Why connect IP telephony?
IR-telephony is an effective tool that can be used to increase the productivity of the sales department. Moreover, both operators who only call potential customers, and those managers who lead buyers through the abyss of sales.
When telephony is connected in the sales department, the company optimizes its budget in two ways. First, the payment for communication really becomes less, despite the fact that there are more calls per work shift. Even calls to other countries cost less, not to mention internal calls with colleagues from other departments. Secondly, the return on investment is increasing. For one spent ruble of communications, more revenue is earned.
In addition to savings, you can get other benefits:
- new opportunities In addition to standard calls, telephony users can record conversations, send videos to each other, connect to social networks or the CRM system;
- IP telephony service is much easier. The software can be easily updated to the latest version. In addition, telephony can be installed in any company, regardless of its scale, server capacity or equipment;
- improvement of key business indicators. Thanks to the introduction of telephony, sales and profits are increasing. Therefore, a growing company becomes more attractive to investors
- resistance to external and internal changes. If the office moves, the number of employees increases, another non-standard situation occurs, IP telephony will not need to be turned off or improved. It will work in the former mode, regardless of where the managers are located in the world.
Installing IP telephony is not always justified. After all, the software has flaws. The following features should also be taken into account:
- it will not be possible to transfer the call to emergency services - providers do not provide such an opportunity;
- in some organizations, the contracts stipulate that the placement of the number is a limitation.
IP telephony capabilities for sales
IP-telephony is implemented in the sales department to increase the productivity of employees. This is helped by additional features that are not available on ordinary phones
Call forwarding
When a company runs an ad, it puts a phone number on it so that interested people can call the sales department. But if the flow of incoming calls is too large, not everyone can get through. As a result, a person calls the number assigned to the manager, who does not pick up the phone due to busyness. As a result, the client was lost. But thanks to forwarding, the incoming call is transferred to any other free operator or manager. Thus, the maximum number of customers is covered.
Individual voice mail
It happens that the client calls the office, but no one can answer. For example, the client decides to call at night, during the employees' lunch break. If no one answers, the person will go to competitors who will be more customer-oriented. This can be prevented by using the voicemail that IP telephony offers. This is an individual answering machine that the customer hears. Voice mail can be different:
- автовідповідач запропонує клієнтам залишити повідомлення, назвати тему свого дзвінка та зручний час, коли менеджер зможе передзвонити;
- стандартні фрази, які допоможуть клієнтам записатися на потрібний час, передати якісь дані або зробити щось, що зовсім не вимагає участі менеджерів;
Control over the activities of sellers
This opportunity will be useful for those sales departments that work remotely. In this case, there is a need for RVP to regularly hold online meetings and planners. It is most convenient to do this with the help of video communication, but sometimes calls are enough.
If the software is installed on each manager's computer, employees will be able to gather in an online video conference. The number of people who can be connected to one meeting is determined by the software developer and the tariff. In addition, with the help of IP telephony, the head of the department will be able to see the workflow of each manager in real time: the total number of calls made, the number of conversations that ended in an agreement, the number of missed calls. Also, the PBX will record the duration of conversations - both in general and for an individual employee. This possibility allows you to monitor the work of the staff, which increases discipline and the quality of service.\nWith the help of telephony, you can monitor not only the current work, but also the implementation of the monthly plan. But for starters, a department manager can put this plan right into CRM with IP telephony connected. There you can set the bar for experienced employees, for a novice on a trial period.
Synchronization with other software
As a rule, IP telephony is installed in the sales department when the CRM system is already implemented. Most CRMs allow you to synchronize additional programs with each other. For example, combining telephony and calendar into one system. As a result, the manager receives a timely reminder of the need to call the next client to remind him of the payment, personal meeting.
Permanent access
If the deal is long and the client takes a few weeks to make a decision, most likely the manager will need to call him several times. With each subsequent call to the manager, it is important to consider some nuances from previous conversations. For example, customer needs, set budget, list of decision makers.\nBut if one manager has several such customers, he can confuse them. As a result, the relationship of trust between the client and the seller will be broken. But this can be prevented with IP telephony. The software has a built-in function of automatic data saving. The recording of telephone conversations will always be available for listening.\nIf IP telephony is integrated into the CRM system, the recording of conversations is automatically saved not just in the cloud, but in the client's card. The main theses of the conversation are also stored in the text version.
What is needed for the introduction of IP telephony
The specific list of equipment and software that will be needed to get started depends on the company's goals and the features that will be used. But there is a minimum list of what is needed:
computers, laptops for the work of managers, as well as devices that provide access to the Internet - a modem for connection, a router;\na headset that will allow employees to constantly talk on the phone and remain mobile. It is important to provide managers with personal headphones and microphones. If only the built-in speakers and microphone are used, then both the manager and his interlocutor will hear those who are in the office with the seller;\ncomputer software. Service providers are obliged to provide the necessary program for the sales department;\nprograms for connecting tablets or phones to telephony.
Popular providers of IP telephony
Different developers offer their customers a different list of features. Today there are several popular options for telephony.
StreamTelecom
This service offers telephony, call tracking, and several other services. The service is recommended for those companies that need to connect a 0-800 hotline. StreamTelecom has many options for monitoring the work of sellers. StreamTelecom synchronizes with most popular CRM systems, so it's easier for employees to manage customer cards and monitor personal plans. If the sales department works remotely, the RVP can start group chats via telephony, hold meetings in virtual rooms.
Kyivstar
The domestic operator offers four tariffs. They differ not only in cost, but also in the number of jobs, the number of available minutes of conversation. Any tariff plan is equipped with the following functions:
call forwarding;\nvoice answering machine;\ncall distribution between operators;\nstatistics and analytics.\nThere are also a number of available services that can be connected for additional costs. If users need to record conversations to listen to them later, trigger a callback automatically, the cost of using the software will increase.
