An example would be routing calls from a cosmetic service page directly to the aesthetician. This ensures your most knowledgeable person on the topic answers the inbound call.
2. Develop a Process
While phone calls can prove extremely valuable, they can also become very time consuming if not handled correctly. Your sales team needs to have a set process for qualifying callers to ensure they are spending their time as efficiently as possible, and not wasting time on the phone with leads who are simply not qualified.
This means asking the right questions. For example, discovering if the caller has the budget for your products or services, is a decision maker, or even has a need for what you are offering. Creating a set process can help get all of your sales reps on the same page, and improve productivity.
3. Learn From the Past
If you’re not recording and transcribing phone calls, now is the time to consider it. Reviewing past calls provides several benefits:
- Improve future calls by reviewing potential pitfalls or mistakes, and identifying sales reps who need additional training.
- Train new sales reps for excellence by playing examples of how your best sales reps handle calls.
- Gain a better understanding of your audience by discovering common sales objections, major pain points, and specific terms they are using. All of this is valuable information for both sales and marketing teams alike.
Pro Tip: Remember to review both recordings and transcriptions, as the transcribed phone calls may sometimes be incorrect.
Finding ways to improve your inbound calls will ultimately result in better conversations and more conversions. Giving your sales reps the tools they need to succeed is essential to growing your company’s revenue, and making a positive impression on your phone leads.