Using a dialer or CTI is a great way to optimize your teams’ time and productivity. It eliminates the busy work, and allows them to focus on what matters the most: making meaningful connections. But selecting a Lightning Dialer for Salesforce that checks all the boxes and requirements is not an easy task with the wide variety of options within the AppExchange. 

We’ve compiled a list of 10 must-have features you should look for when selecting your next dialer or telephony solution for Salesforce.

1. Power Dialer

A Power Dialer system automates the outbound dialing process, enabling your agents to spend more time talking and less time dialing. A power dialer that allows you to import lists from Salesforce directly and kickstart outbound dialing campaigns is key. You should look for options with a wide variety of import sources like List Views, Reports, Campaigns and High Velocity Sales, and the ability to import objects like contacts, leads, accounts, person accounts and even contacts related to opportunities using contact roles. An integration with High-Velocity Sales will also let your team import pending call steps into the power dialer and automatically power dial through their work queue, increasing the number of meaningful connections and ultimately revenue.

2. Voicemail Drop

Some reports show that almost 80% of outbound calls go to voicemail, so finding an efficient way of leaving voicemails is key. If done manually, reps are forced can leave up-to 70 voicemail messages a day on average. With voicemail drop, they can literally drop a pre-recorded message into the prospects inbox with one click. Messages can be pre-recorded and stored in a library from which your team can choose and drop straight to the clients’ inbox. All this activity should automatically be captured in Salesforce, saving reps time and giving management instant visibility through reports and dashboard.

3. Local Presence Caller ID

When it comes to helping increase connection rates, Local Presence for Salesforce is your ally. Automatic selection of a local number as Caller ID is key to increase call connections. Make sure your vendor offers a pool of thousands of shared numbers and doesn’t require you to buy additional numbers. Also providing callback capabilities is key, so inbound calls don’t go unanswered. You should look for options like automatic routing to the agent or team that placed the call or to a custom call flow such as an IVR or Queue.

4. Click to Dial from any device

This feature makes dialing increasingly easier, quicker, and ubiquitous. Simple as it sounds, it allows agents to place phone calls from any device like their PC, mobile phone or desphone by simply clicking on a phone number in Salesforce . Most dialers offer click to dial from the browser, but best in class CTI providers will offer this from all your devices and even from a desktop app that can be paired with a chrome extension in case you don’t want to use the dialer from within the browser.

5. Salesforce Call Routing & IVR

Your most important leads are probably calling you when they are ready to buy. Having a dialer or telephony solution that supports inbound call routing and has the ability to efficiently distribute calls is paramount. Modern systems will not only provide drag n drop IVR builders that can be easily managed by non technical users, but also that offer the capability to route calls based on Salesforce data. Imagine being able to automatically connect a prospect with the lead owner in Salesforce or an existing customer with the case owner. This is what you should look for.

6. Works from mobile

The world has accelerated the shift to remote and mobile work with COVID-19. The ability to work from anywhere and on the go has become a must. Ensuring your new Lightning Dialer or CTI provider has a mobile app that automatically syncs all call activity, including disposition codes, comments, etc. to Salesforce is key. Having features like your Salesforce contact directory on your mobile device and deep linking to automatically navigate to Salesforce records are cool nice to have features too!

7. SMS messaging

Messaging is the de-facto communication channel in the digital era. Having a solution that blends voice and messaging into one is something rare on the AppExchange, but when done well, it can really make your reps lifes easier. SMS and MMS messages tend to have a high open rate and have been successful across different industries. Connecting with prospects and customers through an integrated SMS and voice platform that allows you to use one business phone number to stay connected is what you should look for.

8. International calling & numbers

If your team requires to connect with international customers, it’s very important to ensure your CTI supports international dialing. VoIP technology has made it simple to reduce telecom costs and enhance your global presence by providing you with local and toll-free numbers around the globe from which you can dial or receive calls from local customers and leads. A few vendors will allow you to bring your own carrier and connect your existing trunks and numbers to their system. You should also be able to port your existing numbers into their network with no downtime, and provide you with new numbers instantly, without contracts or delay. 

To achieve Enterprise-grade quality, we suggest looking for fully compliant SIP trunking that delivers in-country routing, local caller ID format, and full PSTN connectivity. 

 9. Automatic Call Distribution

If you’re looking to efficiently distribute calls, using routing rules and an IVR system you’ll probably also need queues and ring groups to distribute calls among a group of reps. Advanced call queuing capabilities, allows you to select different call distribution algorithms like most idle or round robin, periodic announcements like average wait time and leverage settings like automatic call recording, agent timeout, service level, or maximum hold time.

10. Live Call Monitoring & Analytics

Call coaching and analytics are a vital component to evolve and make call center operations more effective and efficient. Best in-class solutions will allow you to gauge team and individual agent performance in real-time, automatically delivering your call center’s KPIs in beautiful Salesforce dashboards. 

Bonus tip! 

11. Salesforce and IT support:

If your IT team doesn't have an in-house Salesforce certified admin, we suggest selecting a vendor that provides in-house certified experts that can manage onboarding and ongoing support for you. The tool will be as good as the implementation.