16 Must-Have Call Center Features for Sales Teams

If you’re setting up an outbound call center, chances are you’re looking at which software can support your team the best. Even the highest-performing agents need the right tools to drive sales, maintain productivity, and guarantee customer satisfaction.

Here, we’ll cover the features that are must-haves in your next call center software, the benefits of implementing the right platform, and best practices for your outbound sales team.

What to Look for in a Sales Call Center 

The right call center solution can become a pillar of your sales strategy, and it’s hard to rip and replace it, so finding the right platform the first time around is critical.

Advanced features like automation and data analytics make you more efficient and leave you more time to focus on improving customer relationships, which is essential when 71% of people demand personalization — and feel frustrated when they don’t get it. 

Here are the 16 essential call center features you should put on your checklist:

Dialing features

1. Predictive dialing: A predictive dialer uses an algorithm to predict when sales agents will be available and line up phone calls for them. Team members can reduce idle time and increase their contact time per hour, boosting overall productivity. With the right predictive dialing campaign, you can also become more proactive about addressing issues and booking appointments.
2. Power dialing: The software automatically dials the next number in the queue as agents finish their calls. With its help, teams can maintain a steady flow of customers with minimal wait times. 
3. Preview dialing: Allowing agents to see the next caller’s details gives them a chance to prepare and tailor their approach. They can have meaningful conversations that are more likely to win customers over.
4. Customizable caller ID: You can display your business name and local number so customers know who’s calling, which can increase the odds of their picking up. This feature is essential for building and maintaining trust wherever your business operates.

Lead management

1. CRM integration: Connecting your call center tool with your CRM software lets you share information between the two platforms. You can also automatically log call and customer interaction data so it’s readily available for both sales and support teams to use. That’s why Nextiva integrates with top CRM providers such as HubSpot and Zendesk. 
2. Lead scoring and prioritization: Algorithms give each potential customer a value based on how likely they are to convert. Your team can concentrate on the most promising leads, manage resources better, and optimize their time.
3. Dialed number identification service: When your team receives incoming customer calls, they can see the phone number the customer dialed. If you used that number for a telemarketing campaign, your agents will also see that information. In this way, they’ll know whether the call is related to a specific advert and realize the customer is probably interested in a particular product, discount, or offer.
4. SMS reminders: You can schedule reminders for leads so they’re more likely to attend sessions like demos or follow-ups. SMS messages can include the meeting time and video link.

Productivity and coaching

1. Call scripting and templates: Having prompts allows you to guide conversations and ensure consistency among them. You can also train new hires to deal with challenging situations like overcoming common objections and navigating discount requests.
2. Intelligent call routing: Directing known prospects to appropriate agents means the callers spend less time waiting and choosing options from a menu. As a result, you can enhance the customer experience and make it less frustrating. You can base the routing on caller needs or agent skills and experience levels.
3. Real-time performance dashboards: Analytics give a live overview of metrics like call volumes and agent activity. Managers can use these insights to understand each team member’s performance and develop fair and impartial feedback. 
4. Call recording and playback: You can record calls to revisit them in performance reviews and training sessions. Call center agents can pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses so they know where to improve. Top providers like Nextiva let you set triggers that tell the software when to start recording calls. 

Compliance

1. STIR/SHAKEN compliance: This set of protocols enables you to authenticate caller ID information and prevent spoofing. If you don’t properly authenticate outbound calls, they may be marked as spam, and your answer rate will drop.
2. Do Not Call list scrubbing: Calling numbers on Do Not Call lists can leave you with hefty penalties and damage your reputation if word gets out. List scrubbing removes all these numbers from your call campaigns, so you don’t risk your agents contacting them. Plus, teams can focus on leads who are more likely to welcome your business.
3. Call recording archive: Industries like legal and health care may require proof of conversations in the event that they need to review specific cases. They often have a minimum time you must store the recordings. Call center software allows you to store files for the mandated time and stay compliant.
4. Secure data storage: Call center services are bound by data protection laws like the GDPR and HIPAA. Secure storage encrypts sensitive customer information during transfers and at rest to ensure you meet acceptable standards. You also avoid costly data breaches and reinforce trust in your company.

Best Practices When Running an Outbound Sales Team

Although a call center solution can help you meet targets, success still hinges on how well you manage your team. Here are some best practices to help you make the most of your call center tool.

Set clear goals and key performance indicators

Defining goals and tracking your progress can guide your sales team toward success. Everyone knows what good performance looks like and what they need to do. 

Here are some of the most relevant metrics to follow:

• Call volume 
• Connect rate
• Conversion rate
• Average handle time
• First-time close rate
• Wrap-up time
• Call quality ratings

Setting key performance indicators (KPIs) can even help you encourage agents and reward top performers. 

With the right call center solution, you can use gamification to motivate your sales team. Nextiva has this feature built into our analytics dashboard. All you have to do is click on the icon and set up leaderboards or contests.

Understand your ideal customer profile

Identifying your ideal customer profile (ICP) helps you concentrate your resources on the most promising leads and shortens the sales process. That means analyzing existing data and conducting market research to discover which demographics usually lead to conversions. 

Closed sales don’t count for everything, though. Consider which groups have the highest retention rates and upsell opportunities, too.

Work alongside other departments to gain extra insights into your ICP. For example, the customer support team and inbound call center often have firsthand knowledge about customer needs and the challenges they face.

Incorporate all this customer data into your call center sales strategy. If you know that certain groups often use your product to solve a particular issue, mention that use case in your pitch. By tailoring your approach, your team can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its outreach. 

Invest in quality lead generation

Once you’ve defined your ICP, apply this information to ensure sales reps contact the right groups and generate quality leads. That way, you can increase conversion rates and see a higher return on investment (ROI) for your sales initiatives.

Use lead scoring and prioritization to optimize your sales funnel. Your CRM software can assign a value to each lead based on the demographic and behavioral data you input. 

If you need to, you can customize the different types of outgoing calls to identify which ones have the highest priority. 

Monitor your team’s efforts through your tool’s analytics dashboard. You should be able to see how many high-scoring prospects agents contact and what percentage of their calls lead to sales. 

If the number is lower than expected, you might need to revisit your ICP or invest in some training and development for your team.

Use the best tools

The best outbound sales tools let you improve customer interactions and boost sales. They also help you share data among all the software platforms to give your team total oversight. 

Here are some popular types of software you can integrate with for better call center operations:

• CRM: Many types of call centers already have access to a CRM solution via their company. This software is essential for building workflows around potential and existing customers. Ensure your CRM software not only has all the essential features but also is connected to other apps. Platforms like HubSpot and Zendesk are known for their integrations. 
• Productivity: Platforms like Microsoft Teams and Google Workspace allow your team to communicate and work together better. Many customers use these brands by default. So being able to sync with tools like Google Calendar for appointment setting (rather than forcing leads to install a new app) creates a better customer experience.
• Revenue intelligence: This software can analyze your customer data to generate actionable insights you can incorporate into your sales strategy. One popular tool is Gong Collective.

Choose tools that not only suit your needs but also integrate well. You need the ability to switch seamlessly between platforms so you don’t lose momentum. That’s why Nextiva offers integrations with all the leading apps for call centers.

Develop winning call scripts

Developing effective scripts helps you standardize communication to ensure consistency across your team. Try to create a script for every scenario that you know gets results. 

Start by considering your ICP and which ideas and strategies will resonate with them. 

One key element is pain points. For example, executives are more likely to respond to offers that demonstrate clear ROI, whereas operational staff will appreciate solutions that save them time and effort.

As you write your script, give it a logical structure with some flexibility. Customers need to feel as though you’ve reached each stage of the conversation organically. However, agents need scripts that let them discuss a wide range of scenarios.

Prioritize coaching and development

Never forget the human element. While software sets your team members up for success, they’re still the ones who close deals. Ongoing call center training is essential to equip salespeople with the skills and knowledge to perform their jobs well. 

Regularly monitoring calls and discussing performance is a powerful development strategy. Staff are 80% more likely to be engaged if they receive constructive feedback. You can set platforms like Nextiva to start recording when a specific situation arises that you want to work on.

Clarify the areas of agent performance you’re assessing and how you’re measuring them to structure your reviews. 

Are you checking the individual’s communication skills or their product knowledge? Hold review sessions promptly to make sure your insights are still relevant to their role.

Incentivize the right behaviors

Recognizing and rewarding actions that align with your goals can motivate teams. Incentives also have a knock-on effect. If agents see their colleagues get shout-outs or bonuses, they will be more likely to emulate their behaviors.

If you’re using a platform with gamification, you have an instant way to identify top performers. You can offer agents perks for upselling or cross-selling products.

Recognition is a powerful motivator. A recent study revealed that public recognition is the most effective and memorable way to acknowledge employees. 

Consider posting about achievements to your company’s social media or presenting an award for specific accomplishments.

Hit Your Sales Goals With Nextiva

A sales call center equips outbound sales teams with the tech and tools to improve customer relationships, make more calls, and ensure that those calls are more likely to be successful. 

Besides offering a pricing plan that matches your budget, your next platform should have features like:

• A predictive dialer so reps spend less time waiting and more time talking to potential customers
• CRM integration so all customer interactions and details are kept in one place
• Call recording and playback so you can revisit conversations during performance reviews and training sessions and help agents improve
• STIR/SHAKEN compliance so you can authenticate caller IDs and ensure calls aren’t marked as spam 

This helps you truly empower your team rather than just adding to their workload. 

Nextiva’s AI-powered contact center solution brings all these essential tools (and more) into one place. From tracking KPIs and handling high call volumes to cold calling and call recording, you can get it all done in a single platform.

Plus, Nextiva integrates with some of the world’s top CRM and help desk software, so it can fit right into your existing workflows.