From Asterisk Call Center Software to ZV Ports – My Education on Call Centers
From the Asterisk Call Center to the definition of ZV ports, I learned a great deal during my quest to add a business development team to my marketing firm.
Telemarketing remains a highly effective way to develop business and our company decided to add a team of 30 telemarketers across the United States (10 in each time zone). My task was to determine the most cost-effective way to build this team and grow our leads for the sales team.
Researching call centers online I found a language all to itself. From the famous Asterisk call center software to ZV ports and everything in between. Perhaps the most valuable lesson I learned was what I did and did not need in the system I chose.
Here is what most small to mid-sized businesses need in their call center software or system:
o A web based system (stay away from buying costly equipment, web based systems are much more cost-effective and efficient)
o A predictive dialer (this is the only way to effectively maximize your agents’ time speaking to callers)
o Callback and scheduling capability (definitely helpful in maximizing results)
o VoIP service (much less expensive and higher quality than most phone systems)
o Portability (you want your workers to be able to work anywhere there is an Internet connection)
o Customizable forms (so your operators can enter information needed for the next step in the sales process)
o Call time restrictions (to prevent agents from calling after hours or perhaps during lunch hours to maximize results)
o Lead management (this is very important)
Many of the available systems on the market allowed for a free trial which is helpful. It made me realize that most systems were not good. We did find one call center software system that worked great. The web-based system offered by SafeSoft Solutions at http://www.safesoftsolutions.com was the one we settled.
If you are mired in a sea of terms ranging from the asterisk call center to the ZV ports, save yourself some time and try SafeSoft Solutions’ free trial.